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.
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- Artist: Kansas Historical Society
- Copyright: Copyright 2011 KSHS
Podcasts:
The notorious Jesse James gang terrorized much of the Midwest in the years following the Civil War. A Kansan used this rifle to bring down one of the James gang members in 1875.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was one of the most successful programs in television history. The museum owns the desk used by the character Lou Grant, Mary's gruff but lovable boss. Hear how a prop from a show filmed in Hollywood about a Minneapolis TV station ended up in Topeka.
The United States didn't immediately send soldiers to fight in World War I, but that didn't stop Americans from volunteering. In this episode we hear the story behind a nurse's uniform worn by Ethelyn Myers, whose career took her from small-town Kansas to the battlefields of Europe.
A deep friendship took root between two men in the wilds of Kansas Territory. Their bond spanned the differences of culture and race, and lasted a lifetime. This walking stick endures as a symbol of their regard for each other.
The Dockum Drug Store sit-in was an important civil rights event in Wichita in 1958. Fifty years later, this banner was proudly displayed at a march recognizing that overlooked episode in Kansas history.
T. D. Bancroft saved a playbill fragment with President Abraham Lincoln's blood from from the night the president was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.
Storytelling is a way of life for the Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group that suffered during the Vietnam War. Kansas has become home to a surprising number of Hmong. This story cloth depicts their journey from farming villages to refugee camps.
Henry Worrall wasn't born in Kansas, nor was he a trained artist, but that didn't stop him from using art to promote his adopted state. Record of Skies is the title of his 1870s sketchbook filled with Kansas scenes.
The Kansas Cavalry rode to the rescue with these silk guidons snapping in the wind. Hear the interesting story of two Civil War swallowtail flags, recently preserved through our Save the Flags project.
It may look like an ordinary umbrella, but this faded parasol had a brush with fame when it sheltered Abraham Lincoln during an historic post-inaugural tour.
The massive American surrender in the Philippines during World War II led to a horrifying journey known as the Bataan Death March. These sandals are a reminder of one Kansas soldier's powerful experiences during the war.
Religious fervor led an once-innocent young Kansan to help John Brown seize the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Albert Hazlett hoped to start a rebellion using this revolver. And in a way, he did--Harpers Ferry helped spark the Civil War.
Hear about a Kansan who mixed volcanic ash with local mud to produce some stunning ceramics in the 1950s. James Dryden cornered the market on Kansas kitsch until the highway bypassed his location and Dryden moved his operation out-of-state.
To navigate the Kansas River in the 1820s, you needed the right equipment--a keelboat. This steering oar helped one fur trader's keelboat stay the course.
In 1904, St. Louis was a city on the move, and Kansas went along for the ride. This stained glass window is from the Kansas Building at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, better known as the 1904 World's Fair.
