News & Announcements

Holiday Hours

2009-06-24T15:22:00.001-05:00

The Society will be closed Friday, July 3rd through Sunday, July 5th.
Have a safe and pleasant holiday.

"Art Explorers" to entertain, teach children about Missouri history

2009-06-24T12:29:00.002-05:00

Parents and children are invited to take a trip back in time through “Art Explorers: Discovering George Caleb Bingham’s Missouri” at The State Historical Society of Missouri from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2009. This interactive program will help children learn about Missouri’s cultural and artistic past through the famed works of George Caleb Bingham and give participants hands-on experience with replica clothing, toys, and other objects from the period, 1810-1880.

Attendees will help Society Art Curator Joan Stack pack a suitcase for a trip back to the 1800s, using Bingham’s paintings as a guide for deciding if an object fits with the time period. Each child will also decorate an “explorer’s telescope” to take home as a memento of the experience.

“Art Explorers” is designed for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, with at least one accompanying adult for every two participants. Admission is $5 per child, with no cost for adults. The program is free to Society member families. Registration is required by July 8 and can be made by calling the Society at (573) 882-7083.

Memorial Service for Sidney Larson, Art Curator at The State Historical Society of Missouri for 43 years,

2009-06-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

June 20, 10:30 a.m. -- Memorial Service for Sidney Larson, Art Curator at The State Historical Society of Missouri for 43 years, in Columbia College Launer Auditorium, (map) with a reception following in Dulaney Hall Banquet Room.

Speakers’ Bureau accepting bookings

2009-06-02T14:34:00.001-05:00

The Speakers’ Bureau will accept requests for speakers beginning June 1 for bookings through the end of the year (July 1-December 31) from organizations that have not yet used the service in 2009. Events must be open to the public and organizations are required to guarantee an audience of twenty. For information, visit http://shs.umsystem.edu/speakersbureau/ or call (573) 882-9365.

The Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau provides access to educational experiences in Missouri history for adult groups and organizations. The Speakers’ Bureau provides professional speakers on a variety of topics and time periods in Missouri history and is sponsored in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council and with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The MHC is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971.

Under Construction: Images of the Gateway Arch by Art Witman opens June 20 at the Society

2009-05-26T10:56:00.001-05:00

The 630-foot Gateway Arch dominates the St. Louis skyline, and images documenting its construction will cover the walls of the State Historical Society’s Main Gallery when Under Construction: Images of the Gateway Arch by Art Witman opens on June 20, 2009.

By its completion in 1965, the Gateway Arch had been 30 years in the making. President Franklin Roosevelt named the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial the first site under the Historic Sites Act in 1935, but it was not until 1947 that architect Eero Saarinen won a design contest to construct the memorial, and work on the Arch did not begin until 1963. St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer Art Witman joined workers high above the city and took breathtaking shots of the monument’s various stages of creation. The resulting mural-sized, full-color photographs were donated by Witman to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-St. Louis in 1984.

Under Construction will be on display through September 5, 2009. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

Proposals Invited for 2010 Missouri History Speakers' Bureau

2009-05-20T14:37:00.002-05:00

The State Historical Society of Missouri is searching for academic and independent historians, cultural preservationists, Missouri heritage specialists, and gifted speakers to participate in its 2010 Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau. The Bureau, which provides presentations on Missouri history topics to adult nonprofit organizations, including service and church groups, has already scheduled more than 30 talks this year and is looking to keep that momentum going into 2010. Candidates should complete the application process as described on the Society’s Web site, and submit their information by July 15, 2009.

Every year, The State Historical Society’s Speakers’ Bureau chooses presentations by both academic and independent scholars that best illustrate the history of Missouri. The Society seeks to include a diverse group of speakers who will discuss varied topics. Proposals will be accepted based on the originality of the proposed topic, which should have a broad appeal; and the variety and quality of the sources used to develop the talk. The speaker’s ability to engage a wide range of adult audiences will also be considered during the review process.

To find out more about the Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau, including a list of this year’s offered programs, or to support the Society with a donation, visit http://shs.umsystem.edu/speakersbureau/.

