25th Anniversary of Tori Murden’s 1999 Row, Late Night Thursday: Kentucky Christmas Y’all, Hidden Stories in Bourbon Tours, and More
I have been lucky enough to cover some amazing folks in my career as a journalist.
My luck continues at the Frazier History Museum with a newfound ability to maintain many of those relationships in news ways as Vice President of Mission.
But at the heart of it all is still storytelling—and there aren’t many stories that beat out the journey of Tori Murden McClure.
Tori Murden McClure arrives in Fort-du-Bas harbor in Guadeloupe aboard American Pearl, December 3, 1999. Credit: Associated Press.
Tori Murden McClure hugs Mac McClure upon completing her journey in Guadeloupe, December 3, 1999.
Tomorrow marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Tori becoming the first woman and the first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
The 3,300-mile trek from the Canary Islands to Guadeloupe took eighty-one days, with Tori rowing an average of ten to thirteen hours per day in the rowboat she built, the American Pearl.
It was a terrific assignment with WHAS-TV to be in Guadeloupe to cover her historic journey.
A team led by Tori Murden McClure moves the American Pearl into the Frazier History Museum, September 22, 2020.
That assignment followed me to the Frazier when Tori called one day in 2020, asking if the museum would like to be the temporary home of the American Pearl.
Are you kidding me? Yes, and thank you!
I have been thanking her ever since because the Pearl is one of the most talked about and iconic objects we have in the museum.
And now we get to add other items from Tori’s trip, after she graciously invited us into her home—more specifically, her basement and attic, to help retrieve gear, leftover food, and anything else we could find to help tell more of her story.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Frazier, we will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Tori’s trip with a special announcement about the American Pearl.
Tori and her husband Mac will both be here to help share the news. Feel free to join us!
Tori’s story just keeps getting better at the Frazier.
Lucky us.
Also, in today’s Frazier Weekly, we’re gearing up for our first late night with Lights on Main with a Kentucky Christmas Y’all theme and gifted authors on Thursday. Cheers to the Bourbon industry for stepping up in a big way for Lights on Main, and the Frazier gets ready to launch a new weekly tour.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
Curator’s Corner: Cookware and Food from Tori Murden McClure’s 1999 Row
Selection of cookware and food Tori Murden McClure used during her journey aboard the American Pearl in 1999
Here at the Frazier, we are all very excited to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Tori Murden McClure’s incredible solo row across the Atlantic. Her boat, the American Pearl, is a central object in our Cool Kentucky exhibition, and it has definitely become a staff and visitor favorite. Because of the boat’s popularity, Tori recently donated just about everything she carried with her on her voyage. Admittedly, I had never put much thought into the types of things she might have had on board the American Pearl, but I was still surprised to learn that many of the items she used were the same types of items you might take hiking or camping.
Pictured here is a lightweight aluminum cookpot, a US Army aluminum mug with folding handles, and a simple plastic spoon with a hole drilled in it and a carabiner attached. We also have some food left over from her journey: energy bars and backpacking meals that can be rehydrated with hot water. Foods like these are dense in calories and provided Tori with the energy she needed to row for eighty-one days.
Be on the lookout for these and other items from Tori’s journey to be added to Cool Kentucky in future updates!
Amanda Briede
Sr. Curator of Exhibitions
Frazier to Host Kentucky, Y’All Authors at December 5 Late Night Thursday
Late Night Thursday: Kentucky Christmas, Y’all graphic.
We hope if you have out of town guests in for the holidays, you’ll consider bringing them to the Frazier History Museum for Lights on Main.
Now that the preview party is over, we’re gearing up for our Late Night Thursdays in December and our Free Family Day on December 15.
Our first Late Night Thursday is December 5 with the theme Kentucky Christmas, Y’all. The hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. with a discounted admission of just $12—and tickets are now available for purchase. Buzzard’s Roost and Peerless will be here with the Bourbon spirits. Buzzard Rock String Band will perform, striking the perfect vibe for a festive night with our nearly 100 decorated trees.
And oh, what fun, authors Blair Thomas Hess and Cameron M. Ludwick will be here to talk about and sign their book, Kentucky, Y’all.
Come meet them in person and keep reading to find out more about their book from the authors themselves.
It may be the perfect Christmas gift.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission
Copies of Kentucky, Y’All sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, November 26, 2024.
When folks—particularly those who reside outside of the Bluegrass State—think of Kentucky, three things usually come to mind: Bourbon, Colonel Sanders’ secret chicken recipe, and the glamourous Kentucky Derby. Add college basketball to that list, and you have yourself a superfecta. However, for authors and multi-generation Kentuckians Blair Thomas Hess and Cameron M. Ludwick, their home state is a diverse patchwork of faces and places, each as unique as the state’s geography.
There’s Mona Strader, born in Louisville in 1897, who became world renowned for her glamorous fashion sense and high society life. And while you may know America’s sixteenth president who was born in Sinking Springs, Kentucky, you may not know he is the only US president to register a patent. Come along for the journey and you’ll discover Kentucky’s own Stonehenge and cross the world’s largest underground suspension bridge. Stay a little longer and these authors will have you enjoying a bite of the Guinness World Record biscuit that weighs 4,000 pounds.
