The Tyrone History Museum is ready for the holiday season with a new display featuring Nativity scenes from around the world.
The Nativities have been loaned to the museum by local and former area residents.
There are also a variety of Christmas cards and ornaments.
The museum is open Sunday and Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. through December 14. It will also be open as a part of Tyrone Yuletyme Christmas on Saturday, December 6.
Tyrone resident Isabel Lykens has accumulated over 150 Nativity scenes over the years and was a big help in putting together this collection. The oldest of her collection is a 4 1/2 by 2 inch cardboard stable scene from the early 1950s. She also loaned a glass display and an African-American holy family.
A larger 1950s cardboard stable with figures was contributed by Mary Jo Barber, who said the display had belonged to her parents, Joe and Mary Panasiti.
Another collector of Nativities is former Tyrone resident, Jo Smeland. Most of her scenes have been gathered from countries around the world. Selections from her collection include scenes from Poland, Peru, Ireland, Russia and a holy family from Kansas, hand-carved from orange osage wood.
The exhibit will also include the family Nativity of Judith Norris from 1972. This scene was handcrafted and painted by Anne S. Norris and the stable was made by Dale Norris.
The 1979 family Nativity of Neil and Nancy Smith is also on display. The hand painted figures were created by Mary Hoover and the stable was built by Nancy’s father, Joseph Sestak.
The ornaments on display include a hand-cut nativity scene in an eggshell. The 48-year-old ornament was crafted in 1960.
There is also hand-carved wooden scenes from Israel and new hand-painted ornaments from 2006, by artist James Patton.
