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Reading, Pennsylvania
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==Arts and culture== [[File:Reading Art Museum.jpg|thumb|[[Reading Public Museum]] in April 2011]] [[File:Reading Urban.jpg|thumb|[[Downtown Reading]] in April 2011]] The city's cultural institutions include the Reading Symphony Orchestra and its education project the [[Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra]], the Reading Choral Society, [[Opus One: Berks Chamber Choir]], Berks Sinfonietta Chamber Orchestra, Vox Philia Chamber Choir, the [[GoggleWorks]] Art Gallery, the [[Reading Public Museum]] and the [[Historical Society of Berks County]]. Reading is the birthplace of graphic artist [[Jim Steranko]], guitar virtuoso [[Richie Kotzen]], novelist and poet [[John Updike]], and poet [[Wallace Stevens]]. Marching band composer and writer [[John Philip Sousa]], the March King, died in Reading's [[Hotel Abraham Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln Hotel]] in 1932. Artist [[Keith Haring]]<ref name="np">{{Cite news |title= Keith Haring's pop art celebrated in today's Google Doodle |periodical=[[National Post]] |date=May 4, 2012 |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/04/keith-haring-google-doodle/ |access-date=May 4, 2012 }}</ref> was born in Reading. In 1935, comedian [[Jackie Gleason]] began his professional career in Tiny's Chateau Nightclub, located inside Reading's Black Bear Inn.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bacon |first1=James |title=How Sweet It Is |date=1985 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |isbn=0-31239621-X |page=28 |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/1380359068 |access-date=19 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Slater |first1=Jack |title=Jackie Gleason: Hall of Fame Tribute |url=https://www.emmys.com/news/hall-fame/jackie-gleason-hall-fame-tribute |website=Television Academy Emmy's |access-date=19 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Golf Chronicles The story of golf at Reading Country Club and in Berks County Down at Black Bear: Tiny, Tony and the Great One |url=https://golfchrons.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/7/6/31769437/24_down_at_black_bear.pdf |website=The Golf Chronicles |access-date=19 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title="The Great One", Jackie Gleason interviewed by Morley Safer in 1984 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGW9DuXDE28&t=13s |website=[[60 Minutes]] |access-date=19 August 2024}}</ref> Reading is home to the 17-time [[Drum Corps Associates|DCA]] world champion drum and bugle corps, The [[Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps|Reading Buccaneers]]. In 1914, one of the anchors of the Battleship ''[[USS Maine (ACR-1)|Maine]]'' was delivered from the [[Washington Navy Yard]] to City Park, off of Perkiomen Avenue. The anchor was dedicated during a ceremony presided over by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who was then assistant secretary of the navy. Reading was home to several movie and theater palaces in the early 20th century. The Astor, Embassy, Loew's Colonial, and Rajah Shrine Theater were grand monuments of architecture and entertainment. Today, after depression, recession, and urban renewal, the Rajah is the only one to remain. The Astor Theater was demolished in 1998 to make way for The [[Santander Arena|Sovereign Center]]. Certain steps were taken to retain mementos of the Astor, including its ornate [[Art Deco]] chandelier and gates. These are on display and in use inside the arena corridors, allowing insight into the ambiance of the former movie house. In 2000, the Rajah was purchased from the [[Shriners]]. After a much needed restoration, it was renamed the Sovereign Performing Arts Center. In 2013 the theatre and arena were rebranded as the [[Santander Performing Arts Center]] and [[Santander Arena]] respectively after [[Santander Bank]] purchased Sovereign. The [[Mid-Atlantic Air Museum]] is a membership-supported museum and restoration facility located at [[Carl A. Spaatz]] Field. The museum actively displays and restores historic and rare war aircraft and civilian airliners. Most notable to their collection is a [[Northrop P-61 Black Widow]] under active restoration since its recovery from Mount Cyclops, New Guinea in 1989. Beginning in 1990, the museum has hosted "World War II Weekend Air Show", scheduled to coincide with [[June 6, 1944|D-Day]]. On display are period wartime aircraft (many of which fly throughout the show) vehicles, and weapons. The mechanical ice cream scoop was invented in Reading by William Clewell in 1876.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Get the scoop on a local inventor's sweet achievement|url=http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=58429|access-date=May 16, 2021|website=Reading Eagle|archive-date=May 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516024429/http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=58429|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[5th Avenue (candy)|5th Avenue]] candy bar and [[York Peppermint Pattie]] were invented in Reading.<ref name="Readingberkspa.com"/> ===Attractions=== [[File:Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania).jpg|thumb|Reading's [[Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania)|Pagoda]]]] In 1908, a Japanese-style [[pagoda]] was built on Mount Penn, where it overlooks the city and is visible from almost everywhere in town.<ref>"Reading's Pagoda and Historic Buildings" (video), in "[https://pcntv.com/building-pennsylvania/ Building Pennsylvania]." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Cable Network, Summer 2022.</ref> The [[Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania)|Pagoda]] remains a popular tourist attraction. Reading's City Park is home to several monuments and works of public art, including the [[Frederick Lauer Monument]]. Another fixture in Reading's skyline is the [[William Penn Memorial Fire Tower]], one mile from the Pagoda on Skyline Drive. Built in 1939 for fire department and forestry observation, the tower is 120 feet tall, and rises 950 feet above the intersection of fifth and Penn streets. From the top of the tower, it offers a 60-mile panoramic view. The Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company founded in 1899, just outside Reading city limits, in West Reading and Wyomissing boroughs changed its name to Vanity Fair in 1911 and is now the major clothing manufacturer [[VF Corp.]] In the early 1970s, the original factories were developed to create the [[VF Corp.#VF Outlet Village|VF Outlet Village]], the first outlet mall in the United States. The VF Outlet closed in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rader|first=Tom|title=VF Outlet in Berks closes its doors|publisher=WFMZ-TV|location=Allentown, PA|date=December 24, 2020|url=https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/vf-outlet-in-berks-closes-its-doors/article_99fd2c2a-4643-11eb-82e4-2bc3dfb868dd.html|access-date=December 24, 2020}}</ref> [[GoggleWorks|GoggleWorks Center for the Arts]] is a community art and cultural resource center located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The mission of the GoggleWorks is "to transform lives through unique interactions with art." Located in the former Willson Goggle Factory building, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts features eight teaching studios in ceramics, hot and warm glass, metalsmithing, photography, printmaking, woodworking and virtual reality; 35 juried artist studios; and headquarters of over 40 cultural organizations. GoggleWorks also includes several exhibition galleries, a 130-seat film theatre, a bar/restaurant, and store featuring handcrafted works by over 200 artists working within the building and beyond. Admission and parking are always free. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://goggleworks.org/about/history/|title = History}}</ref>
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