The Brooklyn Seltzer Museum is located within the active factory of the Seltzer Brooklyn Boys. The Museum is a dream realized between co-curators Alex Gomberg (VP, Brooklyn Seltzer Boys) and Barry Joseph (digital experience designer, author of Seltzertopia).
Alex’s father, Kenny, appears throughout Seltzertopia, which came out in 2018. Barry met Alex and featured him in the book’s epilogue, which reflected on the future of seltzer. A decade later, Barry walked into Alex’s new location, in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. He was immediately struck by both the potential of the space and how much its was designed to give homage to the ancient tools of the trade. Before Barry left that first visit, the two were committed to launching within the seltzer works a new cultural instition located in Brooklyn dedicated to the past, present, and future of bubbly water.
The founding exhibits were developed with Alex (with invaluable support from Kenny), led by Barry, and produced through a unique partnership with graduate students at both Teachers College, Columbia University and New York University Steinhardt. Below are the different roles played by different individuals:
- Seltzer – A Natural Journey Made Modern: Emma Li
- Seltzer Timeline: Yiran Ma and Jacky Wu
- Family History: Yiran Ma and Jacky Wu
- Videos: Three Pillars of BSB: Qingyin (Stella) Guan
- Machine Simulation Experience: Xichen Li, Yi Chen, Yifan Chen, Zihe Liu, Junhao Li, Shiyue Peng
- Spritzing Station: Xiaoyan Qin
- Interactive Puzzle: Xinyan (Helen) Song
- Customer Storybook: Keying Chen
- Photo Station: Keying Chen, Anqi Wang
- Welcome Window: Jacky Wu
- Comic Wall: Qingxuan Li, Shirley Lyu, Siyi Wang, Yiran Yuan
- Capsule Machine: Keai Fan, Julio Intriago, Chenxin Liang, Wenxuan Wang, Xinyi Zhang
- Scavenger Hunt: Iris Guan, Zheyan Li, Yuhan Lu, Ying Yang
- Curators: Alex Gomberg and Barry Joseph
Here’s a video of the Seltzer Timeline being installed over roughly four hours.
