Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 9 14 BEACHCOMBER HISTORY WAS MADE HERE, continued from page 13 museums and exhibits. In the one- of-a-kind center, visitors can learn about the creation of wireless tech- nology, hear early radio programs, listen to their voices bounce off the moon, program historic computers, discover the history of electronic warfare, see full-size military vehicles as well as items salvaged from ship- wrecks and so much more. Following is a summary of InfoAge's various museums and exhibits. The InfoAge Space Exploration Center (ISEC) tells the story of space exploration that led to the founding of NASA and the United States Space Program. The TIROS dish antenna on display at the center ushered in the inception of weath- er tracking by satellite in 1962. In fact, the antenna recorded the first image of a hurricane from space and created hurricane tracking systems that are still in use today. Also on display is the SCR271 antenna used by the former top-secret "Project Diana" in 1946 to send the first sig- nal from the earth to the moon and back in 2.5 seconds. Other exhibits at the ISEC include models and dis- plays about Project SCORE (Signal Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment), which was established by President Eisenhower to develop rocket technology, and Saturn V and Apollo Program Guidance Computer Modules. ISEC hosts summer camps for children and teens and a num- ber of lectures and public programs featuring NASA astronauts and other space dignitaries and scholars throughout the year. The Radio Technology Museum is maintained by members of the New Jersey Antique Radio Club, who volunteer their time as guides and docents. Visitors will learn about the development of radio from before sparks through today's cell phones. The extensive exhibit of radio tech- nology from the nineteenth century through today includes countless pieces of equipment still in working condition such as vintage radios, microphones, and even rotary and pay telephones. The Radio Technology Museum is also home to the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame, which takes visitors back to the Golden Age of Radio when a dial was the key to entertainment, information, and good old-fashioned stories. Full radio programs from the era can be heard in their entirety. The National Broadcasters Hall of Fame includes such legends as George Burns, Edward R. Morrow, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman, Red Skelton, Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Les Brown, Larry King, and Art Linkletter. The New Jersey Shipwreck Museum is dedicated to preserving shipwreck and maritime history and is owned and operated by the New Jersey Historical Divers Association. The museum contains a multitude of artifacts recovered from area ship- wrecks and an extensive collection of research materials. Several photo- graphs and items recovered from the Morro Castle wreck off Asbury Park in September 1934 are on display, as is a cannon recovered off Long Island from the 1888 wreck of the steamer Iberia. Other relics on exhibit include a millstone recovered from the wreck site of the Adonis, which sunk off Long Branch in 1859, and items recovered from the wreck of the Mohawk, lost in 1935 off Manasquan. The Vintage Computer Federation is at the helm of the Vintage Computer Museum, which spotlights computer history from the 1940s through modern times. Many of the computers on display are in operational condition, including 1940s-1960s mainframes, 1960s-1970s minicomputers, and 1970s-1990s microcomputers. The World War II Tactical Communications Museum high- lights army field radio, wire line, radio relay, and tactical message encryption equipment used in the Second World War. Visitors are encouraged to find the secret radio hidden in a canteen within the exhibit. The Association of Old Crows' Exhibit focuses upon electronic war- fare and demonstrates how devices can be used to prevent an enemy from utilizing their own electronics in an attack while educating about the importance of electronic warfare on the modern battlefield used to protect United States troops. The Military Technology Museum of New Jersey is the larg- est exhibit at the InfoAge Science and History Center. It features a vast array of vintage, historic military artifacts, combat artwork, and mem- orabilia, many of which were donated by local residents. The museum also houses full-size jeeps, tanks, amphib- ious and other military vehicles, while detailed models and dioramas of equipment and battles, including miniature tanks, jeeps, and aircraft, almost come alive in the World War II Miniatures Museum. The African-Americans and Camp Evans Exhibit, located inside the Marconi Hotel, celebrates the Before there was wireless (radio) communications, the Morse telegraph, which used wires between locations, was common. On display at the Radio Technology Museum. Inside the Radio Technology Museum. Jill Ocone Jill Ocone

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