Cool Things in the Collection, Kansas Museum of History
Summary: Get an insider's perspective on the most interesting objects in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History. Each biweekly episode features a different curator talking about a different object, always something featured on our web site. It's the best of our nation's history--not just Kansas, but important events for the whole United States. There's something for everyone, from the Civil War to the Cold War, Abraham Lincoln to Amelia Earhart, tornadoes to travel. You can access the full stories (with images) on the Web at http://www.kshs.org. Just look for the Cool Things link.
- Visit Website
- RSS
- Artist: Kansas Historical Society
- Copyright: Copyright 2011 KSHS
Podcasts:
Thousands of buildings were looted of their contents during the Civil War. This quilt from a ransacked South Carolina home has only recently been reunited with its history.
We have a dummy in the museum! Not your run-of-the-mill department store mannequin, this figure was a silent partner in training hospital staff and emergency workers during the 1960s.
Mining has been big business in southeastern Kansas almost since our state was founded. These mineral samples from the town of Treece speak to the area's mining heritage, as well as its less savory legacy.
Most of us had a favorite piece of clothing from childhood. Hear about a dress from the turn of the last century, worn by a girl who would later become a prolific artist.
Securing the right to vote was a major milestone for women in America. As we approach Women's History Month, we consider a controversial painting in our collections that commented on the rights of 19th century women in politics and society. Its title is American Woman and Her Political Peers.
Parents today complain about their kids playing video games, but many of these elders once wasted their time playing pinball. This episode considers a 1960s machine emblazoned with a rock band called The Bootles. Then, we wrap things up with a retrospective of our favorite podcasts to mark our 100th episode.
We think nothing of jumping in the car no matter what the weather, but a century ago open cars and dirt roads made it difficult to look good after a drive. This motoring coat protected early-day road warriors from the elements.
Some art has strong historical value. These paintings by Croatian American artist Marijana Grisnik depict memories of an old Kansas City neighborhood known as Strawberry Hill.
Lots of museums have dolls in their collections, but how many have a peasant doll holding a hoe and smoking a cigar? Get the scoop on this unusual figure, clad in a dress made from a sugar sack.
Our collections include many holiday-themed artifacts. This one is an early cartoon of Santa Claus, drawn by a Kansas artist. What did Santy look like around 1900? A bit different from today's version, as you might imagine.
It's hard to imagine a ladder without rungs, and yet that was the vision of one Kansas inventor. How does a rungless ladder even work? You'll have to listen to find out.
Hunting is big business in rural Kansas, where hunters visit with guns, ammo, and fat wallets. This banner greeted sportsmen in the western Kansas town of Hays just before the opening of pheasant season.
Even well into the 20th century, the U.S. Army relied heavily on horses and mules to move equipment. But, surprisingly, veterinarians are a fairly recent addition to our military.
A century ago, photography was much more difficult than point-and-shoot. In this podcast we hear about the challenges faced by a pioneering woman photographer. Alice Gardiner Sennrich documented her town--Valley Falls, Kansas--through the lens of a massive camera.
It's a knife, it's a fork, no, it's a Knork! Hear about the genius of one Kansas inventor who combined the best qualities of the knife and fork into a single clever utensil. The Knork is taking the food-service industry by storm.
