The Hagley Museum and Library to fire its signal cannon every day that the Hagley Museum is open for normal museum operations, weather permitting, at 1:00 p.m.
By Steven Brodsky
… as announced in this Hagley Museum and Library news release:
WILMINGTON, Delaware (November 2, 2026) – History is booming at Hagley Museum and Library! Beginning Saturday, November 7, Hagley will fire its signal cannon every day the museum is open, making the popular demonstration part of the daily visitor experience.
Signal cannon firings have long been a part of Hagley Museum’s programming on holidays, special events, and the last Sunday of every month. Now, the historic DuPont powder yards at Hagley will ring out with the sound of a cannon firing at 1 p.m. on each day of normal museum operations, weather permitting.
“Hagley is a place where guests experience history with all their senses. Daily cannon firings add an exciting new element to that unique aspect of a visit to the museum,” says museum director and chief creative officer Mike Adams. “In keeping with our mission to ‘inspire all people to be innovative in their own lives,’ the firing is preceded by a short educational demonstration about how signal cannons were used to solve a very specific communication challenge in the 19th century.”
Traditionally used aboard ships and along waterfronts to sound warnings, direct vessels, or mark celebrations, signal cannons are small but mighty. Hagley‘s cannon uses a charge of black powder and a slow-burning fuse to produce an impressive boom that echoes through the historic powder yards, where the DuPont Company manufactured black powder from 1802 to 1921.
The daily firings add another dimension to exploring Hagley‘s 19th-century industrial site, where history comes alive in demonstrations of water-powered machinery and the ingenuity that helped shape modern America. Throughout the day, guests can take in other black powder demonstrations during tours included with museum admission. From the thunder of the cannon to the sight and sounds of working water-powered machinery, guests discover how innovations from the past inspire curiosity, creativity, and new ideas today.
November offers even more reasons to visit. Daily cannon firings come at a perfect time to visit Hagley when the site’s 235 acres are filled with the colors of fall. The museum will also honor veterans’ service with free general museum admission for veterans from Saturday, November 7, through Tuesday, November 10.
Experience history with a bang at Hagley Museum and Library. For museum hours, admission information, and upcoming events, visit www.hagley.org.
Posted 11-7-26
Don’t wait for frost to appear on the pumpkin
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… to enjoy this classic enduring-love-themed recording:
Frost conditions or not, “love the people that God gives you.”
The song “The People That God Gives You” is referenced in an article that’s currently posted at: Conversations About Faith – delcoculturevultures.com.
This article appeared at: Conversations And Articles About Music -.delcoculturevultures.com.
Posted 10-15-26, Revised and reposted 10-21-26
Edgar Albert Guest
By Steven Brodsky
… was a favorite poet of Edith Bunker, a character from the All in the Family sitcom that was played by Jean Stapleton.
In homage to the Edith Bunker character, and because Thanksgiving is drawing nigh, I’m linking to a poem by Edgar Albert Guest: Thanksgiving by Edgar Albert Guest | Poetry Foundation.
People are blessed by their being thankful for their blessings.
Posted 10-12-26
Corny to some
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… is the allowance of time to fully enjoy some of autumn’s bounteous simple pleasures.
Corniness aside, this autumn won’t be here forever.
Carpe autumn 2026.
Posted 9-30-26
Jesus loves black sheep
By Steven Brodsky
… and all of the people who were present when this video was filmed:
And Jesus loves us!
https://youtu.be/erc4IeGwfjk?si=cJG7s8oa1zMeQc_D
This brief article appeared at: Conversations About Faith – delcoculturevultures.com.
Posted 1-26-26, Revised and reposted 8-28-26
If Roy were to be koi
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… It would be fishy.
Just punning.
There are more than 50 ways to pun on any given day.
And there must be 50 ways for a song character to leave a lover, according to a song character in Paul Simon’s song “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”
Posted 6-27-26
Romanticized notions about nature
By Steven Brodsky
… pass away for the speaker of Seamus Heaney’s poem “Death of a Naturalist.”
Many “naturalists” have had a similar experience.
And most would, with sufficient exposure to realities of the natural world.
May we all acquire and retain a sense of wonder in regard to the natural world.
This brief article appeared at: Conversations About Nature.
Posted 3-3-26, Revised and reposted 3-21-26
Everyone needs to be connected to a caring and supportive community
By Steven Brodsky
… as did Edgar Allan Poe, the author of this linked poem that’s saturated with extreme aloneness: “Alone” | The Poetry Foundation.
Poe wasn’t connected to such a community, unfortunately.
The link to Poe’s “Alone” appears here on the evening prior to Poe’s birthday.
Poe was born on January 19, 1809.
I like to think that a few people might have reached out to Poe on his birthday to communicate that the poem deeply resonated with their own experiences with aloneness in extremis.
If they had, perhaps they and Poe may have had their aloneness at least temporarily alleviated, and if that happened, Poe’s birthday would have been somewhat better.
Posted 1-18-26
Steven Brodsky hosted a radio show for 3 and a half years. The show focused on coverage of entertainment, the arts, and all manner of culture. He is widely known for his many live on air interviews with guests such as: Rodney Crowell, Charlie Louvin, Richie Havens, Eric Whitacre (composer, conductor), Solomon Burke, Janis Ian, Percy Sledge, Billy Joe Shaver, Jack LaLanne, Gene Shay, Bruce Morrow “Cousin Brucie,” Jerome “Little Anthony” Gourdine, Pat Cooper, Jett Williams (daughter of Hank Williams), Steve Forbert, Chris Smither, Lukas Nelson, Dr. Temple Grandin, Dan Fante, Harold Camping (Harold Camping was the radio broadcaster and Bible teacher who famously proclaimed that Judgment Day and the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011. Harold Camping passed away on December 15, 2013.), Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, curators, historians, scientists, and newsmakers. He welcomes email.