Good Monday morning,

Well, we’re almost there. In just two days we will cross over from the month of mental wellness to the month of LOVE—from Janus, the god of beginnings, to February, celebrated as Black History Month for the last fifty-three years in America. So let us celebrate, let us love!

Very much in the loving spirit, the Frazier is also opening an exhibition later this week titled Barrels of Heart. It features twenty custom-painted Bourbon barrels designed by local artists and sponsored by local companies and Bourbon brands. The brainchild of Morgan Hancock, the exhibition will occupy space in our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition during its eight-week run.

As the executive director of Bourbon with Heart, Morgan is a powerhouse, combining a big heart, a sizable brain, and a creative drive to get things done—all qualities that shine through in this interview our Rachel Platt conducted with Morgan recently.

Unfortunately, the February 1 opening celebration is now sold out, but the exhibition will be on view for members, or with admission, through March 30. You can learn more about Barrels of Heart and the artists featured in it here.

In today’s Frazier Weekly, we introduce a $20 Kentucky-themed Valentine’s Day gift pack that we’ll ship free to a loved one anywhere in the US. Mick Sullivan writes about duels in our Kentucky Rivalries exhibition, Simon Meiners—looking ahead to the Louisville Orchestra concert with cellist Yo-Yo Ma—breaks down the history of musical performances in Mammoth Cave, and Rachel Platt uncovers the injustice towards Mrs. Ada Doss Campbell. We are also launching a new program celebrating Louisville historian Tom Owen!

But first, Haley Hicky presents your last chance to attend this Thursday’s program with 1978 Kentucky basketball legends Jack Givens, Rick Robey, Kyle Macey, and Dan Issel.

Enjoy!

This Week in the Museum

Deadline to Purchase 78 Legends Bourbon is Today at Noon!

We’ve got an important announcement regarding 78 Legends Bourbon and its February 2 release party here at the museum: the deadline for sales is today at noon!

Be one of the exclusive few to secure a one-of-a-kind 78 Legends collectors’ package made with a Bourbon that has aged for 50 years—then come hang out with the legends themselves!

Flyer for the Frazier’s February 2 78 Legends Release Party program. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

With the purchase of a bottle, you’ll be invited to join 1978 NCAA Basketball Champions Jack “Goose” Givens, Rick Robey, and Kyle Macy for the release party of this very limited-edition Bourbon, some of which was already aging in the barrel when they won the title. 78 Legends is a limited-edition blend of Kentucky 5-year and 50-year Bourbon whiskeys, honoring the players and the coaches of the 1978 Championship team. Each bottle was dipped in Kentucky blue wax and signed exclusively by the three players.

This program is a chance to learn about the project and hear these legends reminisce about the championship with the program’s host, Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer, Dan Issel.

You can watch Rick Robey, one of the 78 Legends, and Frazier president and CEO Andy Treinen talk about the Bourbon and the program during a recent appearance on WHAS’s Great Day Live.

To purchase a bottle of 78 Legends and reserve your spot at the release party, click here! Remember: the deadline is today, January 30, at noon.

Frazier to Honor Famed Louisville Historian Tom Owen March 21

If I say history lover, what name comes to mind for Louisville?

I have to believe the name Tom Owen is going to top many lists, as it should.

He is “the” noted historian of our city and has been giving tours and talks for decades—teaching us about our city, our neighborhoods, and ourselves!

Author Michael Crichton once said, “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”

Lucky for us, Tom Owen has made our history accessible, teaching countless “leaves” about our home, the tree of Louisville, if you will.

Join us as we celebrate this famed historian on Tuesday, March 21.

We are teaming up with Kentucky Humanities, of whose board Owen is a member, to celebrate his service to our community and his devotion to preserving our history.

Here is a link to buy your tickets. I’ll have more details about the program in next week’s Frazier Weekly.

Museum Store: LucKY in Love

Send some KY luck and chocolate to all your loves this Valentine’s Day! Your Valentine will receive an authentic horseshoe (one that’s galloped on the most famous racetrack in Louisville!), two chocolate coins from local confectioner Muth’s Candies, and a custom note from you. Order online at the low, low price of $20! We will handle the personalized note and shipping for you.

A Brief History of Music in Mammoth Cave, 1855–Present

On August 10, 1855, from 1 to 5 p.m., Landram’s Sax-horn Band—a nine-person ensemble from Lancaster, Garrard County—performed music inside Mammoth Cave.

