The Frazier Museum store has finally gotten on board with getting online! Our spectacularly curated selection of goods for any lover of our great state of Kentucky features t-shirts, home goods, books, kitschy kitchen items, and so much more. And when you live in a state with more barrels of Bourbon than there are people, that has to take center stage: We have vintage and hard-to-find Bourbons online for curbside pickup, plus gifts for Bourbon lovers to go along with it.

Do you love beer pong, barbecue, horse racing, or dogs playing poker? We've got a sock for that! Rep’ your Kentucky love with our large selection of tees, from Kentucky cities, Louisville neighborhoods, and Bourbons, bottles, and barrels. We’ve got your back (covered).

So take a break from doomscrolling tonight and do what every good American does to counterbalance the stress of the world: Pour yourself a Bourbon and shop online.

In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Hayley Rankin previews a Civil War Union Infantry snare drum to be displayed in the Frazier’s upcoming exhibition The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall, which opens to the public June 1. Brian West traces the origin of the gilded antlers mounted in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition to the inaugural Great Steamboat Race in 1963. And Rachel Platt interviews TreesLouisville executive director Cindi Sullivan on restoring Louisville’s breathtaking tree canopy.

Plus, we’ve got info on Bourbon tastings, summer camps, and the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Pegasus Pin Program, now in its fiftieth year. We’ve also got details about a KET documentary airing tonight that features the Violins of Hope exhibition the Frazier hosted in 2019. And we announce the 2022 Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament.

Don’t forget to visit the Frazier History Museum’s new online store—where the world shops Kentucky!

This Week in the Museum

Countdown to The Commonwealth: Union Infantry Side Drum, 1861–65

Logo for The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Each week leading up to the opening of the Frazier History Museum’s next permanent exhibition “The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall,” manager of collection impact Hayley Rankin will highlight an object or objects to be included in the exhibition.

Opening with a private reception May 19 and to the public June 1, 2022, “The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall” will tell the story of Kentucky’s rich history, including, among other topics, its native peoples, the Civil War, and the early nineteenth century, when cities such as Louisville gained prominence due to their important locations along the Ohio River. It will expand viewers’ personal connection to history by pairing historic figures like Henry Clay, emancipationist Cassius Clay, and Abraham Lincoln with diverse narratives from lesser-known figures in Kentucky history.

In partnership with artist Ché Rhodes and the (Un)Known Project, led by artist-run nonprofit IDEAS xLab, the exhibition will include a space for visitors to reflect on the stories, both known and unknown, of the enslaved that lived in Kentucky. This interactive exhibition is designed to engage visitors of all ages and will feature objects related to Kentucky’s diverse history as a border state on the banks of the Ohio, including the clock face from the top of the Town Clock Church in New Albany, Indiana, an important stop on the Underground Railroad, and the Bloedner Monument, the oldest surviving memorial to the Civil War.

“The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall” has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.—Amanda Briede, Curator

Side, or snare, drum used by Union drummer boys during the Civil War, 1861–65. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Did you know Fort Thomas in Newport, Kentucky, was home to one of only two training camps for drummer boys during the Civil War?

Many boys in Kentucky and the surrounding states, some as young as nine years old, joined the war effort as drummer boys before becoming soldiers. Drummers ensured troops heard commands from officers amidst the chaos and confusion of battle. They would drum signals to indicate various movements—for example, to attack, to retreat, or to meet at a designated location. Drummer boys became a kind of mascot for the troops, helping to boost morale, and assisted in bringing stretchers of fallen soldiers off the battlefield.

Object in Focus: Golden Antlers From the Great Steamboat Race, 1963–2000s

In the Frazier Museum’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, mounted high on a wall outside the Brown-Forman Theatre, there is a pair of gilded antlers. These antlers were once used as the prize for a tradition unlike any other (sorry, Jim Nantz) along the Ohio River: the Great Steamboat Race.

Photograph of the *Delta Queen*, left, and the *Belle of Louisville* competing in the Great Steamboat Race, April 30, 1968. Published on page one of the May 1, 1968, issue of the *Courier Journal*. Credit: Jim Harlan, *Courier Journal*.

*Delta Queen* Captain Ernest Wagner, left, and *Belle of Louisville* Captain Charles Brasher hoist the gilded antlers, undated. Published on page twenty-four of the April 28, 1968, issue of the *Courier Journal Times and Magazine*. On Tuesday, April 30, 1968, the *Delta Queen* would best the *Belle* in the Great Steamboat Race, after which Brasher and his crew would be awarded the Golden Antlers. Credit: *Courier Journal*.

