A D.C.-area broadcast museum faces a tight future, with less and less floor space for its increasing supply of exhibit material.
According to The Gazette, the National Capital Radio & Television Museum located in Bowie, Md., reached out to Bowie’s leaders at a City Council meeting last week. Museum Executive Director and Curator Brian Belanger asked the members for help.
“We’re wondering how you see opportunities for our future,” he said.
Beyond space concerns, Belanger said the facility has other issues: the location is not easily reached by bus, its second floor is not handicap accessible and it lacks climate control.
The private, nonprofit museum is located in the Harmel House, one of Bowie’s historic landmark properties. Displays include an early wireless telegraph from Guglielmo Marconi, early crystal sets from the 1920s, Depression-era cathedral radios and more.
Belanger says the museum receives 2,000 visitors per year, and their spending boosts Bowie’s economy.
Bowie Mayor G. Frederick Robinson asked for a list of specific needs of the museum. “We’ll try to put you together with the right people,” he said.