“This is, perhaps, the first Brass Band that ever explored the Cave, as we were informed by one of the guides who has been in the employ of the proprietor some twenty odd years, that this is the first Band of the kind he has any recollection of seeing enter the Cave since his connection with it,” W. J. Landram wrote in the September 28, 1855, issue of the Kentucky Tribune.

Whether or not Landram’s band was the first to perform in the cave, it would not be the last. Since 1855, Mammoth Cave has hosted countless performances: concerts by the Orphan Society of Louisville (1860), vocalists Leila Bear and Lucretia Doan (1881), the Seventh Regiment Band (1883), bass singer Ernest Gamble (1904), the Carillon Handbell Choir (1966), and the barbershop group Cave Man Chorus (1981)—not to mention bands and choirs from high schools in Hart County, Edmonson County, and Barren County, plus the folks who turn up to annual “Cave Sings” around Christmas.

But the announcement earlier this month of the cave’s next concert has captivated music fans throughout the region: on April 29, 2023, Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra will perform inside Mammoth Cave with special guest Yo-Yo Ma.

“Music has been an important part of Mammoth Cave’s over 200-year modern history with classical musicians, choirs, and contemporary artists composing and often performing their music inside the cave,” the National Parks Service announcement reads. “The music performed during this special event is being created especially for Mammoth Cave by American composer Teddy Abrams. Abrams spent the last year exploring Mammoth Cave National Park and immersing himself in the cave’s geology and human history to gain inspiration from the sights and sounds of the park. He composed his work with featured performer Yo-Yo Ma in mind.”

Ma’s history with the Louisville Orchestra dates back forty-nine years.

On February 1, 1974, the eighteen-year-old Ma performed with the Louisville Orchestra at the Macauley Theater (now called the Brown Theatre) on Third and Broadway in downtown Louisville.

“The concert last night was notable for at least two reasons,” Courier Journal critic William Mootz wrote in the February 2 issue. “First, in cellist Yo-Yo Ma, it introduced to Louisville one of the most stunning young talents I’ve heard in ages. Playing Dvorak’s Cello Concerto as if he has just discovered it and was presenting it to the world in awe-struck wonder, cellist Ma was dazzling. Simply dazzling . . . This youthful Chinese-American galloped on stage with a smile that could have melted icebergs. Before he played a note, he had his audience captivated. When he drew his bow across his instrument a few moments later, he had us all mesmerized . . . Ma’s performance can hold its own with the best Dvorak concertos we’ve [Louisville Orchestra] had in the past. This young man has an unfaltering technique and musical instincts of astonishing maturity. He embraced Dvorak last night with love, with rapture, and with a poetic radiance that had his audience cheering.”

Mootz’s picture of a rapt audience in 1974 calls to mind Landram’s description of the women who followed his band into Mammoth Cave that summer day in 1855:

“The Gothic Chapel . . . seemed a suitable place for sacred music, as the light shone upon its gloomy walls, [so] we performed Dr. Lowell Masons Missionary Hymn, and “Fading, still fading.” The effect of the music upon the Ladies, (the most of whom were from Louisville,) was such, that they gave us a hearty round of applause.”

There’s no doubt cellist Yo-Yo Ma—now sixty-seven—can get the ladies and gentlemen of Louisville (and elsewhere!) to fill the chambers of Mammoth Cave with their applause, and in doing so join a tradition that dates back two centuries.

Tickets to the April 29 concert are being distributed via a lottery system through Recreation.gov. The lottery is open from today, Monday, January 30, until Monday, February 6. Only one application per email address is accepted. Each application may request up to four tickets. For more information or to submit an application, click here.

Object in Focus: Judge John Rowan’s Gold Ring, Early 1800s

Logo for Kentucky Rivalries. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

From archrival teams like the Cats and the Cards to dueling editors, competing caves, and beefing barbecues, Kentucky Rivalries celebrates the most iconic conflicts in the Bluegrass State. As we promote this interactive new exhibition, our Frazier Weekly contributors will spotlight the history behind some of the rivalries featured in it.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

On January 29, 1801, a lawyer named John Rowan (1773–1843) and a doctor named James Chambers gathered with a few others at a tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky, for some beer and card games. Before the night was over, a drunken fight would erupt, growing so heated that one man challenged the other to a duel. Despite duels being frowned upon in Kentucky at the time, these two respected men would tempt fate and meet with pistols a few days later on February 3.