Started as a way to celebrate the Kentucky Derby—and honor the tradition of steamboat racing along the Ohio—the Great Steamboat Race has occurred annually on the Wednesday of Derby week since 1963. And, while the participants have changed, one constant remains: The winning steamboat is awarded a pair of antlers, which is proudly displayed aboard the boat of the victors until the following year’s race.

The pair of antlers that is on the display at the Frazier is from the Belle of Louisville, and was in circulation until the early 2000s. At that time, the Belle of Louisville competed against the Delta Queen of Cincinnati each year. But, by 2008, the Delta Queen was retired from cruises and turned into a dry dock hotel. From 2009 to 2012, the Belle of Louisville raced the Belle of Cincinnati. From 2013 to the present, the Great Steamboat Race has been a three-way race between the Belle of Louisville, the Belle of Cincinnati, and the American Duchess. Since the Delta Queen’s retirement, the winner of the race has been awarded a pair of silver antlers.

This year’s race will occur Wednesday, May 4. For ticketing information, click here.

Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience Offers Cross-brand Tastings

As the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Frazier History Museum shares stories of the people, places, and producers of the Kentucky Bourbon industry. To learn more, visit our Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center or tour our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Have you been trying to book a distillery tour only to find them completely booked? Are you a Bourbon connoisseur on a never-ending quest to expand your knowledge? Do you want to impress your out-of-town Derby guests with your knowledge of America’s native spirit, but you don’t know a barrel from a bunghole? Then our Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience is just what you need!

The Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience is a unique class and tasting experience for new Bourbon fans and long-time aficionados. Participants are educated on a wealth of Bourbon knowledge, from the different definitions applied to Bourbon to how it gets its amazing flavor. The experience also includes a cross-brand Bourbon tasting through which our expert staff show you how to enjoy Bourbon to the fullest.

The Ready, Set, Go! Bourbon Experience is offered Thursday through Saturday, at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The cost is $34 ($30 for Contributor-level members and above), and includes first and second day admission. You can purchase tickets here.

2022 Summer Camp Spots Still Available!

With Derby season underway, summer feels right around the corner.

Luckily, the Frazier still has some spots in our summer camps this year!

From fantastic fandoms to a total takeover, there’s something for everyone at our summer camps—and it will be anything but boring! However, spaces are limited and some camps are already sold out—including Camp Takeover, which is debuting this year.

If you are looking for something new that’s got something for every kid—whether they are curious, adventurous, studious, or boisterous—we would love for you to check out the summer camps everyone is talking about!

More information and registration can be found here.

Violins of Hope Film Featuring the Frazier to Air Tonight on KET

It was a moving exhibition at the Frazier History Museum in October 2019, and now a film about Violins of Hope will be shown tonight on KET.

Poster for *Violins of Hope Louisville*. Credit: Violins of Hope.

The ten-day exhibition and the multiple events surrounding it were made possible by a consortium of partner organizations and presented by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence.

The exhibition itself included a collection of restored violins Jewish musicians had played during the Holocaust. The tagline of the exhibition was: “Even in the Holocaust, there was hope.”

The film Violins of Hope: Connecting the Past to the Present airs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on KET and is produced by Michael Fitzer and 180 Degree Film Productions.

The film focuses on the impact the exhibition had on students from Floyd County High School during their visit to the Frazier History Museum.

DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion) Committee Webpage

“The Frazier History Museum, where the world meets Kentucky.”

Here at the museum, we frequently use this phrase—and for good reason.

We pride ourselves on being an organization dedicated to teaching about the people, places, and events that encapsulate Kentucky history. The stories we tell allow us to ponder big ideas about the world at large, all while contextualizing these themes to further our understanding of the Bluegrass State.

However, to truly be “where the world meets Kentucky,” it is imperative we continue to create exhibitions and implement programming that reflect the diverse experiences of the people who visit us.

For the past few months, our DEAI Committee has been constructing a webpage to demonstrate the values we hold as an institution and our plan in order to operate in accordance with these values.

On the page, you will find a letter from Frazier president and CEO Andy Treinen. In addition, we have included an attachment, which outlines our current goals, plus our annual year-in-review report. Finally, we have linked a community feedback form to gather suggestions and ensure accountability on our part.

We share this information, not simply to display the conversations we moderate or the programs we host. Rather, we want the future of the Frazier outlined in collaboration—with all of you.

We are an imperfect organization; we have blind spots, shortcomings, and areas in need of revision. However, by virtue of our founding, we are also an organization dedicated to progress, community, and questioning the status quo.

We are incredibly hopeful about the future of the Frazier, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with members of this vibrant commonwealth.

I am leaving you with a quote from our founder, Owsley Brown Frazier, whose words serve as inspiration as we map out the trajectory of the museum:

“With a greater knowledge of history, we can fully appreciate the great difficulties and the great opportunities that lie ahead. By reconnecting with our past, we can renew a sense of who we are, what we stand for, and where we are headed.”

