Spring has sprung!

That means a lot of different things to folks around here. For some, it means the annual migration to the beaches has begun, with so many schools now on spring break. For me, having grown up on a farm, it brings back memories of frolicking calves in the fields and daffodils blooming along the fence rows.

Here at the Frazier, spring means the start of our busy season: we’ve got so many folks visiting us, from near and far, emerging from their winter hibernation.

And the surest sign of spring in these parts: our Derby merchandise is back!

The rose horseshoe in our front window is our way of welcoming you inside—and lucky you, we won’t disappoint with what we have to offer.

We have colorful fascinators that won’t break the bank, festive earrings, colorful socks for a splash of fun, and everything in between. We have an entire Derby section for you to shop online!

You might see me in one of our social media posts rocking a fascinator, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Make sure to book one of our tastings, from Bourbon to mint juleps, and come inside the museum to see where the world meets Kentucky. We also have private tours offered by group sales manager Stephen Yates (whose pastel polos and coral pants are a true sign of the season!).

Happy spring, the time of year that has us all smiling—and shopping!

Heidi Janes
Manager of Visitor Services
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

From the Collections: Easter Bunny and Chicken Nodders, c. 1950

“Here comes Peter Cottontail!”

This weekend, egg hunts, parades, official photos with the Easter Bunny, and well-attended Sunday morning services are happening across our state and nation. Observers participate in Easter rituals every year by gathering with loved ones and sharing in food and fun.

But why do we see chicks, bunnies, and colorful eggs everywhere?

While part of that answer has to do with baby animals reflecting spring’s arrival and rebirth, it is the rabbit in particular that symbolizes fertility. This association dates to the pre-Christian festival of Ostara, or Eostre, which marks the spring equinox.

Decorating and dyeing eggs, however, has remained an important part of Christian tradition since the early church. Those observing Lent were not allowed to eat eggs, so people painted them and gave them as gifts until the end of the Lenten period. The culture of decorative Easter eggs continued in Europe, in addition to the German tradition of the Osterhase, or Easter hare, that the Pennsylvania Dutch brought to America. Today, we know this figure as the cheerful Easter Bunny, who brings colorful, candy-filled eggs to good children, much like Santa Claus.

These recent acquisitions to our permanent collection are vintage Easter decorations that date to the 1950s. Made in Germany, the figures reflect the tradition of hiding sweet treats within eggs because their bodies open to contain candy. This type of standing decoration is called a “nodder” for the spring that causes the animal’s head to nod back and forth. How fun!

So no matter how you celebrate Easter with friends and family, whether faith-based traditions or seasonal celebration, Easter brings the spirit of new life to the forefront.

Happy Easter from your friends at the Frazier!

Hayley Rankin
Manager of Collection Impact

Curator’s Corner: Returning a Yosegaki Hinomaru to Usuki, Japan

In 2021, collections manager Tish Boyer and I helped Bernie Roke, the curator at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, unframe a Japanese flag and pack it up in archival materials to be shipped to Japan. The flag is a Japanese Good Luck Flag, or Yosegaki Hinomaru.

During World War II, such flags were given as gifts to Japanese servicemen as they were deployed, having been signed by friends and family with notes and good wishes. Frequently, American soldiers would pick up the flags after battle and keep them as souvenirs. The flag at the Aviation Museum had been donated by a Kentuckian who had picked it up while serving during World War II.

With the help of Yuki Nakata, a Japanese-speaking visitor, Bernie was able to determine that the flag belonged to Kinzo Takahashi, a Japanese soldier who had died during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which took place February 19–March 26, 1945. Bernie was able to get in contact with Takahashi’s grandson, Hiroki Komazaki, to return the flag.

In recent years, there has been a movement encouraging the return of such flags to the families of their original owners in Japan. Though Bernie and Yuki were able to get in touch with the family of Kinzo Takahashi themselves, making contact is not always so easy. There is an organization called the Obon Society, based out of Astoria, Oregon, whose mission is to help return Yosegaki Hinomaru and other family heirlooms to Japan.

In 2021, in the process of helping Bernie, the Frazier Museum’s collections and exhibits teams discovered a Yosegaki Hinomaru in our own collection. All we know about this flag is that it was found in a barn in North Dakota and put up for auction, where we purchased it for use in our 2016 exhibition about Pearl Harbor. With the help of Yuki and the Obon Society, we were able to translate the writing on the flag and determine the identity of the soldier to whom it belonged. Unfortunately, there are no members of that soldier’s family remaining; but we can instead return the flag to Usuki, the city from which the soldier came.

Every year, the city of Usuki holds a ceremony with American principal officer John Tyler for American soldiers who were killed in a plane crash in the area. In this ceremony, the city prays together with American soldiers. This year, the returning of our flag to Usuki will be a part of that ceremony.

