Good Monday morning!

Since Louisville’s beginnings, news sources have been here to cover important events happening in the city, state, county, and beyond. We let these trusted reporters and news anchors into our homes via newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and the internet. Often these individuals provide vital information about important events. However, in times of crisis, they become a source of comfort as well.

I am excited to announce that our newest temporary exhibition, Flashback: Louisville Media Through the Years, opens one week from today. The exhibition provides a timeline of the history of media in Louisville. It takes a nostalgic look at some of those reporters, editors, photographers, and other journalists who made an impact on our city. Flashback focuses on several local events that made national news and shows how Louisville media covered those events. It is sure to reveal some familiar faces and bring back memories for Louisvillians and non-Louisvillians alike.

I’d like to thank our sponsors, Delta Dental and Louisville Public Media, for making this exhibition possible. I would also like to thank all the newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and independent journalists who worked with us for more than a year on this exhibition. They toured us around stations, provided photos, videos, and objects, and, most importantly, shared their stories with us. That list includes Louisville Public Media, KET, WAVE, WLKY, WHAS, WDRB, the Courier Journal, Jon Cherry, Maxwell Mitchell, and WAMZ.

We hope you will take some time this summer to come see Flashback and go back in time listening to original radio audio and watching original newscasts of the events that helped shape Louisville.

In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Tish previews one of the objects featured in Flashback, Rachel shares details about Flashback’s first program, and other staff members gear up for Beer Fest.

Speaking of Beer Fest: use promo code 10off for $10 off General Admission tickets. VIP tickets are still available, but those will sell out—so act fast!

Let’s make it a great week.

This Week in the Museum

From the Collections: Wellington No. 2 and Olivetti Praxis 48 Typewriters

When I hear “media,” I think of typewriters.

Perhaps that’s because I was brought up on classic films such as Meet John Doe (1941), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), and Teacher’s Pet (1958). One trope these movies have in common is the reporter who types away in the newsroom (or at home) to get his or her story to print. But my favorite example of this was always the scene in His Girl Friday (1940) in which Roseline Russel types wildly as she and Cary Grant rush to finish a story by the print deadline.

For today’s Frazier Weekly, we’re showcasing two very different typewriters in our collections. The first is a Wellington No. 2 typewriter. Invented by Wellington P. Kidder in 1892, this thrust-action portable typewriter was considered “noiseless” because it was so quiet.

The next typewriter might be a little more familiar to some of you: the Olivetti Praxis 48 electric typewriter. Designed in 1964 by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, this typewriter has a very architectural look with its clean lines and bright keys. Sottsass was originally an architect and had a long career in multi-disciplinary design before designing the Olivetti Praxis 48.

Look forward to these objects and many others in Flashback, which opens next week!

Frazier’s July 21 Program Fleeting Reality to Explore the Power of a Photograph

Fleeting Reality graphic. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

As we roll out our exhibition Flashback: Louisville Media Through the Years, we have an upcoming program on July 21 that I hope you will attend. It deals with the power of a picture. We’ll screen the documentary Fleeting Reality that focuses on several Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers who worked at the Courier Journal. As one photographer says, working at the CJ was like Camelot: it was the place to be for powerful storytelling through pictures.

Emergency workers evacuate a victim of the Standard Gravure mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, September 14, 1989. Credit: Durell Hall, *Courier Journal*.

Many powerful images were captured in 1989 when a gunman went on a shooting spree at Standard Gravure, which was basically the press room of the neighboring Courier Journal. Photographer Durell Hall recounts running in with emergency workers and seeing the devastation of an assault rifle firsthand. One of his black and white pictures of a pressman who had been killed would be selected for front page. The photo editor at the time, Tom Hardin, says it symbolized what happened that day: people died. That picture would become the center of a lawsuit making its way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in favor of the Courier Journal. We aren’t going to show the picture in Frazier Weekly, but it is part of the documentary.

Durell Hall will join us July 21 for Fleeting Reality, when we preview the documentary then talk with several photographers about the stories behind their pictures, some of them tragic.

Durell Hall made it inside Standard Gravure, and so did photographer Kenny Bradley, who worked at WHAS-TV, which was next door to the shooting. Those images and video would forever change Louisville’s innocence with gun violence. Our city was among the first to experience a mass shooting—a phenomenon that has now become commonplace.

Our exhibition Flashback will focus on milestones like Standard Gravure and others and how the media covered the historic events.

You can purchase tickets here for the July 21 program Fleeting Reality. The documentary and the discussion start at 1 p.m.; afterward, you can tour our new exhibition.

You will see and feel the power of a photograph.

Frazier Offers a Teacher’s Touch with Step into History Walking Tours

My mom was a lifelong teacher and I know a good one because of testimony I heard from former students who always came up to her when we were out and about. I heard how she was inspirational, pushed them to be better, and was always fair.

Now I am learning firsthand how Patty Morris was that same kind of teacher at Ballard High School, where she taught for about twenty-three years.

Since she started leading our Step into History Walking Tours, many of her former students have joined us on our Monday walks.

