What is the Name of This Quirky, Famous Maine Museum?
Have you seen this quirky museum on Route 1 in Wells, Maine?
The museum, chock full of eclectic antiques, has been featured in both Yankee Magazine and on the History Channel’s “American Pickers.’’
The museum is named after its owner, known for his signature suspenders and ponytail. He died earlier this year and the museum has been closed since. According to the museum’s website, it is currently being renovated.
The owner was an antique trader who loved the stories behind his treasures. His collection of thousands of antiques and unique items had drawn visitors from around the world. They paid $5 to walk the grounds, take photos, and hear the tales of his many objects, which included a framed portrait of Elvis, a Tiffany lamp, an antique telephone, an old gas pump, and a vintage United States Army uniform.
Before the owner turned the building into a museum in the 1980s, it was a restaurant called Libby’s Colonial Tea Room — listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum owner kept the 1940s tea room kitchen on display and there are newspaper photos of him displaying a chair signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, a one-time patron of the restaurant.
New England photographer Liz Mackney took the photo above, telling Boston.com “I had passed the museum several times on my way north from Rockport and vowed to one day actually stop and check it out as I was always intrigued by the museum’s out buildings. There were so many things about this particular out building that caught my artistic eye, such as the spoked-wheel carts and stacked trunks. The different shapes and textures, coupled with the wonderful tree-lined background made for the perfect composition. To compliment the historic aspect of the content within this shot, I gave the entire image a slight oil paint treatment during my digital post production work.’’
A big thank you to Mackney for sharing her beautiful photo.
Do you know the name of this museum?
Check back with us tomorrow for the answer. And get travel inspiration every Tuesday on Twitter using the hashtag #TravelTuesday.
The answer: Johnson Hall Museum
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