Last week, we packed up the flag, along with a letter Frazier president Andy Treinen wrote to the people of Usuki. The package will soon be headed back home to Japan. I am proud that we were able to host this flag for a few years and that it helped us tell the story of World War II to our visitors. I am even more proud that we are able to aid it on its journey home, back to the people for whom it means the most.

If you have a flag like this or another similar item and would like to return it to its family in Japan, I encourage you to reach out to the Obon Society. You can find more information at their website.

Amanda Briede
Curator

Cool Kentucky Art Reception at Fifth Third Bank to Take Place April 13

Inspired by the opening of the Cool Kentucky exhibition several years ago, the Frazier’s education team began regularly partnering with local schools and organizations to invite their students or constituents to create artworks inspired by the question: “What’s cool about Kentucky?”

Student art is currently on display in the museum’s Second Floor Marshall Foundation Education Center—and, for the first time, we also have an off-site location of artworks hosted by Fifth Third Bank. On display since late 2022, the show was curated in collaboration with adults from The Council on Developmental Disabilities, Inc. and features twenty original art pieces highlighting what’s unique about the Commonwealth.

To celebrate the artists and their work, Fifth Third Bank is hosting a free, public reception—and you’re invited!

Cool Kentucky Art Reception at Fifth Third Bank
Thursday, April 13
5:30–7 p.m.

Fifth Third Bank
401 South Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40202

The free reception will include an art show, live painting, a musical performance, appetizers, and drinks. Admission is free, but you must RSVP in advance!

“An event like this is about more than just recognition of these individuals for their beautiful art,” Council on Developmental Disabilities program development manager Kelsey Edwards said. “It is about their wider community opening its arms to some of our most undervalued and overlooked citizens. We are so grateful to our partners at Fifth Third Bank and the Frazier Museum for giving them this opportunity to shine.”

We hope to see you there!

Megan Schanie
Manager of School & Teacher Programs

Don’t Miss April 19 Program Wade and Alice Houston: Leading by Example

This is what community looks like. I’m talking about Wade and Alice Houston and their three grown children. The Houston family is engrained in the fabric of Louisville in countless ways that include business, sports, philanthropy, leadership, mentoring—you name it, they’re likely part of it.

Join us April 19 as the Frazier partners with the city’s Office of Equity for Wade and Alice Houston: Leading by Example. We have several surprise guests who will speak to their impact on community, but also their personal impact. And of course, you will hear from Wade and Alice as individuals, as a couple, and as a family.

Mayor Craig Greenberg will also speak to their impact on our city.

If you’ve wanted to see and hear what leadership looks and sounds like, this program is for you.

It’s also a way to thank them for loving Louisville and always giving back.

Get your tickets now.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

Current Leaderboard for Membership Madness

Our members-only NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket Pool is back! Below, you’ll find the updated leaderboard and who is currently in the running to win that glorious 70” Samsung Class 4K Crystal UHD LED Smart TV with HDR! To learn more about this exclusive opportunity, visit the Membership Madness web page. Remember: members experience more here at the Frazier History Museum.—Amanda Egan, Membership & Database Administrator

With Spring Break Camps Sold Out, Don’t Wait to Register for Summer Camps!

As you read this, we’ll be kicking off three days of spring break with a lot of great kids! I got the news that our spring break camps were sold out when I received an email from a parent asking to be put on the waitlist—and we’re thrilled that so many people are going to enjoy our first pop-up camp of 2023!

If you missed out on spring break, don't worry—we do still have spots in summer camps still, but I know they’ll go fast, especially once everyone gets back from spring break and the end of the school year is in sight.

Don’t know where to start? Our Unseen and Unsolved camp is going to be a total blast—and if you have a budding history buff in your life, this is your first stop. From exploring the history behind everyday objects like the traffic light (whose inventor is from Kentucky!) to exploring some of history’s mysteries that we might never know the answer to (like what truly happened to the paintings in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum), we’ll be covering so much fun stuff. Plus, we’re going to enjoy a trip to our friends down the street at the Kentucky Science Center for a screening of the movie Superpower Dogs. This week is going to be all that—plus puppies!—so you won’t want to miss it.

We’ll be running Unseen and Unsolved camp the weeks of July 10–14 and July 24–28. You can sign up and see more details here!

Heather Gotlib
Manager of Youth & Family Programs

Fashion Consultant Jo Ross to Speak at April 16 Tea Time with Tish

Join us next week for another member exclusive program: Tea Time with Tish!

