PEORIA, Ill. – There’s a new exhibit at the Peoria Riverfront Museum that’s all about inventions and patents.
“The Fire of Genius…Presidents and Patents” exhibit opens Tuesday, February 20 and runs through June.
The highlight of the exhibit is a collection of U.S. patents signed by Presidents Jackson, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and John Quincy Adams.
Owners of the collection, Rich and Becky Beam of Chicago say they’re thrilled so many people will get to see it at the Riverfront Museum.
“We wanted these patents to inspire people. We wanted them to inspire young people to think…maybe I could get a patent, maybe I could invent something,” Rich Beam says.
There are 13 patents signed by presidents in the Beams’ collection. About half of them are displayed in the “Fire of Genius…Presidents and Patents” exhibit.
The exhibit also includes the only patent held by a U.S. president…Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s patent was for a buoy system designed to help keep boats afloat on the Sangamon River.
Mike Stubbs, Director of Peoria Next Innovation Center, has been very involved in getting the patents exhibit ready. His focus has been on local inventors and inventions, including Michael Kuzma’s self-playing guitars.
Mike Kuzma’s self-playing guitar on display at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. (1470 and 100.3 WMBD–Julia Bradley)
“If you actually search self-playing guitar on Google, what comes up is Michael Kuzma and his company. He’s leading that industry and has a patent for his self-playing guitar,” Stubbs says.
“So, the idea is that he had a team of people in the Peoria area that helped him create something that’s never existed before,” Stubbs adds.
Lux Blox, another local invention on display, was patented by Galesburg residents Mike and Heather Acerra. The toy invention grew out of an idea to make something like Legos, but with movement you’d find in nature.
CEO John Morris says he hopes “The Fire of Genius…Presidents and Patents” can inspire students who tour the Peoria Riverfront Museum to their own greatness.
“The Peoria Riverfront Museum is in the confidence building business, and there’s no better subject to build confidence of our region, than inventions. So, we are in the invention business,” Morris says.
For more information about “The Fire of Genius…Presidents and Patents” exhibit, click HERE.
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