MASSILLON − Michael Zurcher gazed at artifacts at the Massillon Museum chronicling the career of football coaching legend Paul Brown.
He moved slowly and intently from a relic film projector to a Pro Football Hall of Fame gold jacket encased in glass. From there he went on to explore Massillon Tigers mementoes, and artwork depicting the coach and the Cleveland Browns .
Moments later, Zurcher found his way to another part of the museum, which featured a display of vintage vinyl records and a 1959 Seeburg jukebox.
The throwback exhibitions are new: "Brown's Town: Art Inspired by Ohio's Football Heritage," "90 Years of Community: The Massillon Tiger Football Booster Club" and "On the Record," which celebrates iconic vinyl album artwork from the collection of the Massillon Public Library Vinyl Club .
Zurcher, 69, enjoyed them all, and the Billings, Montana, resident played a Rolling Stones song on the jukebox in the Fred F. Silk Community Room Gallery.
Joining him on the tour was his brother Steve Zurcher, 66, of Perry Township. Most of their time was spent in the two football-focused exhibitions.
"It's a time machine," the elder brother said. "I like the pictures because there's a lot of history.
"The film projector's kind of neat," said Michael Zurcher, a Holmes County native. " Paul Brown was the first to do something like that (in professional football)."
Paintings depict Paul Brown, Bernie Kosar and Jim Thorpe
"Brown's Town" is a statewide, juried art exhibition in the Paul Brown Museum within the Massillon Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E in downtown Massillon. "90 Years of Community" is dedicated to the Booster Club and the nine decades it's been contributing to Massillon's winning high school football program.
Both exhibitions are on view through Jan. 12.
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Current and former Ohio residents were invited to submit artwork related to Paul Brown or Massillon and Ohio football. Judges selected 14 art pieces by 11 artists, including Diane Pribojan of Hinckley; Sheena Daree Romero of New York; Tom Delamater of Canton; Bruce Budd of Stark County; Camara Goodrich of North Ridgeville; and Todd Bergert of Stark County.
Art forms include acrylic and oil paintings, marker illustration, digital, charcoal and pastel.
A reception for the artists will be Nov. 2, concurrent with the opening of the Stark County Artists Exhibition. Winners − best in show and second and third places for football-themed art − will be announced at the reception. Cash prizes will be given. Gallery visitors can vote.
Admission to the museum is free. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Back when the Cleveland Browns were great
Given the dismal play of the Cleveland Browns so far this season, the Zurcher brothers appreciated a trip back to better days.
Paintings showed the greats, both past and present. Jim Brown, Otto Graham, Bernie Kosar, Ozzie Newsome, Joe Thomas and Nick Chubb.
"It's hard out in Montana to wear your Browns' gear," Michael Zurcher said with a smile and laugh. "You're on an island out there, and when you see someone else in Browns' gear, you have an instant connection."
Vinyl album art includes Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin and David Bowie
"On the Record" is on view until Oct. 27.
A reception for the exhibition is 5-7 p.m. Saturday, with an opportunity to acquire copies of new vinyl albums as part of a silent auction to raise funds for the museum.
Vinyl Club member and Massillon Museum volunteer Mary Jane Corwin organized the exhibition with the assistance of fellow club members, Danelle Drexler, the library's adult programing specialist, and Massillon Museum staff.
The Vinyl Club meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at Massillon Public Library, 208 Lincoln Way E. For more information, call the library at 330-832-9831.
Vinyl art on display includes albums by the Michael Stanley Band, Queen, David Bowie, The Dead Milkmen, Asia, Fleetwood Mac, The Shootouts, The Moody Blues, Howlin' Wolf, La Flavour, Janis Joplin, Ron Wood, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles and Connie Francis.
Vinyl album covers "can convey the essence of the artist’s music and make a connection with the audience," Corwin said in a Massillon Museum news release. "Eye-catching art can make an album more collectable and enhance the listening experience."
Annette Hayden, 64, of Perry Township said she enjoyed the vinyl record exhibit because it's a tribute to her era of music.
Although she listens to music digitally, Hayden still has a collection of nearly 100 vinyl records. She pressed the large buttons on the jukebox and played a song by The Moody Blues, basking in nostalgia as the song crackled to life.
Reading the liner notes of albums revealed the names of backup singers and other interesting tidbits, she recalled.
"I remember as a kid we would just sit and listen to records and open it up and read every little word and look at the artwork," Hayden said.
(This story was updated to add new information and a video.)
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com . On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint .
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cool exhibits at Massillon Museum spotlight vinyl records, Browns, Tiger football
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