Dog Days of Summer, Norton West Louisville Hospital Community Update, Pickleball Street Fest, and More
Happy Monday!
The long, hot, dog days of summer are officially here. While the phrase traditionally refers to Sirius—the Dog Star—shining brightly near the sun this time of year, we like to think of it a little more literally: summer fun with your dog!
Rosie poses with select dog toys and treats sold in the Frazier’s Museum Shop!
The Frazier’s Museum Shop is ready to help you and your four-legged friend make the most of the season, with everything from toys to treats. One of our favorites is WiggleWow—a locally made dog treat crafted by adults with special needs using feel-good ingredients, right here in Louisville.
And of course, our dog toys come with a Kentucky twist—think Puppy Van Tinkle, Ale-8, and even a bucket of chicken. It’s the perfect time to treat your best friend! You can find these items in our Museum Shop or click the links provided to purchase them online.
While you’re here, don’t miss our newest exhibition, Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage—a fresh look at one of life’s most enduring partnerships.
In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Tish shares an object from Kentucky Governor Happy Chandler, Rachel plugs next week’s “appointment” with Norton West Louisville Hospital, and Nicole spotlights two 1940s photographers featured in our Documenting Kentucky exhibition. Abby follows the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® to Lawrenceburg and Simon hypes our July 26 Frazier Summer Beer Fest—(tickets are going fast!). Plus, Hayley pays tribute to Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow, whose song “First Class” can apparently be used as a metronome for performing chest compressions during CPR.
We’ll see you at the museum!
Mindy Johnson
VP of Operations
Frazier History Museum
This Week in the Museum
From the Collections: Wedding Invitation for Happy Chandler, 1975
Wedding invitation sent to Happy Chandler and his wife Mildred, 1975. Part of the Frazier History Museum’s collections.
For those of you who read our newsletter but don’t know what I do here at the Frazier, my job is the preservation and presentation of our collection. That means I process and catalog new items into our collection.
So, imagine my surprise and delight—as I was cataloging some items this week from the Happy Chandler family—when I found a very interesting piece!
While cataloging a stack of letters, I found a wedding invitation Judge Louis Hollenbach III and his three sisters sent to Happy Chandler and his wife Mildred, inviting the Chandlers to the wedding of their mother. You heard me right: the marriage of their mother, which took place in California in July 1975.
A. B. “Happy” Chandler (1898–1991) was born and raised on a tiny farm near Corydon, Henderson County, Kentucky. He went on to serve as the Governor of Kentucky twice: from 1935 to 1939 and 1955 to 1959. He also served as Baseball Commissioner, a role in which he effectively integrated the sport by approving Jackie Robinson’s contract. Today, he is known as one of the most memorable and celebrated figures to have held the role of Governor of Kentucky.
Pictured above, you can see the invitation for yourself and see what a wonderful thing that Winkie O’Meara Hollenbach’s children did for their mother’s second marriage. And just in case you might wonder why I found this invitation so surprising, it is simply that I have never seen anything like it before.
This wedding invitation is not on display in our current exhibition Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage. But come down to the museum to tour the exhibition and see some of the other wedding items in our collection!
Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement
Join Us Next Week for Norton West Louisville Hospital Community Update and Listening Session
Norton West Louisville Hospital Community Update and Listening Session flyer.
Here’s your final reminder to join us for our Norton West Louisville Hospital Community Update and Listening Session. We invited Norton to a program last April about six months before the new hospital opened, and we’ve invited them back now that it has been open for about eight months.
The opening of Norton West Louisville Hospital was historic when it happened. It became the first hospital to be built west of Ninth Street in 150 years.
Join us Tuesday, July 15, to hear from all the key players about how it has been going, how many patients have been served, successes, and challenges.
They also want to hear from you and are setting up listening stations to get your feedback.
Norton will also have representatives to discuss job opportunities. They are the second largest employer in our area.
The program is free, but reservations are encouraged. Click here to be part of the discussion and part of this important history.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
Documenting Kentucky Photographers Marion Post Wolcott and Esther Bubley
Mountaineer and Marion Post Wolcott Changing Tire with a Fence Post as a Jack. Up the South Fork of the Kentucky River. 1940. Credit: Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration.