Naval Support Activity DaNang Association Reunion With Bourbon Tasting

On April 6, the Frazier Museum had the distinct honor of hosting the Naval Support Activity DaNang Association Reunion for a Bourbon tasting. I led the tasting for 105 Vietnam War veterans who were in town for the Association’s yearly reunion, which is held at various locations throughout the United States. The Association was founded for the purpose of finding as many shipmates as possible and giving them the opportunity to reconnect and meet old friends.

Stephen Yates leads a Bourbon tasting for Naval Support Activity DaNang Association Reunion attendees in the Frazier’s Fourth Floor Loft, April 6, 2022. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Several veterans who came to the Frazier and participated were blown away by not only the content of the museum but the fact that Frazier president Andy Treinen welcomed the group and took time to visit with them. This was the most gratifying group I had ever hosted. I was able to thank each one of those veterans for their service and sacrifice. Getting the opportunity to hear some of their stories was so inspiring—and knowing they enjoyed both my tasting and the museum where I work was particularly satisfying.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Bill Neal, who planned the reunion, and his wife Mary Neal, who kept everything running on time and organized. Thanks, folks! You were an absolute pleasure to work with.

With this being said, the Frazier Museum would welcome future reunion groups to keep us in mind as a location for their next reunion. If you’re with a group interested in having a reunion event at the Frazier, contact me at 502-753-5666 or syates@fraziermusum.org.

Museum Store: Tulip Poplar Tree Growing Kit

We hope you “dig” our featured item today to help celebrate Arbor Day on April 29. It will only be a small dig to get this tulip poplar growing with this germination kit sold in our museum store. It is Kentucky’s state tree: Early settlers are said to have preferred the wood of the tulip poplar for building materials, since it is generally soft and easy to manipulate with tools.

Bridging the Divide

Cindi Sullivan on Restoring Louisville’s Tree Canopy

On April 29, how will you celebrate Arbor Day? The day was founded to inspire folks to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees—and there is a lot to celebrate.

Trees are essential in cleaning our air and filtering our water, just to name a couple of things. But they also provide shade and cool our cities.

You often hear about the tree canopy and why that overall canopy needs to reach forty-five percent for a community to be healthy. So where does Louisville land?

For the answer, I reached out to one of my favorite experts, Cindi Sullivan, the executive director of TreesLouisville.

Their mission is to protect and expand Louisville’s urban forest through tree planting, public awareness, education, and collaboration.

I hope you’ll take time to listen to Cindi. Our health depends on it!

But before you go planting a tree, you should know I asked Cindi about what kinds are best. She has some definite ideas about what you should and shouldn’t be planting.

Rachel Platt
Director of Community Engagement

History All Around Us

Fifty Years of Kentucky Derby Festival’s Pegasus Pin Program

What’s colorful and plastic, synonymous with the Kentucky Derby Festival, and one of the most in-demand springtime accessories?

The Pegasus Pin!

And because 2022 marks the fiftieth edition of the iconic collector’s piece, we thought we’d “stick” you with some fun facts about the history of our favorite plastic accessory.

For starters, the Pegasus Pin Sponsorship Program started as an awareness campaign for the Derby Festival. At that time, only 10,000 Pins were produced and a little over 2,000 were sold. The first Pins sold for just $1. The 1973 version is rare to find and is valued at $800–$1,000.

Now, five decades later, the 2022 design celebrates the fiftieth version with the number fifty as a holographic image and includes a tribute to the very first Pegasus Pin created in 1973. It also features the Louisville skyline to symbolize the Derby Festival’s connection with the community.

Today, Pin sponsorships have become one of the primary sources of funding for Derby Festival events, and nearly 200,000 of them are produced annually.

The Pegasus Pin program wouldn’t be what it is today without a very special someone behind the scenes: Bridget Sherrill, vice president of merchandising for the Kentucky Derby Festival—a.k.a. “The Pin Lady.”

The best part is this little piece of plastic is everyone’s key to more than two weeks’ worth of fun. The Derby Festival produces more than seventy events leading up to the first Saturday in May, and for many of them, a Pegasus Pin is all you need for admission.

You can also register your Pins for a chance to win unique prizes. The Festival is giving away ten Grand Prizes over the course of eight weeks (every Friday through May 6), and any 2022 Pegasus Pin can win. And if you are lucky enough to unwrap a coveted Gold Winner Pin, you can enter to win a 2022 Honda HR-V donated by Kentuckiana Honda Dealers.