The subject of the fight has been up for debate in the centuries since. It could have been about the card game itself, but contemporary accounts indicate that both men, well into their cups, actually violently disagreed about who had a greater knowledge of Greek and Latin. The two men growing more and more irate about their respective commands of these dead languages ultimately might have led to this ring on display in the Frazier’s Kentucky Rivalries exhibition.

On loan from our friends at the Kentucky Historical Society, this ring belonged to John Rowan, the man who was victorious in the February duel. More interesting, it is believed that contained in the ring is a strand of hair from the head of James Chambers. Maybe it served as a gruesome reminder of a regrettable incident.

John Rowan, the first owner of Bardstown’s Federal Hill, which is now known as My Old Kentucky Home, left his dueling pistols to his oldest son upon his death. The gift came with the advice that “they are never to be used . . . but when honor imperiously demands it.”

Off the Snead Shelves: The Boy Who Fell from the Past by Truant D. Memphis

In the book nook located in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, hundreds of books by Kentucky authors can be found shelved on historic Snead Iron Works bookcases. The latest addition is a 2022 title by Truant D. Memphis—a pseudonym for the Bowling Green-raised Louisvillian Steve Rockhold, who happens to be our event coordinator! When he’s not moonlighting as a fiction writer, Steve can be found at the Frazier leading site visits, showing corporate clients around, and wrangling bridal parties. We asked him to talk about his literary persona and his body of work.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Author Truant D. Memphis pulls a copy of his 2022 book *The Boy Who Fell from the Past* off the Snead Iron Works bookcase in the Literary Kentucky section of the Frazier’s *Cool Kentucky* exhibition, January 24, 2023. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Who is that masked man? It’s me, Truant, and have I got a story for you.

The Boy Who Fell from the Past is a newly released young adult, sci-fi, action-adventure novella starring yours truly, Truant D. Memphis. Imbued with hopes of literary thoughtfulness, the narrative explores themes of anti-violence and personal moral philosophy—but don’t let that scare you away. It’s also got hackneyed political commentary, time travel, absurdly impossible technology, underground cities, boats, and tons and tons of jokes.

“Don’t zing your elders, boy.”

That’s a punchline with no set up right there. I promise you’ll get the joke when you join Truant on this fast-paced jaunt through the future. Published in November 2022, The Boy Who Fell from the Past peaked internationally at #4 on the Young Adult Action-Adventure list of Ingram Book Group’s indie publishing arm, Ingram Spark.

Hey, Steve, what’s with the goofy name and smiley face mask?

I’m glad you asked!

Originally conceived as a character, I now liken Truant to my rap persona. The alter ego is equal parts storyteller, character, and amorphous entity that has slowly taken over my life, as I’ve been developing this project for over fifteen years.

I finished my first manuscript in 2006, set it aside, and kept on writing. In 2016, I published my first title, Littlethumb Sneezed. While Truant isn’t a character in Littlethumb Sneezed, I decided to publish the book as Truant Memphis for two reasons: I was nervous about sharing my work and conveniently, it just seemed like a fun thing to do. Taking the anonymity one step further, I covered my author photo with the ubiquitous smiley face. How fun is that? It hides my face while letting you, the reader, know that this is gonna be fun. We’re gonna have fun together because my stories are gonna put a smile on your face. I swear. Seriously.

Anyhoo . . . along with The Boy Who Fell from the Past and Littlethumb Sneezed, I have two other titles available: Post Oh!pocalypto Poppycock and Daffodil. My books can be purchased online at all of the major outlets, including (via the links provided) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org, where a portion of all proceeds are donated to local bookstores that patrons link to their accounts. I have Carmichael’s Bookstore linked to mine.

Thanks in advance for indulging my nonsense. I hope you enjoy my stories!