Call for Directory Updates

2009-05-06T09:18:00.002-05:00

The State Historical Society of Missouri invites historical and genealogical societies, museums, and preservation groups to submit and/or update contact information for the Society’s online Directory of Local Historical Societies, Museums, and Genealogical Societies.

Please include the organization’s physical address, mailing address, phone number, and, if applicable, web address and e-mail. Please send your organization’s information to Kimberly Harper by postal mail or by e-mail: harperk@umsystem.edu

2009 Missouri Conference on History Awards Announced

2009-04-30T14:09:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the winners and thank-you to all those who submitted an entry. As usual the scholarship was outstanding and a decision was not easily made.

Best Book Award

The Politics of Everyday Life in Vichy France: Foreigners, Undesirables, and Strangers
Shannon L. Fogg, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Best Article Award

“‘Tom, You’re Not Going to Get [It] On a Silver Platter’: The Inaugural Senate Campaign of Thomas F. Eagleton,” Missouri Historical Review, April 2008
James N. Giglio, Missouri State University

Best Graduate Student Paper

“‘This Is Not a Cotton-Picker’s Dream’: The National Commission on Constitutional Government and the Formation of the ‘New Right’”
Jeffrey D. Howison, Binghamton University

MoHiP Theatre Development Workshop

2009-04-24T14:34:00.002-05:00

Due to scheduling difficulties, the May MoHiP Theatre workshop date has been changed to May 12 (from May 19).

We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you love history and theatre, you won’t want to miss the next Missouri History in Performance Theatre (MoHiP) workshops. For information, call (573) 882-2476.

Students Explored the Individual at National History Day State Contest

2009-04-21T11:18:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, April 4, more than 500 young history enthusiasts participated in the National History Day in Missouri state competition. This annual, all-day event encourages the learning of history by young adults in grades 6-12 through student-created projects. This year’s theme was “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies.” [pdf]

Over 2,500 students participated in regional contests across Missouri with the hope of making it to the state contest, and first- and second-place winners in each division qualified for the National History Day contest finals on June 14-18. Prizes are awarded at all levels, including college scholarships for national winners.

National History Day is a yearlong program dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of history in elementary and secondary schools. The annual competition is the nation’s oldest and most highly regarded humanities contest for students in grades 6-12. NHD is open to all types of students—public, private, parochial, and home-school; urban, suburban and rural.

National History Day in Missouri is an educational outreach program of The State Historical Society of Missouri and the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia.

Roundtable Honoring Keith Crown to be held May 2 at the Society

2009-04-09T09:27:00.001-05:00

Watercolorist Keith Crown has touched the lives of many people during his seventy years as an artist and teacher. Join some of these friends, family members, and colleagues as they share stories and memories of the artist during “Travels with Keith Crown: A Roundtable Discussion of the Life and Art of an Extraordinary Painter” on May 2 at 2:00 p.m. in The State Historical Society of Missouri’s Main Gallery.

“Travels with Keith Crown” complements the exhibit Keith Crown: A Retrospective, now on display in the Society’s Main Gallery. Although Crown has called Columbia home for 25 years, he spent 37 years teaching art at the University of Southern California after earning degrees from the Art Institute of Chicago and serving in World War II. He also served as president of the National Watercolor Society, helped found the Los Angeles chapter of Artist’s Equity, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Watercolor USA Honor Society in 2003. Crown’s work hangs in museums and art centers across the country. He has been the subject of a biography, Keith Crown Watercolors, by Sheldon Reich, and his paintings and influences have been discussed by many authors during his career.

Society art curator Joan Stack will lead the discussion, as the panel provides personal insight into Crown’s aesthetic philosophy, working methods, and life history. “Travels with Keith Crown” is free and open to the public. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

Newest Missouri Times available

2009-03-04T10:26:00.004-06:00

Features

The February 2009 Missouri Times includes:

…And more!

Quilt Historian to Explore Missouri Heritage Quilts at the Society

2009-02-20T09:48:00.001-06:00

Renowned quilt historian and designer Bettina Havig will discuss the art and cultural traditions of quilting in Missouri on Saturday, March 14, at 1:00 p.m. in The State Historical Society of Missouri’s Conference Room. Havig, director of the Missouri Heritage Quilting Project, which documented quilts made in the state before the 20th century, will focus on quilts selected for inclusion in the project’s book and traveling exhibit, “Missouri Heritage Quilts.”