Woman Nursing. A Greyhound Bus Trip from Louisville, Kentucky, to Memphis, Tennessee, and the Terminals. 1943. Credit: Esther Bubley, Farm Security Administration.
The Documenting Kentucky: Three Photographic Surveys exhibition at the Frazier History Museum tells the story of Kentucky and her people across nearly one hundred years. Every time I find myself in the gallery, I often find my attention drawn to the FSA photos from the 1930s and 1940s for two reasons: first, I’m fascinated by the early years of the genre; and second, for the photographers Marion Post Wolcott and Esther Bubley. Wolcott and Bubley helped shaped the burgeoning field of photojournalism at a time when a woman’s place was considered to be the home.
Wolcott joined the FSA in 1938 working under the supervision of Roy Stryker, creator of the photographic division. For four years, she traveled across the Southeast documenting everything from a Bardstown, Kentucky, church picnic to the wealthy vacationing in Miami. During the course of her time with the FSA, she captured nearly 2,000 photos of Kentucky’s people. Some of my favorite photographs document the parishioners of St. Thomas preparing for a chicken dinner. The same chicken dinner Wolcott documented eighty years ago is still around—and I can personally say the chicken is tasty.
Another protegee of Stryker, Esther Bubley, joined the FSA after it had transitioned to the Office of War Information. On assignment for the OWI, Bubley traveled on Greyhound buses around the region documenting everything that she saw—from rest areas that were nothing more than a large shack to a mother feeding her child while waiting for her bus. When the OWI closed, she followed Stryker to the newly created photographic division of the Standard Oil Company in New Jersey. While she may not have covered Kentucky as extensively as her counterpart Wolcott, numerous images and pieces of correspondence by Bubley can be found in the University of Louisville Archives & Special Collections library, which houses the Standard Oil Collection.
These two incredibly fascinating women played a small part in documenting Kentucky’s story, which you can see on display in the Documenting Kentucky: Three Photographic Surveys exhibition at the Frazier.
Nicole Clay
Education & Engagement Specialist
AC! Indoor Bathrooms! Beat the Heat with VIP Tickets to Beer Fest
2025 Frazier Summer Beer Fest VIP tickets graphic.
One of the most frequent complaints we get from museum visitors is: “I’m freezing! Can you raise the temperature in here?”
Unfortunately, we can’t: our museum contains thousands of historical objects and the galleries are kept at sixty-five degrees year-round for their benefit.
But there’s one day a year when that chilly climate is an asset: Beer Fest!
Our fifth annual Frazier Summer Beer Fest is Saturday, July 26. We block off the 800 block of West Main Street for a sunny street fest featuring 200+ beers, 60 to 80 vendors, food trucks, live music, a Fun Zone with a dunking booth, and more.
For those of you who want to beat the heat in these dog days of summer, we offer a VIP ticket option!
A VIP ticket gets you: museum access (including air conditioning and indoor bathrooms!), exhibition access, Gateway Garden access, a seated tent option outside, dozens of additional beer options, and early access (4–8 p.m.) to Beer Fest.
VIP tickets typically sell out, so act fast: Secure yours now while tickets remain.
Stay frosty!
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
On the Trail with Abby: Larrikin Bourbon Company in Lawrenceburg
On the Trail with Abby graphic.
Bourbon tourism is booming—and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is growing faster than ever! Each week, the Frazier’s Abby Flanders takes readers on a digital stop-by-stop tour of this expanding adventure, spotlighting the distilleries, stories, and expressions behind America’s native spirit. Ready to hit the trail in real life? Start your journey at the Frazier History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
Interior of Larrikin Bourbon Co. in Lawrenceburg, Anderson County, Kentucky.
