Good Monday morning,

It is officially the last day of the longest month of the year. Farewell, Janus! The god of beginnings and transitions has nearly completed his work in 2022.

Tomorrow, like many institutions, the Frazier will begin multiple month-long initiatives to support Black History Month. But our efforts to celebrate black history are not limited to February. Black history is American history and, with Kentucky as our focus, we enthusiastically share stories about the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its diverse people, fifty-two weeks a year.

Five Dollar-off February is back at the Frazier, offering a $5 discount on admission for all visitors from Kentucky and Indiana all month. We are discounting West of Ninth t-shirts at $5 for everyone who goes on one of our complimentary West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation guided tours, offered every day in February.

We are also offering our Unfiltered Truth Collection program, Black Americans in Bourbon, free in both February and March, thanks to a partnership with Louisville Tourism. The performance and tastings are on Saturdays only and capacity is limited.

Also in this week’s Virtual Frazier Magazine, we’ve got a sneak peek of Brian West’s performance as 1960s Louisville Alderman Russell P. Lee in Give Me the Ballot! In “Curator’s Corner,” Amanda Briede writes about the only Governor assassinated in U.S. history. If you guessed it was a governor from Kentucky, you’re spot on.

Hayley Rankin lists her five favorite fashion accessories in our permanent collection, the Louisville beer festival scene kicks back into gear, and Shelby Durbin recommends a book she pulled from the historic Snead Iron Works bookshelves in our Cool Kentucky exhibition’s book nook.

I hope you enjoy.

Andy Treinen
President & CEO
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

Video: Louisville’s Eighth Ward Alderman Russell P. Lee in Give Us the Ballot!

In September 2020, I had the distinct honor of performing Give Us the Ballot!, a one-act play written by local playwright Larry Muhammad. It tells the story of Louisvillian Russell P. Lee and his bid to be elected to the nearly all-white Board of Aldermen — the chief governing body of the City of Louisville before 2003 — in 1961.

Disenchanted with the way the Democratic majority in the board had given only cursory attention to passing an anti-discrimination ordinance for public places, Lee mobilized an entire voting bloc of Black voters in West Louisville to vote for the Republican Party en masse. This resulted in a near sweep of both the Board of Aldermen and the Mayor’s office in 1961. Only one ward remained in the Democratic Party’s hands after that year’s election. Soon, Russell Lee helped pass the ordinance, which ended discrimination in public accommodations in the City of Louisville.

Since Russell Lee’s story ties so closely into the history of West Louisville, some of which is relayed in our exhibition West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation, the Frazier has decided to stage a version of the one-act play for the public. On Wednesday, February 16, at noon, for one day only, I will perform as Russell Lee virtually via live stream on the Frazier’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. No reservations will be needed. For more information, check fraziermuseum.org, as more details for this special event — a virtual “lunch and learn,” if you will — are forthcoming.

In the meantime, here is a brief teaser of what viewers will see February 16.

Brian West
Teaching Artist

Curator’s Corner: Assassination of Governor William Goebel, 1900

Often times I find that Kentucky’s history comes alive in downtown Frankfort, especially after a few beers from local brewery Sig Luscher. After one such afternoon of sampling their new beers on tap, I was incredibly excited to discover a life-sized statue of Kentucky’s martyred governor William Goebel and a plaque marking the space where he was shot outside the Old State Capitol building.

William Goebel (1856 – 1900) was born in Pennsylvania to parents who had emigrated from Hanover, Germany. After serving in the Civil War, Goebel’s father moved with his family to Covington, Kentucky. Goebel grew up to become a lawyer, graduating from Cincinnati Law School in 1877. By 1887, Goebel was elected to the Kentucky Senate and was re-elected in 1889, 1893, and 1897.

No stranger to controversy, Goebel is known for being the last Kentucky Governor to participate in a duel, having shot and killed John Sanford over a dispute resulting from Goebel’s campaign to remove tolls from Kentucky’s turnpikes. At the time, there was already an article in the Kentucky constitution to prohibit dueling; however, Goebel was acquitted of any charges, allowing him to hold public office. Today, when elected officials in Kentucky are being sworn into office, they are still required to swear that they have not participated in a duel.

In 1899, Goebel fatefully ran for the office of Governor. Using tactics that were not illegal — but not exactly honest, either — Goebel won the Democratic nomination for Governor, dividing the party and ultimately allowing the Republican candidate William S. Taylor to win the election by 2,383 votes. With cries of voter fraud, the Kentucky Board of Elections, comprised of three Democrats, reviewed the election and ruled that disputed ballots should not count. Enough Republican ballots were thrown out that Goebel was given the victory.