Pick up your Pegasus Pin at one of the 1,000 area retail locations or online at pegasuspins.com, or you can also purchase them onsite at our events. They sell for $6 each at retail or $7 at events. We look forward to seeing you at one (or more!) of our fun and festive celebrations decked out in your 2022 Pegasus Pin!

And as we like to say: Your Tradition. Your Celebration. Your Festival.

Membership

Early Bird Pricing for 2022 Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament

It is never too early to start planning for the future—in this case, Friday, September 30: the day the Frazier will host the seventh annual Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament!

This year’s event will have a new home, The Sporting Club at the Farm in New Albany, Indiana, just fifteen minutes from the museum.

The event, named in honor of the founder of the Frazier History Museum, his broad philanthropic investment in the Louisville community, and his lifelong love of history and the artistry of the gun, the Classic will feature 12- or 20-gauge shotguns on the 15–20 station/72-target sporting clays course.

Sportsmen and -women will spend the day competing before a delicious catered lunch, featuring Bourbon, craft beer, a raffle, and a silent auction of premium Kentucky Bourbons and exclusive Kentucky experiences. The tournament uses Lewis Class scoring, which allows all skill levels the opportunity to win awards.

Join great people having great fun, and enjoying great food for a great cause. All proceeds support Frazier’s exhibitions, educational outreach, and programs. Register by May 31 to receive the Early Bird special pricing of $250 for individuals, and $1,000 for teams. Starting June 1, prices will be $300 for individuals, and $1,200 for teams. So don’t delay—register now for the Early Bird special!

Register Here

Thank you to our early sponsors, iAmmo, and Republic Bank and Trust. For information on becoming a sponsor, contact Lonna Versluys at LVersluys@fraziermuseum.org.

Frazier Members Receive Behind-the-scenes Access

Earlier this month, we invited members at the Contributor level and above to come have coffee with Frazier Museum director of exhibit ideation Casey Harden.

At this member-exclusive program, attendees were treated to top-secret access geared to our upcoming exhibition The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall. This interactive exhibition, which is designed to engage visitors of all ages, will feature objects related to Kentucky’s diverse history as a border state on the banks of the Ohio.

Get your first look into this new exhibition before it opens to the public on June 1. Make sure to RSVP by May 5 to our Member Opening Reception*, which is Thursday, May 19, 6–8 p.m.

*This member-exclusive event is open to those members at the Contributor level and above.

Not a member, but want to have first-look access to our newest exhibition? Become a member today and unlock benefits like this for the rest of the year!

Summer Book Club May Title Announcement!

After you get your fill at the reception on Thursday, make sure to join us for our inaugural meeting on May 22 at 1 p.m. Act fast: RSVP to aegan@fraziermuseum.org by May 10.

For our first book, we will be reading a NEW RELEASE!

Author Emily Bingham and the front cover of her book *My Old Kentucky Home: The Astonishing Life and Reckoning of an Iconic American Song*. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Book Club Member Perks for our May Title:

ALL members are welcome to participate in this program.

Early Access to Purchase the book.*
Book available at a special discounted price.
Members and (1) guest may be included in your RSVP.
Experience a casual visit to a portion of our meeting by the author.
Reserved priority seating to the reading and Q & A following our meeting.
Be one of the first in line to get your copy signed by the author following the Q & A.
Advance notice of our June title announcement.
For each time you attend our monthly meetings, you will be given a chance to win a door prize at the end of the summer program.

*Access given once we receive your RSVP; limit of 2 books sold per account before May 22.

Details You Need to Know:

Limited seating available, so RSVP early!
Your RSVP to the Book Club will serve as an RSVP to the reading and Q & A.
Click here to find more details about the book, public reading, and Q & A program.

Help us curate your Summer Book Club experience!

Our Summer Book Club will occur May through August. Please take our survey to give us an idea of what excites you and what you look forward to. Our upcoming titles will be based off of your input!

Find more information about our Summer Book Club here.

Want to join our book club but not a member? Become a member today! As little as $20 will allow you access to our Summer Book Club and other member-exclusive events throughout the year!* Did I mention that for the $20 Individual membership you would also get year-round access to the museum, a 10% discount in the museum store**, and discounted parking!?

*Not all member-exclusive invitations apply to the Individual and Family membership levels.

**Exclusions Apply

Come Experience More!

Amanda Egan
Membership & Database Administrator

1860s Union Infantry Snare Drum, 1963 Great Steamboat Race Golden Antlers, Restoring Louisville’s Tree Canopy, and More

History of Burgoo and Horseracing, 1980 Hot Pink Chiffon Suzy Creamcheese Gown, Emily Bingham on “My Old Kentucky Home,” and More

Michter’s Speakeasy at the Frazier, 1800s Surveyor’s Kit and Circumferentor, Shirley Mae’s Café & Bar in Smoketown, and More