Motoring Display

The Cunningham Automobile

100 years ago it was possible to buy an automobile that was built in Rochester, NY. Possible, but expensive. James Cunningham, Son and Company produced some of the most expensive vehicles available at the time. The Cunningham Automobile was a handmade, high performance vehicle that rivaled the likes of Rolls Royce.

Cunningham's clients included Cecil B. De Mille, George Eastman, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Marshall Field, William Randolph Hearst, Harold Lloyd, Mary Pickford, and the Wrigley brothers.

2019 Christmas Tree Contest

Once again, artificial trees will be placed throughout Webster museum by the end of November, awaiting decoration by creative minds and hands. Webster's scouts, families, clubs, organizations, groups or individuals should plan to register as soon as possible, as there are a limited number of trees.  Trees may be decorated using exhibit placement theme, organization theme, or any other family-friendly idea.

The winning tree is determined by public vote and there are two categories: adult and youth.  A $25 prize is awarded in each category.

Trees may be decorated on Saturday, November 30 from 2:15-4:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 3 from 2:15-4:15 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m., and Thursday December 5 from 2:15-4:15 p.m.  Most but not all trees have lights and all but one have access to electricity/extension cords.

Voting begins on December 7 during Webster's annual Christmas in the Village event and ends on December 31. 

Trees will be registered to callers in the order that calls are received.  

Please call Kathy at (585) 313-3709 and leave a message with name and phone # to return the call.  

Please be prepared to supply the following information when we speak:

Caller's name, phone number and email
Decorator's name, phone number and email
Date/time plan to decorate
Special requests (location, lights, etc)
Questions you may have

Apples to Apples

We skipped the card games and biographies of Steve Jobs and decided to focus on the item that in many ways put Webster on the map...the apple. A bit of a visual history is now on display at the Webster Public Library.

Mary Pantas 1928 - 2019

You could feel the joy in the air when Mary stopped by the Webster Museum. She was kind enough to join us in September for our Motoring open house and in May for History and a Cup. Here at the museum, we're fortunate to have reminders of Mary all around us. She is dearly missed!

May 8th 2019: Mary Pantas: Watch Now

May 15th 2019: George Baker Watch Now

May 22nd 2019: Wayne Wolfe Watch Now

Dear Webster Museum

A selection of letters sent to the museum following student visits.

Old Time Radio

Until 1922 there was only silence.

Rochester's initial attempts to break that silence didn't go entirely as planned. It's first commercial radio station (WHQ) closed after only a few short months thanks in part to the steel superstructure of the Times-Union building that housed the radio station's antenna and muffled its signal. Luckily the expertise and equipment that put WHQ on the air was passed on to George Eastman who founded WHAM with the assistance of Lawrence Hickson in July of 1922.

The voices of Rochester radio soon became familiar friends, relied on for news, weather and entertainment.