Goebel was shot outside the Old State Capitol on January 30, 1900, then was sworn in as governor the next day. Goebel died on February 3, 1900, uttering, “Tell my friends to be brave, fearless, and loyal to the common people.” Goebel is the only American governor to have been assassinated while in office. The clothing he was wearing at the time of his murder is in the collection of the Kentucky Historical Society.

Be sure to check out The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall, opening in the Frazier’s 2 South gallery this May, to learn more about Governor Goebel.

Amanda Briede
Curator

Five Fun Accessories in the Permanent Collection, 1800s – 1940s

We have many objects in our permanent collection I would categorize under “fashion” — from dresses and waistcoats to skirts and trousers. Supplementing this collection of clothing and textiles is a selection of historic accessories that reflect a variety of cultures and styles throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Here are five of my favorites.

First is a pair of early twentieth century driving goggles made by OTO, a vintage French eyewear brand. Those able to afford the luxury of motor vehicles would have worn protective goggles like this pair, especially since many early cars or “buggies” featured an open top.

This small silver purse with a metal clasp and a silk interior belonged to Ellen McDowell Davis (1875 – 1950), who lived at least part of her life in Kentucky before passing away in Perryville. Her husband, William, gave her the engraved purse as a Christmas gift during the first year of their marriage. The engraving reads “EMcDD from WYD Dec 25 1901.”

During the Victorian era, gloves were an essential part of any respectable person’s wardrobe. They proved necessary in most social gatherings or public excursions in order to follow proper etiquette. But gloves were also worn for warmth. This pair of child’s gloves are made of wool and lined with purple felt.

If you attended the theater in the nineteenth century, you would likely want to bring a pair of spectacles such as these along with you. Opera glasses varied in style and quality, but most were foldable devices with a low level of magnification that brought the performance into focus for spectators. This pair features a carved leaf-design handle with tortoise shell rimmed glasses.

This pair of shoes might be my absolute favorite accessory in our permanent collection because of their vibrant color and design. Made in the Philippines, these 1940s wooden platform sandals feature an embellished cloth strap with hand-painted tiki huts and palm trees. They were likely brought to the United States by a World War II veteran as a souvenir or gift for a significant other. They don’t look very comfortable, but they would certainly be fun to wear!

Hayley Rankin
Manager of Collection Impact

2022 Youth and Family Programs Calendar Sneak Peek

As a parent, I am always looking to see what my community is offering in terms of experiences I can enjoy with my family. And here at the Frazier, there is so much to look forward to!

February 21 & 22 — Pop Up Camp — Leaders and Trailblazers

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Grades 1 – 6 | Drop-off Program | $49/members | $52/non-members

This February, we’ll spend two days learning about people who paved their own way, and maybe even changed the world in the process! Our Pop-Up Camps offer an active, story-based approach to learning that keeps kids moving and socializing in a safe way. More information and signups are available here!

March 12 — Family Day — Barrier Breakers

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | All Ages | FREE

Join us for a fun-filled Saturday of crafts, storytimes, kid-friendly tours, and special guests! This March, we’ll celebrate those who broke down barriers in their world to help others, from amazing inventor Garrett Morgan to the first Black woman doctor in Kentucky, Sara Fitzbutler. This family day is FREE thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor!

March 28 – April 8 — Family Fun This Spring Break

Stay tuned for two action-packed weeks of spring break activities at the Frazier, a perfect destination for a spring break staycation!

June 4 — Family Day — All Are Welcome

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | All Ages | FREE With Admission

Join us for a fun-filled Saturday of crafts, storytimes, kid-friendly tours, and special guests! In June, we’ll focus on all the things that make us awesome and unique — and learn about others who weren’t afraid to be themselves!

June 6 – August 5 — Summer Camps

We are bringing you an entire summer break filled with non-stop excitement! Our camps will be up on the website soon, and you can sign up here to be the first in the know. We’ll be bringing back old favorites (Chicks Rule, always), camper-requested themes, and something super exciting we’ve been cooking up since last summer. Want a hint? Two words: CAMP. TAKEOVER.

