Visitors test their skills on rock-themed pinball machines at the ‘Part of the Machine: Rock & Pinball’ exhibit on display at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Credit: Jackson Hall | Social Media Editor
Good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll is rolling into the Columbus Metropolitan Library — literally.
CML and Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have partnered to present a new exhibit titled “Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball,” which is now open at the Main Library at 96 S. Grant Ave. Running through May 22, the free exhibit includes playable pinball machines, music memorabilia and events for all ages, said Jun Francisco, the Hall of Fame’s director of collections management.
Francisco said visitors can expect six fully functional rock ‘n’ roll-themed pinball machines, KISS co-founder Peter Chris’ complete drum kit, photos from Columbus-born Rolling Stone magazine photographer Baron Wolman and more music artifacts.
Francisco said pinball has long been tied to rock culture, making it a natural focus for the exhibit.
“Pinball machines were first manufactured in 1931, and immediately after it came out, the wider community considered it as a menace to society, a time waster, corrupter of youth and a gambling machine,” Francisco said. “Rock ‘n’ roll is very rebellious, very loud, very colorful, and so is pinball. They kind of have a marriage made in heaven.”
CML spokesperson Ben Zenitsky said the inclusion of Wolman’s photographs makes the exhibit especially meaningful for the local community.
“We have an iconic number of photographs taken by Baron Wolman. You might not recognize his name or his face, but you would almost certainly recognize some of the photos he took,” Zenitsky said. “This exhibit and partnership is not only an exploration of rock and roll, but it’s also a celebration of Central Ohio’s contributions to rock ‘n’ roll.”
Zenitsky said the library has planned a range of rock ‘n’ roll-focused events to complement the exhibit, including storytimes for children, adult programming, a visit from WOSU to discuss the bluegrass genre’s relationship with rock music and a rock trivia night.
Ultimately, Zenitsky said CML’s staff hopes the exhibit will inspire more people to seek out rock ‘n’ roll materials from the library’s collection.
“We are a library, after all, so our staff have selected rock ‘n’ roll-themed books for readers of all ages,” Zenitsky said. “So, when you’re done playing pinball, when you’re done checking out the exhibit, we want to make sure you’re leaving with a stack of rock ‘n’ roll books in your hands.”
Francisco said presenting the exhibit alongside CML allows the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to show the Columbus community what it’s all about.
“Hopefully, it’s a teaser for whoever sees it who has never went through the Rock Hall to come to the Rock Hall,” Francisco said. “There’s a lot of things to see. We have seven floors of exhibitions and it takes about three to five hours. If you’re a music fan, we’re the place.”
“Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball” is free and open to the public during regular library hours. For more information and program details, visit the CML website.
