Patrons of Davenport’s Putnam Museum & Science Center are invited to view fantastically ridiculous machines, and dream up some of their own, in the venue’s Rube Goldberg: The World of Hilarious Invention!, the new traveling exhibition that opens on September 28 and showcases the legendary Rube Goldberg’s iconic contraptions, imaginative illustrations, and humorous storytelling.
Created by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Heirs of Rube Goldberg, Rube Goldberg: The World of Hilarious Invention! employs authentic 3D recreations inspired by original Rube Goldberg illustrations with newly created interactive components, designed and built to convey the humorous narratives and inventive thinking that embody Goldberg’s work. His contraptions become not only an entry point for deeper exploration of themes related to storytelling, but to the way things work.
The exhibit includes original Ed Steckley illustrations from Jennifer George‘s award-winning children’s book Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day, a collection of responsive chain-reaction exhibits, and videos featuring the latest chain-reaction machines from all around the world, all of which help tell the bigger story of Rube Goldberg’s legacy. Putnam guests can also activate and create crazy chain-reaction contraptions that use everyday objects to complete simple tasks in the most overcomplicated, inefficient and hilarious ways possible.
Details and directions at the River Cities’ Reader.