October 29 — Family Day — Spooky Saturday

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | All Ages | FREE With Admission

It’s Halloween season, and we’ve been preparing for a day of chills and thrills — but mostly thrills! Join us for a fun-filled day of festive crafts, kid-friendly tours, performances, and special storytimes — including a live reading of “The Raven”!

December 17 – Family Day – Holidays

There’s so much to celebrate in the winter! Join us for a fun-filled day of crafts, kid-friendly tours, performances, and special storytimes to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

Heather Gotlib
Manager of Youth & Family Programs

Staff Pick

Off the Snead Shelves: The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

On the last Monday of the month, Education and Engagement Specialist Shelby Durbin highlights a book from the Snead Iron Works bookshelves installed in the “Literary Kentucky” section of “Cool Kentucky.” In 1848, Snead and Company Iron Works opened at Ninth and Market Streets, a block away from what is now the Frazier. The company grew its business by making everything from kitchenware to gates, spittoons, and, of course, bookshelves. Although the successful bookshelf-making firm eventually relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey, Louisville will always be the place it got its start. Today, you can find Snead iron bookshelves all over the world, in places such as the Vatican, the Harvard Library, the New York Public Library, the Main Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library — and now, the Frazier Museum! All of the books displayed on our shelves are written by Kentucky authors. We are honored to celebrate Kentucky’s rich literary contributions in the museum and our newsletter. — Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Welcome back, fellow bibliophiles and book lovers, to another edition of “Off the Snead Shelves”! It’s been a while since I’ve shared a book pick, but I’m thrilled to be back in 2022 with recommendations galore!

My first pick of the year is The Animators by fellow Kentuckian Kayla Rae Whitaker. Published by Random House in 2017, The Animators is Whitaker’s debut novel. The story follows friends and creative partners Sharon Kisses and Mel Vaught as they collaborate on their artistic endeavors within the field of — you guessed it — animation. The women have entirely different roles within the partnership: Mel is spontaneous and off the cuff, while Sharon keeps the duo organized and on track. Following the release of their first full-length film project, the women’s relationship, and creative partnership, is on the brink of implosion. The story takes us from New York City to Central Florida to Louisville, Kentucky (WOO HOO, REPRESENT!) as the women confront the troubles of their pasts and navigate the uncertainty of their creative futures.

The Animators is largely a character-driven story that puts the relationship between Mel and Sharon at the center of the narrative. I enjoyed Whitaker’s honest portrayal of these women as complicated beings, both highly intellectual and charmingly irreverent while each still maintains her individual talents and peculiarities. Whitaker skillfully crafts Sharon and Mel as imperfect people who make some questionable choices, but who are nonetheless worthy of grace, forgiveness, and redemption. The dynamic of the characters is entertaining, the pace keeps the plot engaging, and each line of the novel feels necessary to the overall story arc.

I would highly recommend this book for readers who are fond of realistic fiction or folks who enjoy classic animation. (There are several references throughout the story.) However, as someone who knows very little about the world of animation, I still really enjoyed this novel. (I think you would, too!)

If you are interested in purchasing The Animators, you can order it from Carmichael’s Bookstore.

Note that The Animators contains mature themes, so it may not be appropriate for certain audiences. Research for content warnings to determine if the book is right for you.

Here’s to another month of fascinating reads!

Shelby Durbin
Education & Engagement Specialist

Calendar of Events

Your Invitation to be Part of the Change

I am really looking forward to our “Changemakers” program on February 17, and I want to make sure you know all about it.

I hope this beautiful baby picture got your attention, because the woman this child became, and is still becoming, is one of our panelists — and a changemaker in our community.

Rev. Dr. Jamesetta Ferguson has been dubbed a pastor turned developer, with her vision leading to a nearly $8 million project in the Russell neighborhood. And that’s only a portion of what she has done, and is still doing.

I can’t wait to ask her about her vision: How does it come to her? Do we all have the gift, but have yet to tap into it? What makes her tick, and keeps her going?

I have so many questions for all our panelists who are coming to the table with unique visions, leading to change in our community.

What an opportunity to learn from them, and lean into change within ourselves, and our community.

If you would like to join us, you can register here.

Change never looked so good!

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

In Case You Missed It: “JCPS & Diversity: What Worked, What Didn’t, and What’s Next?” (Jan. 25)

We knew it would be, and it was, a complicated discussion about JCPS and diversity, and how diversity can best be achieved moving forward, with success for all students.

Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio laid out many of his proposals during our discussion last Tuesday night, with one of the biggest changes being the dual resides program. It would give middle and high school students living in the West End more choice in where they attend school, including closer to home.

