The Princeton University Engi­neer­ing School is host­ing an ice cream social  on Tuesday, August 21 at 4 p.m. to show­case Pro­fes­sor Michael Littman’s dis­play of iconic (and beau­ti­ful) engi­neer­ing objects from the early 20th cen­tury. Thanks to Ed Sproles for telling me about it! 

Littman, a pro­fes­sor of mechan­i­cal and aero­space engi­neer­ing, will give a short talk and demon­stra­tion of early tele­phones, radios, phono­graphs, and a player piano — all work­ing devices. The event will take place in the Friend Cen­ter Atrium and is free and open to the public. The Friend Center is on Olden Avenue between Nassau and Prospect. 

Littman’s dis­play cases are across the hall from Princeton’s Art of Science exhibit (image shown at left is Tropical Fish by Yunlai Zha, taken from Curator magazine.. View all the Art of Science entries here. Both exhibits are located in the Friend Cen­ter for Engi­neer­ing Edu­ca­tion, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon­day through Friday.

Another free afternoon event, the McCarter Theater annual block party, is Wednesday, August 22, 5 to 8 p.m. You’ll  hear the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra and you can buy a taste test of the best food in town including Tenneseee barbecue by my friends from Blue Diamond Que. Raindate, Thursday, August 23

Parking suggestion: if the dinky lot is full, the seminary lot or the Princeton University garage. The barbecue sauce and the Italian ices are fabulous, but wear something that doesn’t show drips!