Havig has been quilting since 1970 and teaching the craft since 1974; she owned a quilt shop in Columbia from 1977 to 1983. A prolific writer, she has penned five books on the topic and many articles for quilting magazines. Her quilts have been exhibited in many national invitational quilt shows, and she has presented programs at the Quilters’ Heritage Celebration, Quilt America, the American Quilters Society Annual Show, the National Quilt Festival, and Quilts Across America. She has taught for guilds throughout the United States as well as in Europe. An active member of the American Quilt Study Group, she has served as president of their board of directors. She is the founding chair of the Missouri State Quilters’ Guild. For more information about Bettina Havig, visit her Web site at http://www.bettinahavig.com/.

“Missouri Heritage Quilts” is free and open to the public, and attendees are invited to bring one or two quilts to the workshop for review and discussion. Those planning to bring quilts should call the Society at (573) 882-7083 before March 1 to reserve space. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

Society to hold Map Day at State Capitol

2009-02-19T15:54:00.001-06:00

The political, social, and geographic history of Missouri will be displayed on February 25 as The State Historical Society of Missouri and Western Historical Manuscript Collection host Map Day in Missouri from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Third Floor Rotunda at the State Capitol in Jefferson City. More than 15 maps visually detailing Missouri’s history will be on exhibit, including a Civil War Battle of Springfield map and one of the earliest maps devoted solely to the state after it joined the Union.

Map Day in Missouri is a special occasion for legislators to view a sample of the state’s cartographic history while offering constituents the chance to discuss with lawmakers the caretaking of that history. Representative Chris Kelly, District 24, will introduce a resolution in the House to open the exhibit and proclaim February 25, 2009, as “Map Day in Missouri” to create this opportunity for conversation and observance.

State Historical Society trustees, members, and staff will be available to discuss the maps in the exhibit and explain the Society’s work promoting greater understanding and appreciation of our cultural heritage. Preserved documents and artworks are not just for scholars and historians; they are resources to be used and enjoyed by schoolchildren, genealogists, private citizens, and public servants—all those with an interest in our shared past.

Map Day in Missouri is free and open to the public.

The Drawings of Thomas Hart Benton

2009-02-11T16:34:00.001-06:00

Renowned Kansas City artist Thomas Hart Benton produced drawings that ranged from detailed nature studies to spontaneous gestural sketches.

Joan Stack leads an illustrated presentation that examines the drawings of Thomas Hart Benton on Sunday, February 15, at 2 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. Stack will discuss Benton’s diverse approaches to drawing, with particular emphasis on the study of an oak tree depicted in the painting Persephone and in an illustration for Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Joan Stack is curator of Art Collections at the State Historical Society of Missouri, home of one of the most extensive public collections of Thomas Hart Benton artwork.

This presentation is part of the Missouri Valley Speakers Series, a program of the Missouri Valley Special Collections at the Central Library. The series is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

More information is available at the Kansas City Public Library Web site

2009 Missouri Conference on History

2009-02-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

April 15-17, 2009

Hosted by Missouri State University Department of History

http://shs.umsystem.edu/mch

Join The State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri State University Department of History in Springfield for the 51^st Annual Missouri Conference on History. The conference will be held at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center located in Jordan Valley Park, close to the Springfield Expo Center, Hammons Field AAA baseball stadium, and other area attractions.

More than forty researched presentations will be given by historians on topics such as World War I, women’s inclusion in the armed forces, modern Germany, medical history, the University of Missouri, and early modern Europe. Twenty-seven different colleges and universities, including twelve in Missouri, are represented on the program, as well as eight historical agencies and three K-12 schools.

Two speakers will be featured at the 2009 conference. Virginia Laas of Missouri Southern State University will give the luncheon address “A Place on the Firing Line or in the Petticoat Brigade: Emily Newell Blair’s Search for Women’s Voice and Power in Politics.” The banquet keynote will be made by Kerby Miller, University of Missouri, titled “’Irish’ and ‘Scotch-Irish’ in Ireland and America: Only ‘Two Traditions’?”

Teachers, preservationists, public history professionals, and all those who are interested in history are invited to exchange ideas and promote the study of the past.