One person who attended the program was Beverly Moore, who was a school teacher during those tumultuous times in our history. You can read her personal experience here.

If you weren’t able attend our program, you can watch it via YouTube below.

With a vote expected by the school board as soon as May, this discussion is front and center for our community.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

In the 1962 – 63 school year, my first year as a young teacher at Shawnee Junior High School, I was very fortunate. The students were truly desegregated at about 40 to 50% African American. I figured that if their teacher respected the students and expected them to respect each other, they would. They did.

The next year, the first African American teacher joined the faculty. I hadn’t expected desegregation to be so easy. The students got along well and the African American students did very well in achievement. I was lulled into such optimism.

Alas, Louisville and Jefferson County Schools did not stay desegregated. In 1967, when I returned to teaching in Louisville, I was hired at Central High School, which at one time was the traditional Colored High School for all of Jefferson County and was still 99% African American students. It gave me a chance to see the lower expectations that were common for too many African American students.

The forces for equality were active, and when my oldest child was starting kindergarten in 1975, the Louisville and Jefferson County Schools merged and desegregated. I was so pleased that my children would grow up without the racial isolation and misunderstandings that I and my peers as southern white children had known.

When my eldest was in fourth grade, like other white children with surnames beginning in M, he was assigned and thankfully also transported to Byck Elementary in the West End. I sent his first-grade sister with him. Like many Highlands families, we found it the most attractive school for our children for several reasons. My three children were bused eight years all together to Byck and Whitney Young.

In the first ten years of desegregated schools, it seemed to me and other teachers that the African American students were also achieving well and I heard at the time that their test scores were improving. Unfortunately, my attempts to verify those scores has been unsuccessful because JCPS says it has lost the records.

At first, there was trouble in the streets in some areas, which was expected because of all the fear and hatred people had been taught by Jim Crow. In contrast, most Louisville schools opened with no trouble and most streets were quiet; however, the rioters received most of the attention from the press. The PTA at my neighbor elementary had organized a welcoming for the new bused-in children. (Such things didn’t make the news.) Interestingly, the attendance that first day of school in JCPS was higher than usual demonstrating parental support.

After a few years, the people of the community either accepted or welcomed the diversity and the required transportation needed to achieve student diversity. We understood that equal numbers of Black and “other”(mostly white) students were being transported to provide a similar degree of racial diversity in every school. By 1984, many students were volunteering to go to their “away” schools when not assigned.

Unfortunately, in 1984, in spite of the vehement opposition of most of the civil rights organizations, JCPS ended busing for whites in the high schools. (Middle schools were still racially desegregated by this move, but socio-economically segregated). Several surveys conducted by JCPS and outside evaluators persistently found more acceptance by the community of desegregation and more appreciation for the diversity of students in the schools.

Gradually, however, changes continued based on the policy that white students should not be inconvenienced by busing, and JCPS gradually became more and more resegregated. The increased segregation seems to have resulted in a return to old attitudes and habits, including underachievement. And gradually, the discontent with the schools also increased.

In the meantime, there have been many improvements in society at large, including in Louisville, with more diversity and more African Americans in leadership. African American citizens feel free to travel in wherever they wish, open-housing is somewhat working, and African Americans and “others” are demanding equal treatment by the police. But the school system has not made the gains it should have, and would have, principally because of increasing segregation and low expectations, which reveal themselves in stratified classrooms, stratified schools, disparate expectations (low and high), and impeded student achievement.

Therefore, I am so proud of the Frazier Museum and the many local civic and educational organizations that are taking the responsibility for not just identifying the problems but examining where we went wrong, what was good, and what are the possibilities for ways to future success for the education of all our children in JCPS. I hope we will continue to talk and work together as we did January 25 at the Frazier’s “JCPS & Diversity” program.

Beverly Derington Moore, Ph.D.
Former Teacher and Board Member, JCPS
Guest Contributor

Tailspin Ale Fest Set for March 5 at Bowman Field

As many of you know, the Frazier History Museum jumped into the beer festival business in 2021 with our inaugural Summer Beer Fest at Frazier on August 7. In doing so, we joined a special and growing culture of successful beer festivals in Louisville. In the coming days, look for a calendar from the Frazier highlighting those festivals — along with ticket sales for our festival, which in 2022 is moving out front to Main Street. In the meantime, our good friends who host Tailspin Ale Fest each year are excited to bring that incredibly successful festival back to the month of March. Here at the Frazier, we wanted to give our partners the opportunity to tell you a bit more about it. — Andy Treinen, President & CEO

The ninth annual Tailspin Ale Fest Winter Warmer Beer Festival presented by Cox’s and Evergreen Liquors returns to its regularly scheduled program and location Saturday, March 5.

