John M. Rivers Communications Museum – College of Charleston

John M. Rivers Communications Museum - College of Charleston is a museum in Charleston, SC. The museum features a collection of antique radios, televisions, phonographs, telephones, magic lanterns, and motion picture projectors related to the history of communications and broadcasting. A portion of the collection is on permanent display on the first floor of Addlestone Library.

The museum's collection originated from the WCSC Broadcast Museum, which was established in 1975 by John M. Rivers, Sr. and John M. Rivers, Jr. as an educational repository for original broadcast equipment. The museum incorporates items from the Seigling Music House and the Ken Hanson Collection. The permanent exhibition, LIGHTNING SPEED: The Transformative History of Communications Technology, showcases over 100 objects that document the history of communications technology and its impact on society at local, national, and global levels. Visitors can explore various materials including manuscript collections, rare books and pamphlets, the Jewish Heritage Collection, and the SC LGBTQ+ Collection.

The museum is known for providing thorough and well-documented information regarding its collections and historical artifacts. This level of detail supports the museum's mission to showcase the entertaining history of the communications and broadcasting fields.

The John M. Rivers Communications Museum serves as a vital historical resource for the study of communications technology within the Charleston community.

Services:

• Collections Management
• Event Parking
• Exhibits
• Internships and Research
• Majors and Minors Programs
• Performance and Exhibitions
• Permit Management
• Public Parking