Building on years of friendship and many, many trips across the state together, Blair and Cameron began writing Kentucky travel guides fifteen years ago. Over the years, their travels have taken them to food festivals and famous Bourbon distilleries, to airports and cemeteries and race tracks and historic monuments. They hit the road to see Kentucky and ended up meeting Kentucky for the first time.
From its favorite oddities, cultural quirks, traditions, and rites of passage to its complicated history and its uncertainty as to whether to declare itself southern or midwestern, the authors offer an insightful look at the Commonwealth as well as how two longtime friends and Kentuckians became somewhat accidental advocates for the state they call home.
On Thursday, December 5, join Blair and Cameron to share your favorite road trips, your best kept Kentucky secrets, and other stories about the great writers, thinkers, scientists, and musicians from the state they call home.
Blair Thomas Hess is a seventh generation Kentuckian who won a sack-the-pig competition at the Trigg County Country Ham Festival and has a trophy to prove it. Today, she visits Kentuckians of all ages, teaching them about the Commonwealth and helping build their state pride. Blair lives in Frankfort with her daughter and husband.
Cameron M. Ludwick calls Kentucky her birthplace and Lexington her hometown. Though she now lives in Austin, Texas, she never misses an opportunity to remind Lone Star State residents that everything good came from Kentucky first.
Together, these longtime friends are the authors of four travel books about Kentucky, including My Old Kentucky Road Trip and The State of Bourbon and the recent Kentucky, Y’All: A Celebration of the People and Culture of the Bluegrass State.
Blair Thomas Hess and Cameron M. Ludwick
Authors, Kentucky, Y’All: A Celebration of the People and Culture of the Bluegrass State
Guest Contributors
Bardstown Bourbon Company Tree Voted Most Spirited Tree at Lights on Main
Bardstown Bourbon Company tree on display in the Lights on Main exhibition, November 26, 2024.
Feathers are always festive, even at Christmas!
And Bardstown Bourbon Company used them in the most unique way as a tree topper for its decorated tree in our Lights on Main exhibition.
Their tree even has barrel heads on it!
It was enough to sway our judges to vote it the “Most Spirited” tree in the exhibition.
Congratulations to Bardstown Bourbon Company.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Trees sponsored and decorated by select Bourbon industry partners on display on the Frazier’s third floor as part of the Lights on Main exhibition, November 20, 2024.
Trees sponsored and decorated by select Bourbon industry partners on display on the Frazier’s third floor as part of the Lights on Main exhibition, November 20, 2024.
Trees sponsored and decorated by select Bourbon industry partners on display on the Frazier’s third floor as part of the Lights on Main exhibition, November 20, 2024.
The Frazier Museum in partnership with I Would Rather Be Reading has once again brought Lights on Main to Downtown Louisville. For the second year in a row, the Frazier Museum has been transformed into a holiday wonderland designed to enhance everyone’s holiday spirit, assist in sending Title I kids to the Frazier, as well as supplementing I Would Rather Be Reading’s after-school programs. This is done by selling Corporately Sponsored Trees, with proceeds going to the above-mentioned recipients. There are nearly one hundred trees on display this year and we are grateful for each sponsor! With that said, a special thank you needs to go to the Bourbon industry as they have sponsored twenty-one of the ninety Trees, or twenty-three percent of the trees in the Lights on Main exhibition. This includes the following sponsors:
Log Still Distillery, OH Ingram, James B. Beam, Maker’s Mark, Pursuit Spirits, Old Forester, Willett, Michter’s, Lux Row, Buzzard’s Roost, New Riff, Angel’s Envy, Oxmoor Bourbon, Starlight Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Kentucky Peerless, Four Roses, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Barrels & Billets, and Whiskey Row Hotels.
The generosity the folks in the Bourbon industry have shown in supporting Lights on Main has been overwhelming but not surprising. Anytime I’ve asked my friends in this industry to support any of the Frazier’s fundraising efforts, they’ve always come through with a resounding yes, and this is once again the result with Lights on Main. They have decorated some of the most talked-about and creatively decorated trees in the exhibition.
On behalf of Frazier, I would like to say thanks to the Bourbon industry for their generosity in helping our mission-based programs here at the Frazier.
I cordially invite all readers to come visit the Frazier to experience Lights on Main, open November 22–January 6, and pay extra attention to the third floor which has been taken over by Bourbon industry partners and their decorated trees.
Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager
Last Call for Wednesday’s Very Merry Night with Maker’s Mark
From left, Abby Flanders and Casey Harden sign the Frazier’s Maker’s Mark single barrel, August 15, 2024.
A team from the Frazier poses with the Frazier’s Maker’s Mark single barrel, August 15, 2024.
Now that we’ve all enjoyed our fair share of feasting, it’s time to gather together and celebrate the Spirit of the Season at the Frazier History Museum. Get festive with us as we kick off the holidays with our friends at Maker’s Mark Distillery and make merry with delicious food, cocktails, and Bourbon tastings. Attendees will enjoy a vibrant and interactive holiday event with opportunities to dip your own wax, collect a Maker’s Mark screen printed bag, and do some holiday shopping for yourself and for loved ones! Snap a selfie with Maker’s beautiful Christmas tree while you sip, snack, and mingle! Plus, we are going to auction off the barrel that we selected! If you’ve been looking for the opportunity to get your own Maker’s Bourbon barrel, this is your chance.
