Monthly E-News from Michael Bouman, Executive Director
Missouri Humanities Council

Contents:

• McPherson's Antietam Lecture in Digital Audio Podcast
• MHC Grants Support an Amazing Array of New Activities
• Family Reading: "Fathers and Books" by Julie Douglas
• Chautauqua 2007 and 2008
• Free On-Line Courses
• Neosho's Living History Festival June 23
• New Exhibits at the St. Joseph Museums
• AASLH Offers Scholarships for Small Museums
• Person-To-Person in the Museum

McPherson's Antietam Lecture in Digital Audio Podcast

Somehow, I got on the e-mail list of The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City. The Institute was formed in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis Lehrman. Gilder and Lehrman were awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush in 2005. The work of this organization is national in scope, influencing the teaching of history in American schools and the appreciation of history by the general public.

They have begun to create an interactive way for people to listen to and exchange ideas about lectures by prominent historians. An e-mail in early May caught my attention. It offered me a chance to hear James McPherson talk about his book, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam shortly after its publication in 2002. McPherson is one of my favorite authors, and I've heard him "live" only once. This digital audio brought back memories of the pleasure his books have given me over the years.

What I like especially about the web page is the way it allows you to play the audio file, to download it, and to subscribe to new lectures. But that is not the only great feature of this web site. There are a number of on-line exhibits, and some of them are interactive.

In case your copy of this E-Passages doesn't display hotlinks, the URL of the Gilder Lehrman Institute is http://www.gilderlehrman.org/institute/index.html

Amazing Array of New Activities

The Missouri Humanities Council has just funded a large number of exciting projects. The 2007 grant budget has been fully expended. We are now accepting grant applications for activities that will take place after November 1, 2007, the beginning of a new fiscal year.

I've created a quick summary of each new project on a June-grants page at http://mohumanities.org/E-News/June07/june-grants.htm

Family Reading: Fathers and Books

Dads can be great readers! Read Julie Douglas's recommendations for children's books in which a father is central.

http://mohumanities.org/E-News/June07/fathers.htm

Chautauqua 2007 and 2008

Several organizations have made use of our National Directory of Chautauqua Performers since we put it on line last August. Our regular touring Chautauqua is taking a year off for redesign. This year two communities have created their own Chautauquas:

"Celebrating Our Missouri Heritage" is the theme of the Warrensburg Chautauqua on October 5-7. A grant of $5,000 to the Greater Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau made this possible. We'll provide details in our September E-News.

"A Taste of Chautauqua" is a "starter" Chautauqua for Jefferson County. A one-day program on September 15 will feature Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and we will provide details in our August E-News. A grant of $6,000 to The Highway 30 Foundation supports the Chautauqua and its related local programming.

Congratulations to our 2008 Missouri Chautauqua towns hosting "That's Entertainment!" next summer:

• Carthage- co-hosted by the Powers Museum, Carthage Public Library, Friends of the Carthage Public Library, and Friends of the Webb City Public Library
• Kirkwood- hosted by the Kirkwood Public Library
• Osage Beach- hosted by the City of Osage Beach
• Pike County- hosted by the Pike County Museums Association

Free On-Line Courses

My colleague, Beth Felice, is very tuned-in to finding interesting things on the internet. This morning she gave me a link to a web page that lists 236 "open courseware" collections. The page is titled, "Take Any College Class For Free."

http://oedb.org/library/features/236-open-courseware-collections

Neosho's Living History Festival, June 23

The City of Neosho in southwest Missouri is holding its second annual living history festival on June 23. Among the scenes depicted this year are an Osage Indian scene, a mountain man scene, an early surveyor's scene, a covered wagon homestead scene and lastly, a scene depicting the homestead of Moses Carver.

Charles Brown, Park Director for the Newton County Historical Park invites one and all to call for a free ticket for this evening event. Call 417 451 4940.

New Exhibits Opening at the St. Joseph Museum

The St. Joseph Museums, Inc., will open a new series of exhibits dedicated to the early years of the museum on Friday, June 15, at the 3406 Frederick Avenue site. The exhibition is being presented to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the St. Joseph Museum, which was founded in June 1927.

Many of the items that will be on display were donated by the founding members of the St. Joseph Museums, Inc., such as a candlestick mold and a South African war club, which were donated by Dr. F.P. Cronkite, the grandfather of Walter Cronkite. Other items relate to the businesses created by the founding president of the museum, William Geotz and the founding vice-president, N. S. Hillyard. These artifacts will be displayed against a backdrop of photographs of each of the locations that have housed the St. Joseph Museums, Inc., over the years, along with photographs of early festivals, crafts classes, and other museum sponsored events.

Other exhibits will include 1920s items from the St. Joseph Museums, Inc., collections such as clothing and accessories, newspapers, magazines, records, and Noma decorative Christmas lights. Many of the items relate to the history of St. Joseph such as high school yearbooks and a Krug Park Bowl program on the “Passion Play” that was performed in 1928. One exhibit case will be devoted to the history of early St. Joseph companies such as the Hillyard Chemical Company, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

To give visitors an idea of the technology and the new products that were introduced to the public in the 1920s, there will be an exhibit of the modern representations of those products. Items such band-aids, Q-tips, and aerosol products are just a few of the items that became available during the 1920s.

“I think visitors will be amazed at the products that first became available in the 1920s that we take for granted today,” said Sarah Elder, Curator of Collections, the St. Joseph Museums, Inc. “These exhibits also offer a look at what St. Joseph residents were interested in collecting during the early years of the St. Joseph Museum which is also fascinating. They donated items from all over the world.”

The new exhibits will be open through December during the regular museum hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for students, and free for museum members. Admission includes the Black Archives Museum and the Glore Psychiatric Museum. For more information, call 816-232-8471.

AASLH Scholarships

The Small Museums Committee of the American Association of State and Local History is offering two $500 scholarships for individuals to attend the 2007 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Applications must be postmarked or received (via email or fax) by June 30, 2007 to be considered.

This scholarship is available to a full or part time paid or volunteer employee of a small museum (annual budget of up to $100,000) and will cover the cost of registration, plus $300 to assist with travel and/or lodging expenses. The scholarship is open to AASLH members and is a benefit of membership.

To apply, email Bruce Teeple, Small Museum Scholarship Committee Chair, at mongopawn44@hotmail.com for a copy of the application and then mail, fax, or email your completed application to: AASLH Small Museum Scholarships, 1717 Church St., Nashville, TN 37203; fax to: 615-327-9013; email to: beatty@aaslh.org. Notification will be made by August 16, 2007. Deadline for Applications: June 30, 2007.

Person-To-Person in the Museum

A couple of weeks ago I heard an amazing story about a transformation in the experience of volunteers at a house museum. I've written a short piece about what's going on there at my blog, creatinginterest.blogspot.com.