[ back ]
Refreshing exhibit hits the spot
(by Dedra Cordle, Staff Writer - January 19, 2012)
 |
| Messenger photo by Dedra Cordle |
|
Jim Hale, executive director of the Grove City Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, showcases some of the items at the Coca-Cola Collections Exhibit.
|
When the average person hears the words ‘Coca-Cola,’ they probably envision a bottle full of the dark, fizzy soft drink and nothing else. They could be forgiven for drawing a blank beyond the picture of the beverage, but a local exhibit is trying to change that perspective.
From now until Feb. 28, the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum will host a Coca-Cola collectibles exhibit from Coke enthusiasts. They have over 250 pieces on display, some common and some extremely rare, thanks in large part to Dacy Hale and Nicholas Esposito.
Hale, a geometry teacher at Westland High School, remembers her father bringing home Coke bottles, openers, coolers and trinkets in the late 1950s and 1960s.
“I was interested in everything he brought home and eventually I started to ask him if I could have them,” she said.
Over the years, Hale has amassed a large amount of collectibles, but this is the first time she has ever had her items out for public display. In fact, most of them have been boxed up and stored in the basement of her home.
“It got to be too much,” she said laughing.
Hale said she was excited when Jim Hale, her brother-in-law and executive director of the Grove City Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, wanted to borrow pieces for the latest exhibit.
“I am glad they (her collection) get to see the light of day again and that other people would get to enjoy them,” said the director.
Hale’s display at the museum includes the 1992 collector’s series of NFL teams, old-fashioned clocks, trays, napkin holders, Coke Collector Cards, an ice pick she found while sifting through debris of an old building and the cooler she and her family used while going on fishing trips in the mountains of Virginia.
“I’m really proud of the exhibit,” she said. “It brings back a lot of memories.”
Some of the rarest items at the museum come courtesy of Esposito, a 26-year-old soldier currently serving in Afghanistan. They include Bingo cards and chips, Olympic memorabilia, a 35mm camera, 3-D glasses and promotional records for artists such as Eddie Fisher and Tony Bennett. Esposito’s father, Michael, said his son has been collecting Coke items since he was a small boy.
“He started out collecting Christmas tree ornaments and it just went from there,” he said.
Michael said Esposito has thousands of items in his Coke collection.
“Some he’ll get as gifts and some we would pick up at flea markets, antique shops, and Coca-Cola shows and auctions,” he said. “Nicholas is in Afghanistan but he’s still buying stuff on the Internet and shipping them home.”
Michael said his son was thrilled when he learned they wanted to put some of his collection on public display.
“He thinks it’s so cool because no one ever gets to see it,” he said. “It’s always been for his enjoyment until now.”
The exhibit can be viewed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Special Saturday hours can be scheduled by calling 539-8747. The Grove City Welcome Center and Museum is located at 3378 Park Street.
[ back ]
