The Way Things Worked, Michael Shiffer Talks Antique Mechanical Wizardry at the Gilboa Museum Aug. 22

GILBOA — If your refrigerator requires a Wi-Fi connection and your toaster periodically reboots itself, the Gilboa Museum has a brief operational respite for you. On Saturday, August 22, at 1:00 p.m., the museum will present “The Way Things Worked,” a talk and live demonstration by museum board member Michael Shiffer dedicated to the noisy, deliberate, and extraordinarily durable devices of yesteryear.

Long before consumer electronics were designed to self-destruct two weeks after their warranty expired, tools were built to last. They had gears, levers, springs, and crank handles—physical components that sang, clicked, and occasionally bit back if handled with sufficient carelessness. Shiffer will put a selection of 19th- and early 20th-century gadgets through their paces, demonstrating how our predecessors chopped, stitched, cranked, and calculated without a single drop of electricity or a subscription model in sight.

Attendees will see vintage devices live in action, hear the stories behind their invention, and discover how mechanical ingenuity once solved everyday problems without ever needing a password reset.

Whether you are a local history enthusiast, a curious handyman, or simply someone who misses appliances you could fix with a hammer, join Michael as offers a charming look at an era when hardware meant hardware.

The Way Things Worked: A Talk & Demo of Old Devices, Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Gilboa Museum, Gilboa, NY. Free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Programs and Exhibits at the Gilboa Museum are sponsored by:  NY Council for the Arts (NYSCA), Town of Gilboa, Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, R.A. Tait Builders, Gardens by Trista, Grapeville Insurance Agency, NBT Bank of Grand Gorge, NY Power Authority, Purple Mountain Press, Schoharie Valley Farms, and Sunken City Cider.