Bridging the Divide

Social Worker Dr. Renee Campbell on Honoring her Grandmother

As we begin Black History Month, oh the story we have to share. We’ve shared parts of it before in Frazier Weekly: it’s the troubling story of Mrs. Ada Doss Campbell (1897–1940), and her granddaughter’s quest to set the record straight, to tell her story and give her voice, to give her the dignity she so deserved. This bench, recently dedicated by Central State Hospital to Mrs. Ada Doss Campbell and others, is helping do that. Take the time to read this story by Dr. Renee Campbell, her granddaughter and biggest advocate. The new developments in her story are worth every minute.—Rachel Platt, Director of Community Engagement

As an inquisitive little girl, I would ask my uncle about an old fashion bureau that was at our house. He looked at me and said, “It was my mom’s.” I always sensed sadness in his voice but never understood what was behind the sad tone in his voice. Many years later, my father died of a massive heart attack at the young age of forty-nine. I was old enough to realize how it felt not to have answers about an absent parent. Years later, I conducted my own research with a research grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women. That is when I discovered Central State Hospital medical staff had documented that my grandmother, a patient in their care, had “died of professional medical neglect in the early stages of her illness.” I was shocked that medical professionals would reveal such abuse and neglect in a person’s medical chart. After pondering my shock for a significant period of time, I thought about the time in history when this atrocity happened. My hypothesis was that the 1940s when she died was a time that many in society did not see my African Americans as human, that women had few rights, and that a husband could institutionalize a wife for something as little as being assertive.

After my discovery, I met with the Commissioner of the Kentucky State Department of Behavioral Health and members of Central State leadership. I presented my findings to all of the aforementioned present. I made several requests that included a plaque to be placed in the institution, a scholarship to be created in her name, a public program to be held that would bring attention to the mistreatment of African Americans in mental health institutions, and a reception to be held to honor her. Central State agreed to all of my requests except the scholarship. They followed through with placing the plaque along with a picture of Grandmother Campbell in the Chapel at Central State Hospital (CSH).

Photograph of, from left, the author’s father Walter Louis Campbell Sr. and her uncle Willie Mack Campbell, 1940s. Credit: Dr. Renee Campbell.

Another promise of Central State Hospital’s administration was to spearhead a commemorative bench to be placed on the grounds where the Colored Section of the CHS cemetery is located. The cemetery is now a part of E. P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky. The bench says, “In Memory of Ada Doss Campbell, May She and Others Resting Here Be at Peace, CSH.”

“In memory of Ada Doss Campbell, may she and others rest here in peace.” I was so speechless and moved when I heard that the bench to honor my grandmother was installed. I felt an immediate hit in my gut, followed by cold chills in my arms and shoulders, followed by tears of joy in my eyes. I took time to just be present in the moment and be mindful about the journey. I thought about the fact that Grandmother Ada never dreamed about the events that have brought attention to the professional mistreatment and neglect she experienced. Medical professionals who documented her neglect never dreamed that her granddaughter would become a social worker who would make sure she had a voice. My grandmother never dreamed that the effort to give her a voice would be supported by African Americans, Whites, state representative, as well as community organizations and that so many would join her fight for justice. She never dreamed that a historically Black university, Kentucky State, would have a scholarship in her name to help those studying social work pay for their education. She never dreamed that a scholarship in her name would be housed at the Community Foundation of Louisville. She never dreamed that a talented artist would step forward with the intention and follow through and commit to assisting her in lifting her voice to educate the public about the mistreatment of those who suffer from mental illness. My grandmother never dreamed that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren would attend events that commemorate her memory. My grandmother never dreamed that her memory would become immortal and that others who were mistreated would also have a voice. The Campbell family continues to be thankful to the community for its continued commitment to support and work to empower our most vulnerable.

Vote for Waterfront Part for Best Riverwalk

Louisville’s Waterfront Park needs your vote!

Our proximity to Waterfront Park here at the Frazier had us taking notice of a recent nomination!

Waterfront Park has been nominated for the third consecutive year as Best Riverwalk by the editors of USA Today.

Here’s where you can help: the winner is selected by online readers, so you can vote by clicking on this link. You can vote every day until February 6.

We love that Waterfront Park is expanding westward and will add twenty-two acres between Tenth and Fourteenth Streets, almost our backyard!

Good luck to this gem in our city.

Exhibition Opening Thursday, Honoring Tom Owen, Yo-Yo Ma’s 1974 Louisville Debut, and More

Tom Owen Tickets, 1864 Lincoln Bandana, Chris Stapleton to Play National Anthem, and More

Musical Kentucky: A Song from each County, LaRosa’s Pizza, USS Louisville, and More