In 2023, Navy veteran Greg Keeley and his wife Katie launched Lawrenceburg Bourbon Co. with one goal: to make “bloody good Bourbon” with Aussie charm. In September 2024, they leaned all the way in and officially changed the name to Larrikin Bourbon Co., embracing the Australian slang term for a lovable troublemaker. In fact, Larrikinism was a response to rules imposed by British officials in Australia. It’s a perfect fit for their no-nonsense approach to distilling and enjoying Bourbon.
Since then, the Larrikin lineup has only grown more adventurous and recognized with releases like a 9-year single barrel Bourbon (named the Monterey International Wine & Spirits 2025 Spirit of the Year), a new and unique rosewater-infused Bourbon, and a 10-year Decade Rye aged in Cognac casks. Keeley’s globe-spanning background shapes a whiskey brand that values transparency, adventure, and character.
The distillery and tasting room, located in Lawrenceburg, Anderson County, Kentucky, offers mixology and tasting experiences. If you find yourself hankering for a cigar with your pour, rest assured knowing that Larrikin is also the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®’s only walk-in cigar humidor.
New to the scene, but full of spirit, Larrikin is making a name for themselves one rebellious sip at a time.
Until next time on the trail!
Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement
Emergency Responders Encouraged to Use Jack Harlow’s Song “First Class” for CPR
Hayley Harlow poses next to the Jack Harlow case in the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition, June 1, 2023.
If you’re planning on getting CPR certified, you can now do it in Cool Kentucky style and even feel “First Class.”
The song “First Class” by Kentucky’s own Jack Harlow comes in at 107 bpm (beats per minute) which falls within the recommended chest compression rate of 100–120 bpm when administering CPR. Harlow is one of the Kentuckians featured in the Frazier Museum’s pop culture exhibition Cool Kentucky, where a display case includes awards and apparel from his music videos and films.
U of L Health recently listed “First Class” on their Songs for Saving Lives: CPR Playlist found here.
So, if you find yourself in the position of an emergency responder, you can rise to the occasion with Jack Harlow to keep you on track. And what’s more Cool Kentucky than saving a life?
Hayley Harlow
Sr. Manager of Fundraising
Dink and Downtown: Pickleball Street Fest Returns
Players compete at the first annual Downtown Pickleball Street Fest in Louisville, 2024. Credit: LDP.
The Frazier Museum has a strong partnership with Louisville Downtown Partnership. LDP’s mission is to improve the economy of downtown Louisville by promoting the redevelopment, vitality, and economic growth of the Central Business District and surrounding areas. LDP aims to improve Downtown’s quality of life by creating a safe, clean, and enjoyable environment. We’ve asked LDP’s Bryn Alston to share a bit about one of their next initiatives: the second annual Downtown Pickleball Street Fest!—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist
Louisville Downtown Partnership is bringing back the Downtown Pickleball Street Fest, sponsored by Angel’s Envy Distillery, taking place on Saturday, July 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will transform Main Street between Jackson and Hancock streets into an outdoor pickleball venue featuring twelve courts for both competitive tournaments and open play.
The second annual street fest will bring together sport and community spirit against the backdrop of Louisville’s Downtown core. Participants can enjoy Pickleball celebrity matches, open play sessions, and a multi-ranking round-robin tournament hosted by GoodBounce Pickleball Yard. The tournament accommodates players of all skill levels, with medals awarded to the top three teams in each division.
Registration is now open, with tournament entry ranging from $10 to $35 per player, and all participants will receive a commemorative Pickleball hand towel.
Beyond the courts, the fest will feature live entertainment, a variety of food trucks, a pop-up bar with local beer—including Downtown’s Beer—from Ten20 Craft Brewery, and a specialty Angel’s Envy bar. Inside the distillery, from noon to 4 p.m., there will be yard games and specialty Peach Smash cocktails.
The event highlights LDP’s ongoing commitment to promoting Downtown Louisville as a vibrant recreational destination. In addition to the annual fest, LDP operates Baird Urban Sports Park at 615 West Main Street just blocks away from the Frazier History Museum, which features two pickleball courts and a wiffle ball field. The park is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bryn Alston
Marketing & Communications Manager, Louisville Downtown Partnership
Guest Contributor
