The Filson Historical Society to host a public exhibit opening Nov. 4
LOUISVILLE, KY – The Filson Historical Society will host a public exhibit opening for “Olde England on the Ohio: Louisville’s Tudor Revival” on Friday, November 4, 2022, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. This exhibit is guest curated by Dr. Daniel Gifford.
Louisville’s residents and visitors often note the city’s proliferation of Tudor Revival architecture. From homes to businesses, churches to charities, Louisville has retained an impressive Tudor Revival collection, including several neighborhoods where it is the dominant style. “Olde England on the Ohio: Louisville’s Tudor Revival” uses Louisville as a microcosm of a larger national movement that peaked in the 1920s and early 1930s. Tudor Revival not only manifested through architecture, but also in consumer products and popular culture. The exhibit shows the range of ways Americans looked to recreate a near-mythic “Merrie Olde England” in the early twentieth century.
Importantly, it was no accident that this turn towards an imaginary English past coincided with a wave of Eastern European immigrants, a massive African-American migration to northern cities, and the refinement of continued systems of racial, religious, and ethnic injustice. Many explicitly saw Tudor Revival as a way of claiming and elevating Anglo-Saxon heritage for a select few.
But in Louisville these attempts ultimately failed. “Olde England on the Ohio” demonstrates how diverse groups across the city used Tudor Revival to make their own assertations about belonging and participation in American culture. The objects, images, and artifacts gathered in the exhibit ultimately suggest that Tudor Revival succeeded as a movement built from the ground up, not the top down.
Dr. Daniel Gifford is a public historian who focuses on American popular and visual culture, as well as museums in American culture. He received his Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2011 and serves on the Filson Historical Society’s Board of Directors.
The opening reception on November 4 will feature refreshments and short remarks from the curator and sponsors at 5:15 p.m. All participants must register in advance. To register for this event, please visit www.filsonhistorical.org. This event is free and open to the public.
“Olde England on the Ohio: Louisville’s Tudor Revival” is generously sponsored by Stock Yards Bank and Trust.
“Olde England on the Ohio” will be open for viewing Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm beginning Monday, November 7, 2022 at the Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. 3rd Street, Louisville. Tours of the exhibit and grounds are free, but reservations are strongly encouraged.
For more information about this exhibit, please contact Maureen Lane, Curator of Museum Collections at gro.l1713907853aciro1713907853tsihn1713907853oslif1713907853@neer1713907853uam1713907853 or (502) 635-5083. For more information on Filson events, please visit filsonhistorical.org.
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Since its founding in 1884, The Filson Historical Society has preserved the region’s collective memory, not only of Kentucky but also of the Ohio Valley and the Upper South. The Filson continues to collect and tell the significant stories of the region. An independent historical society, The Filson serves the public through its extensive research collections and numerous educational opportunities. The Filson is headquartered in the Ferguson Mansion in Old Louisville and houses a library, a museum and a special collections department.