Most recently, a former student from many years ago brought her son, wanting him to meet the teacher who inspired her to go into the education field. She talked about Patty’s passion, how she made history and social studies “hands-on.”

Another former student told me Patty hadn’t changed a bit: her energy on our walking tours was exactly the momentum you saw in the classroom.

In other words, lace up your shoes and try to keep up!

Patty Morris walks the walk.

She loves history and our city and wants folks to know all about it, the good and the often tough history. We need to know it all and how it has shaped us.

Patty Morris has helped shape so many young people through her teaching and I have been lucky enough to hear that testimony, just as I did alongside my mother all those years ago.

The Frazier History Museum is in good hands with our Step into History Walking Tours each Monday morning with Patty Morris. Come join us to see for yourself. Once a teacher, always a teacher—and a really good one at that.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission

Museum Shop: Celebrating 100 Years of Kentucky State Parks!

This year marks the centennial celebration of the Kentucky State Parks system, a jewel in the Commonwealth’s crown. With forty-five state parks covering 48,000 acres and offering 300 miles of hiking trails, exploring Kentucky’s natural beauty has never been easier. Use the handy park finder to discover your next adventure!

Many of our parks feature picturesque lakes and waterways, but Cumberland Falls State Park is a standout. Often called the “Niagara Falls of the South,” it is famous for its stunning waterfall and the rare moonbow that appears during the full moon.

We love a Kentucky waterfall—whether it’s a natural wonder or a hairstyle! Celebrate with us by visiting the Museum Shop for your “waterfall” shirt and more.

Seven Kentuckians you Should Know About, Part 1

On May 21, the Frazier debuted a social media series titled Seven Kentuckians you Should Know About. In the first four installments, I stop at seven portraits mounted in the hallway of our Cool Kentucky exhibition and quickly describe what makes the subject a significant Kentuckian.

Episode one features portraits of John Scopes (McCracken County), Phillip Sharp (Pendleton County), Helen Thomas (Clark County), Jane Todd Crawford (Green County), Wendy Whelan (Jefferson County), Free Frank McWorter (Pulaski County), and St. Elmo Brady (Jefferson County).

Watch the video—and the others in the series—on our Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok accounts!

Only Two Weeks of Summer Camp Remain—and Spots are Limited!

If you’ve been considering Frazier camp, I encourage you to sign up soon. We’re in the final stretch, with only about twelve spots open for each of our final two weeks of camp. You can register here for either Camp Epic Fail (July 15–19) or the Life Aquatic (July 22–26).

Without a doubt, the best part of my job is spending a week with kids and presenting them with big ideas to explore and new experiences to take on. Along with our stupendous summer camp staff and visiting artists, I spent June doing just that. Our campers got a through-the-belly tour of the Belle of Louisville. They used science—and a bit of magic—to make music with Rhythm Science Sound. Kids got to choose activities, they got to chill, they made friends, and they went home happy with armloads of artwork.

About her June camp experience, one parent wrote that her campers had “wonderful experiences! They were inspired by the visiting artists, made some great friendships, LOVED “chill time,” and came home every day smiling and enthusiastic about what they did and what was planned for the next day.”

If you have questions or want to learn more, please reach out to me at zbramel@fraziermuseum.org. We’ve still got a few spots and we’d love to see you!

Call for Volunteers for July 27 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier

We need YOU to pour beer and keep Summer Beer Fest at Frazier running smoothly!

We’re still looking for volunteers for 2024 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier, which will take place Saturday, July 27. Volunteers get lunch, breaks—with plenty of time to take in the festivities and beers!—and a collectible Summer Beer Fest at Frazier t-shirt. If you’re interested, please fill out this convenient form! Our senior manager of fundraising Hayley Harlow will follow up with you.

Do you love beer but don’t feel like volunteering? We have you covered! Use promo code 10off for $10 off General Admission tickets. VIP tickets are still available, but those will sell out fast! Secure yours now at fraziermuseum.org/beer-fest.

Polka Band to Revive 1982 Louisville Song at July 27 Beer Fest

Hot Sauce Brass Band performs at last year’s Summer Beer Fest at Frazier, July 29, 2023. Credit: Isaac Barnett.

This year’s Summer Beer Fest at Frazier is rapidly approaching. Breweries are busy cooking and canning, food vendors are finalizing their menus, and our team at the museum is handling dozens of daily to-dos from obtaining city permits for road closures to selecting the right font to be printed on wristbands. There are lots of moving parts for an event of this magnitude, and everyone involved is hard at work ensuring that their cog spins in tandem with the rest of the machine. One crucial and prominent component of the Beer Fest machine is live music, and we’ve got two bands this year who are practicing their parts, preparing to take the streets!

Making their triumphant return to Beer Fest after a remarkable performance in 2023, the Hot Sauce Brass Band, led by saxophonist Drew Miller, will bring their New Orleans inspired, high-energy, dance-worthy tunes back to the Frazier. You won’t have to find the stage: this group brings the party straight to you! From 4 to 8 p.m., Drew and the band will play four sets, all on foot, to get you on your feet. What could be more fun than marching along with the second line, beer in hand, taking in the exuberance of summer that surrounds you? Well, polka, perhaps . . .

