Celebrate The Peale's 210th birthday with us! This all-day event will include family-friendly performances, special building tours, cake, crafts, a visit with local firefighters, a firetruck, and more! Plus, we'll also be offering a sneak preview of a new exhibition created in conjunction with the African American Firefighters Historical Society called "Igniting Integration!" The party will also feature an exclusive "crankie" performance about the artist Moses Williams. 

"Crankies" are a form of visual storytelling with a rich history. This unique art involves a crankie theatre, a box containing two spools with handles that can be cranked to move an illustrated scroll. As the scroll winds, it creates a stream of moving images. Crankies can be combined with shadow puppetry, enhancing the narrative with magical visual effects. In an exclusive presentation, String Theory Theater presents Moses Williams, Cutter of Profiles, the story of the life of Moses Williams, an enslaved man who became an accomplished silhouette artist and entrepreneur.