Voted Reader’s Choice Top 10 Beer Fests by USA TODAY, the local beer festival draws beer lovers from more than twenty-one states. Put your tray tables up, because it kicks off with over 250 craft beers, including a Bourbon barrel beer bar, a cider and sour bar, plus the ESPN Lager Lounge, where attendees can catch all the day’s games. The outdoor fest encompasses over 45,000 square feet of tented areas just below the air traffic control tower. It includes beer brewed in the Bluegrass State, such as products from Against the Grain, Country Boy, and Bardstown’s first brewery, Scout and Scholar, but also products from regional and national breweries, including Rhinegeist (Ohio), Bells (Michigan), Upland (Indiana), HiWire (North Carolina), Terrapin (Georgia), and New Belgium (Colorado).

Tailspin is not just for the discerning beer connoisseur; rather, there is something for everyone, including live music from 100% Poly on the Independence Bank Stage, Drake’s Silent Disco, local food trucks, and photo opportunities from Magbooth and Chris Joyce Photography. Guests are also raising money for the HOP Foundation (501c3) while drinking some of America’s best craft beers. The HOP Foundation helps employees in the brewing industry in financial need.

Tailspin Ale Fest sells out every year. Purchase your VIP, General Admission, or Shuttle tickets at tailspinalefest.com.

Tisha Gainey
Co-founder, Tailspin Ale Fest
Guest Contributor

Membership

Have You Stuck to Your New Year’s Resolution?

According to almanac.com, “January was named for the two-faced Roman god Janus, who looks forward for new beginnings as well as backward for reflection and resolution. The Romans would offer sacrifices to Janus and make promises of good behavior for the year ahead.”

So (hopefully we don’t all actually have two faces), by looking both forward and backward, what sacrifices and what promises did we make to ourselves, maybe our significant others, our family? Have you stuck with them so far?

No matter what the answer, did you make any resolutions to your neighbor, your community, or our heritage?

Many people focus their resolutions on themselves but . . . the power of a wish or dream, or in this case, a resolution, can withhold profound wonders when you center them around others and our communities.

I have reflected on the past year and realized some aspects that were missing . . . connection with our towns, our community, and each other.

How can we add this to our own lists of resolutions?

No matter what zip code or county we call home, when is the last time we thought about going into town? I know for a fact that downtown Louisville hosts a BUNCH of places to both connect with friends and neighbors and become engaged with our community.

There are those places we are most familiar with, like the Frazier History Museum of course! (Have I mentioned that memberships currently are at the most accessible prices they have ever been!?)

Anyways, where was I . . .

Ah, yes, and places like the KFC Yum! Center, the Speed Art Museum, and many other cultural places that are beginning to liven up again with events and exhibitions. All the while having measures set in place that help build up our trust as citizens in their desire for the safest events and gatherings we have ever seen before. But, there are also those small businesses from NuLu all the way to Fortieth Street that have gone through the toughest times. Speaking as a fellow small business owner myself, I can personally say that yes — we as business owners DO in fact squeal and do a happy dance with every purchase.

So I’ll ask again — what resolutions could you add that will build up our communities?

For me, I plan on stopping by small businesses that I have yet to visit — starting with Clever Moose Café, which I was able to find with the help of the Louisville Downtown Partnership website.

I always look forward to a new place where I can catch up with friends and take my wife on a date — all while supporting our local economy and indulging in the meaning of what it means to “Keep Louisville Weird.”

Wherever home is to you, help keep your community just as unique and “weird” as you can with the support of your resolutions. I hope everyone has had the ability to reflect on their previous year. What are some resolutions you look forward to add that will get you excited about new beginnings this year in your area?

I can think of an amazing two for one deal happening now! If you become a new member with us here at the Frazier, you will receive a 15% off discount on your entire purchase at Art Eatables. Sounds like a pretty sweet resolution, if you ask me. Give me a call at (502) 412-2263 to take advantage of this delicious offer. The offer ends February 14, but why wait? Check off a resolution today, while January is still here!

Amanda Egan
Membership & Database Administrator