In between the Hot Sauce sets, the Brass Band of Louisville will play traditional polkas, waltzes, and other Bierkeller stylings. It will be late July, after all, and we want to make sure the Hot Sauce Brass Band stays cool and has time to enjoy some of the 200 specialty beers being poured. Alongside familiar favorites like “Der Ententanz” and “Heimat, Mein Schönes Allgäu,” there will be a couple of surprises to keep your ears open for. One of them I have already hinted at in this article; the other deserves a brief spoiler introduction.

In 1982, Louisville Mayor Harvey Sloane commissioned Nancy Moser and Joe Brown to write a song celebrating Louisville’s culture, its thriving public spaces and the exciting events he felt were underpublicized and underappreciated. The result was “Look What We Can Do, Louisville,” which ran in TV ads throughout the city. The then-twenty-eight-year-old Hazel Miller sang for the original recording, and then returned to Louisville just last year to revive the song at Mayor Greenberg’s inauguration. The song’s pop culture relevance has all but disappeared despite that recent performance, but there are still a few fans around town. If you aren’t familiar with the song, check out the original recording here. And to hear it for yourself, as interpreted through the lens of beer steins and lederhosen, come to Summer Beer Fest at Frazier on July 27!

20th Anniversary Photo: Beer Fest Moves to Main, 2022

As we gear up for our fourth annual Summer Beer Fest at Frazier—the museum’s largest annual fundraiser—I thought I’d pull an image from our second beer fest back in 2022. That was the year we moved the party from the back of the museum to Main Street! As we prepare for another annual beer-fueled block party spanning the entire 800 block of West Main Street, we encourage you secure your tickets for this year’s beer fest now. Cheers!

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

Bridging the Divide

Thirty-Seven American Citizens Naturalized at Locust Grove

On February 14, 2020, Judge David Hale presided over a naturalization ceremony at the Frazier History Museum, welcoming new citizens to the United States.

On July 4, 2024, Judge Hale again led a naturalization ceremony—this time at Locust Grove Historic Home, where thirty-seven people from eighteen different countries officially became US citizens. I was fortunate enough to play some patriotic music at the ceremony, and what I witnessed made this Independence Day unforgettable.

Before the ceremony, all the candidates were moved inside to avoid bad weather. The more intimate setting highlighted the breadth of emotions in the room. For those like me, born here, and guilty of taking our great melting pot for granted, this quote from George Magar Mardikian, printed in the event programs, was especially prescient:

You who have been born in America; I wish I could make you understand what it is like not to be an American. Not to have been an American all your life, and then, suddenly, with the words of a man in flowing robes, to be one, for that moment and forever after. One moment you belong with your fathers to a million dead yesterdays, the next you belong with America to a million unborn tomorrows.

The Boy Scouts of America presented the colors, and the preamble of the Declaration of Independence was read before Judge Hale gave his opening remarks. The crowd was attentive, but with an undeniable sense of anticipation. Their moment, years in the making, was just minutes away. US Representative Morgan McGarvey even gave a speech, which, while short, beautifully written, and well-delivered, seemed like just one more minor obstacle on their path to citizenship. Then, before the official oaths, each candidate, and their country of birth, was introduced.

A quiet man from Myanmar in the first row stood first, and alone, the only one from his country to be welcomed. He waved a small American flag in front of his chest, visible only to the judge and the band, and allowed himself a hint of a grin just at the corner of his mouth before sitting back down. In stark contrast, an exuberant group from Trinidad and Tobago then jumped to their feet in wide toothy smiles. A stoic looking man from Russia stood next to his pregnant daughter and let slip what I imagine is a rare tear. Shortly after, a young woman from Ukraine stood solemnly, reminding us that each of these new citizens bring untold and complex stories with them, adding their perspective to the American tapestry. A woman from Spain stood with her American husband and two children, reminding us that this journey has been long for all of them. Long enough to build a life, a family, a career, all while working toward this state of belonging.

Locust Grove program director Raina Melvin then spoke on what is often left unsaid about being an American. Melvin, a citizen of the Comanche Nation from the Penateka and Yamparika bands, explained the influence of indigenous government on the Constitution of the United States. She spoke on the role of women in this country, and the work of the League of Women Voters and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. She spoke on the role of enslaved people in building the economic backbone of this country, and in literally building the home where we were gathered. She made clear the depth of what it means to be an American.

This Independence Day, as I recited the Pledge of Allegiance alongside my newest American brothers and sisters, I felt a new sense of appreciation for those who have chosen this country as their home. To those new citizens, I say congratulations and welcome. To those who are still on that path, I look forward to celebrating you when the day comes.

Kent Klarer
Grant Manager & Writer

Flashback Exhibition Preview, Seven Kentuckians you Should Know About, 1982 Louisville Song at July 27 Beer Fest, and More

Michter’s Speakeasy Returns, Flashback Exhibition Opens, Beer Fest Brewers & Food Vendors, and More

1,700 New Members, Louisvillian’s 1861 Fort Sumter Flag, Prehistory of Big Bone Lick, and More