On Sunday, April 16, come to see beautiful Derby hats in our permanent collection that once belonged to WHAS11 and WAVE news anchor Melissa Forsythe. We will talk about famous New York fashion designer Frank Olive and the tradition of fashionable hats at the Kentucky Derby. Have you ever wondered about the influence of the Ascot Races in England upon the fashion at horse racing tracks in America? We’ll talk about that, too!

Led by our collections manager, Tish Boyer, attendees will have the opportunity to not only view our Derby hat collection before the general public but also hear the history of Frank Olive’s entrance into the Louisville fashion scene—as told by none other than longtime fashion consultant Jo Ross!

Jo will speak about her personal connection to Frank Olive and how her time at Byck’s Specialty Store helped lead to his iconic name forever being associated with Derby hats.

Other than hats, what is more synonymous with Derby than a Mint Julep!

Attendees of this member exclusive program will have the chance to win two (2) tickets to our Craft Your Own Cocktail tasting experience! The door prize winner will be able to experience how to make the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby™ and drink it too!

*Purchase and/or consumption of alcohol is restricted to individuals twenty-one years and older. Please enjoy responsibly. We reserve the right to deny or restrict the service of alcohol to anyone.

Doors will open at 1:30 p.m., tea and other light refreshments will be served, then the program will begin at 2.

Frazier members are invited! Visit the program page for more details and to RSVP.

Become a member today to have the benefit of this member exclusive program!

If you would like to upgrade your membership to unlock additional discounts, give me a call at (502) 412-2263.

Amanda Egan
Membership & Database Administrator

Frazier Throws Bourbon Limited Party with Peerless, Wilderness Trail, Augusta

We had a wonderful time celebrating with our members at the Bourbon Limited event that was held here at the Frazier Museum last Friday night. We ate great food and tasted delicious whiskeys from Kentucky Peerless, Wilderness Trail, and Augusta Distillery. Several exciting announcements were also made about the Bourbon Limited club, including the addition of a 100 mL tasting bottle so that members can taste without opening the full-size bottle.

And congratulations to the two members who won the opportunity to join Frazier Museum staff on a single barrel pick last week and to the member who received a tasting bottle of our next Bourbon Limited expression. It’s an 8-year single barrel Bourbon that comes from Augusta Distillery, selected exclusively for members of Bourbon Limited, and it will be shipped later this month.

Are you sad you missed this great event? We’re sad you missed it, too! Click here for more information about becoming a member of Bourbon Limited, a club that ships Kentucky whiskey directly to your door every two to three months. We hope to drink great Bourbon with you really soon.

Cheers!

Haley Hicky
CMO & Unicorn Wrangler, Bourbon Limited

Frazier to Host Republic Bank BourbonVille Second Year in a Row

Find the perfect finish at the start of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® where two of Kentucky’s staples—the Kentucky Derby Festival and Bourbon—will be front and center at the Frazier History Museum in just a couple of weeks.

Enjoy a spirited evening of Kentucky Bourbon-inspired cocktails and cuisine at the annual Republic Bank BourbonVille, held April 13 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. This marks the second year the event will be held at the Frazier, where Bourbon is celebrated daily as the home of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center and the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.

Guests can sample signature drinks from several Kentucky Bourbon distilleries, including Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Bourbon 30, Rabbit Hole Distillery, Four Roses, Log Still Distillery, Old Hillside Bourbon Company, Uncle Nearest, Four Gate Whiskey Company, Woodford Reserve, RD1 Spirits, and Spiritless. BourbonVille-goers can also sip on specialty Bourbon cocktails from Luzianne® Tea and the Kentucky Castle.

Attendees can mingle with master distillers and taste a menu of Bluegrass foodie favorites like Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole, Bourbon BBQ Meatballs, Southern Pulled Pork Sliders, and more, provided by Bristol Catering. And you can also be the first to see the Derby Festival’s new BourbonVille merchandise line.

General admission tickets (which include Bourbon, food tastings, a commemorative glass and swag bag, and access to the Frazier’s exhibitions) are $55. VIP tickets (which include the complete event experience, plus early access at 5:30 p.m. and access to the VIP Lounge and an exclusive Bourbon Tasting Experience) are $90. Open to ages 21 and older; ID required upon entry. Tickets are available by calling (502) 584-FEST or online at kdf.org.

Republic Bank BourbonVille is the perfect way to toast the start of the Kentucky Derby Festival season!

Sponsor: Republic Bank. Contributing Sponsors: Bristol Catering, Caesars Southern Indiana, and Frazier History Museum. Media Sponsors: Classic Rock 107.7 and TOPS Louisville. Official Safe Ride Home Partner: Kentucky Office of Highway Safety.

Christa Ritchie
Communications Manager, Kentucky Derby Festival
Guest Contributor