Tickets are almost sold out, so secure your spot today!
Leslie Anderson
Membership & Partnership Manager
Countdown to Christmas: Charlie’s Staff Pick in the Museum Shop
Charlie Ward models a spoon ring sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, November 26, 2024.
While I find myself drawn to many items in the Frazier’s Museum Shop, my absolute favorite item is our spoon rings. Anyone who knows me knows I adorn myself in a variety of rings and giant earrings, and these handcrafted spoon rings scratch that itch of mine. My favorite thing about these vintage spoon rings is that they are all different: each ring is its own unique pattern, shape, and size—just like snowflakes. Furthermore, our spoon rings are made right here in Kentucky, meaning they are a wonderful way to represent our state and its creative prowess. If you are looking for a fun and distinct piece of holiday garb—whether that be for yourself, friends, or family—look no further than these rings! I can promise you that no one else will have a ring like yours, and you may become a jewelry aficionado just like me.
The Frazier’s Museum Shop will be open normal operating hours throughout the majority of December; however, it will be closed Tuesday, December 24; and Wednesday, December 25. Make sure to visit us before the year ends!
Charlie Ward
Guest Services
Frazier Offering Hidden Stories in Bourbon Tour Every Friday
Since 2018, the Frazier History Museum has served as the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®. We have hosted the Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition ever since, too.
In 2023, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® brought in more than 2 million visitors to the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The Frazier Museum offers daily tastings and guided tours for our visitors.
Beginning this week, I will give a Hidden Stories in Bourbon tour every Friday at 11 a.m.!
Rather than talking about the more well-known topics about our native spirit, I will discuss the lesser-known stories that the distilleries don’t share!
I wrote my thesis on Black Americans in Bourbon and have begun incorporating the narrative into public tours.
As the “resident Bourbon historian” at the Frazier, I will take a deep dive into unknown tales of rebellion, Temperance, Prohibition, scandal, and more!
And after the tour, feel free to sign up for one of our many tasting options with one of our Certified Bourbon Stewards.
I look forward to hosting you and sharing stories about the rich, and lesser-known, history of Bourbon. Access is included with the cost of admission, so secure your admission tickets today.
Cheers!
Kevin Bradley
Stories in Mind Administrator
20th Anniversary Photo: Nutcracker Exhibition, 2017
Case of nutcrackers on display in the Frazier’s Nutcracker: The Exhibition, January 2018.
From November 9, 2017, to January 7, 2018, the Frazier hosted Nutcracker: The Exhibition. On display were original costumes and costume designs, stage models, set pieces, props, photographs, and other artifacts from Nutcracker performances past and present such as the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu, the King Rat’s Cape, the Snow Queen’s tiara, and the original bowing nutcracker doll from the very first Nutcracker staged in the Kentucky Center for the Arts in 1983.
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
Bridging the Divide
Nonprofit Feed Louisville Launches No Waste No Hunger Campaign
Feed Louisville’s No Waste No Hunger campaign graphic. Credit: Feed Louisville.
Food insecurity stats graphic. Credit: Feed Louisville.
Making the connection between two critical issues—hunger and food waste—is the foundation of our work at Feed Louisville. Every day, we take in hundreds of pounds of perfectly good food from our network of a hundred or so restaurants, bakers, caterers, farmers, and grocers. We use some of that food to make hundreds of beautiful meals that we send out directly to people experiencing homelessness daily, and the rest is redistributed in the form of snacks, fruit, and pantry staples.
Every day, our drivers are out picking up food from our partners across the city—and since almost 100 percent of that food would have gone into the landfill otherwise, we call it “food rescue.” Some of it are sandwiches from a local employee café that are on the verge of expiration. Some of it are fresh vegetables that a farmer couldn’t sell at the market. Some of it is ready-to-eat food from our catering partners who overproduced for an event, including our partners at the Frazier Museum.
We have no shortage of food resources in our community. In fact, we have a surplus of around one million tons of still-good food that goes to waste in Kentucky yearly, in line with the US at 19 million tons. Right now, only 2 percent of that food gets donated to people who are experiencing food insecurity, which in our state is 1 out of 8 people.
This holiday season—at time when all of us are thinking about the contrast between abundance and lack—we are bringing attention to the commitment of our food rescue partners to close that gap. The No Waste No Hunger campaign asks Louisville consumers to support both them and us, so we can continue this work.
When you are out shopping and dining this holiday season, please favor our participating partners and make a donation to Feed Louisville at their registers. You can find a list of our participating partners on our website and can also make a direct donation there.
Your support means that collectively we can rescue more food, and feed more people.
For information on how to donate or volunteer, visit feedlouisville.org or contact me at rhona@feedlouisville.org.
Rhona Bowles Kamar
Founder & Executive Director, Feed Louisville
Guest Contributor
