Early Conflicts in the Ohio River Valley
By William Schuhmann The Filson Historical Society has a large and well maintained collection of manuscripts and artifacts, but one of the lesser known resources that the Filson has to offer is its historical files. The historical files (or vertical files) are a collection of general information files on various topics. So, before diving into primary resources, like letters and […]
Edison’s Home Phonograph
Written by Kate Breitenstein: While going through the Special Collections Storage at the Filson, I came across this odd looking box. It had the name “Edison” written on the outside. On the inside, there was a plate, saying that this was an Edison home phonograph. For clarity, a phonograph refers to a machine that plays sounds using wax cylinders. A […]
Through a Soldier’s Lens Part 3: Vest Pocket Kodak
Through a Soldier’s Lens: Jack Speed’s WWI Photography is currently on exhibit in the Filson’s Nash gallery. The exhibit is open through July 27, 2018 and showcases the photographs of Jack Speed, a young soldier from Louisville, Kentucky who served in World War I. In this third installment of a four-part series, we take a look at the camera Jack most […]
Fifty Years On, the Stories of May 1968 Are Still Being Told
The spring of 1968 was a tumultuous time in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, in Memphis, Tennessee. While the nation at large was stunned, Black communities in particular were struck by the loss of a central spokesperson and leader of the civil rights movement. Tension and unrest followed the assassination, with both peaceful […]
Out of the Pencils of Babes: Children’s Letters to Mayor Armstrong
Last week we brought you writing and illustration for children and this week we follow up with writing and illustration by children. At some point your grade school education, perhaps you were obliged to write a letter to a Very Important Person. This modest assignment simultaneously cultivates many skills and competencies such as penmanship, conventions of correspondence, and civic involvement. In the […]
A Tale of Two Chickens
A few weeks ago, the Filson newsmagazine had a small article on my upcoming Filson Friday lecture. The lecture, scheduled for July 13, is going to be on the Filson’s collection of children’s literature. Since then I have been corresponding with Jim Coorssen who still had a large collection of books from his childhood, and last Monday he brought them […]
Through a Soldier’s Lens, Part 2: Rooming with Napoleon
Through a Soldier’s Lens: Jack Speed’s WWI Photography is currently on exhibit in the Filson’s Nash gallery. The exhibit runs through July 27, 2018 and showcases the photographs of Jack Speed, a young soldier from Louisville, Kentucky who served in World War I. In this second installment of a four-part series, we look at several images Jack captured during cycling […]
What’s on your Derby Menu?
If you are a local Louisvillian or a transplant like myself, you know that this is Derby Week here in our great city. This Friday and Saturday marks the 144th Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. While many people think of the horses, hats, and bourbon what about the culinary side of things that are equally apart of this local holiday? […]
Fried Chicken, Progressive Women, and the Suffrage Movement in Kentucky
I always knew Glendale, Kentucky for its home-cooking. The town’s Whistle Stop restaurant, just off I-65, was the place we always stopped for dinner before driving on to Dale Hollow Lake for the weekend. My friend liked to order the fried chicken – a dish so enormous that it seemed like one order should feed several people (although my friend […]
Unearthing the Fashion Collection at the Filson
Image: Dress and cape made by Louisville modiste, Madame Grunder (1846-1920), circa 1897 worn by Laura Jeannette Graham Husbands (1857-1950. This week’s blog post is by Brooks Vessels, University of Louisville Commonwealth Center for Humanities and Society Intern: I was not sure what to expect when I arrived for my first day interning at the Filson Historical Society, but I […]