For more information contact Laura Wilson at (573) 884-7904 or wilsonlo@umsystem.edu

Keith Crown exhibit opens at the Society

2009-02-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

The vibrant colors and intriguing perspectives of nationally known watercolorist Keith Crown will be on display in the Main Gallery of The State Historical Society of Missouri beginning on February 6, 2009, in Keith Crown: A Retrospective. Members and guests are invited to view the exhibit, which features works from the Society’s collection, the artist’s personal holdings, and private collectors, in celebration of Crown’s 90th birthday.

A Retrospective showcases the art of a man who has called Columbia home for 25 years in works of oil, watercolor, and painted ceramics. After earning degrees from the Art Institute of Chicago and serving in World War II, Crown taught art at the University of Southern California for 37 years, served as president of the National Watercolor Society, and helped found the Los Angeles chapter of Artist’s Equity. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Watercolor USA Honor Society in 2003. Crown’s work hangs in museums and art centers across the country. He has been the subject of a biography, Keith Crown Watercolors, by Sheldon Reich, and his paintings and influences have been discussed by many authors during his career.

“Like the American landscape painters John Marin and Charles Burchfield,” Crown said, “I try to make visible the invisible elements of nature: various wind, moisture, temperature, odors and sounds that are specific to a particular place at a particular time.”

Keith Crown: A Retrospective will be on display through June 6, 2009.

Space Historian to present Insights on Apollo, Gemini at the Society

2009-02-04T11:13:00.001-06:00

The early history of the United States space program will be examined by author Tahir Rahman during his program “Reaching for the Moon: How the Gemini Project Culminated in Apollo 11” on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. in The State Historical Society of Missouri Conference Room. Rahman will discuss the aspects of Project Gemini that made possible the Apollo missions and fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of “landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” as well as his book, We Came in Peace for All Mankind: The Untold Story of the Apollo 11 Silicon Disc.

Tahir Rahman is a Johns Hopkins University-trained psychiatrist who practices in Leawood, Kansas, but who has always maintained an interest in space history. Although he had previously studied many artifacts and documents related to the space program, it was his access to the Apollo 11 silicon disc that inspired him to write We Came in Peace for All Mankind. The disc, containing messages of peace and hope from world leaders, was left on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men to walk on the moon’s surface.

“Reaching for the Moon” is free and open to the public and is presented in conjunction with The St. Louis Gemini Story, an exhibit containing photos, documents, and editorial cartoons related to NASA’s Gemini program currently on display in the Society’s North-South Corridor Gallery. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

Society receives $10,000 from the Missouri Humanities Council

2009-01-27T11:12:00.001-06:00

The State Historical Society of Missouri has received a grant of $10,000 from the Missouri Humanities Council for its Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau. The grant allows the Speakers’ Bureau—currently offering 50 professional speakers on 75 historical topics—to schedule 33 programs for adult, nonprofit groups throughout the state at no cost to host organizations. These programs explore the critical role of Missouri and Missourians in the panorama of American history, challenge myths and stereotypes, build bridges of understanding among diverse peoples, and offer a more inclusive history for the citizens of the state.

The Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau seeks to inform and entertain, believing that knowledge and understanding of the past build the foundation for the future. As the crossroads of America, Missouri has been both cauldron and catalyst, frequently at the heart of conflict and compromise. Missourians opened the westward trails, stoked the battles to expand or end slavery, and experienced changing social and political landscapes due to the influence of multiple immigrant waves.

The Society has assembled an impressive Speakers’ Bureau of distinguished university professors, award-winning authors, preservationists, and independent scholars. Their historical presentations, based on primary source materials, feature topics including war, ethnicity, and civil liberties from Dred Scott to World War II; the role of education in societal change; art and culture from soaring monuments like the Gateway Arch and the Liberty Memorial to personal art in cemeteries and the popular art of Walt Disney; everyday life and leisure; the transportation revolutions; famous and infamous Missourians; the journeys of Lewis and Clark; and the Civil War.

To schedule a speaker or for further information, contact Todd Christine at The State Historical Society of Missouri, (573) 882-7083 or ChristineT@umsystem.edu, or visit the Society’s Web site, http://shs.umsystem.edu/speakersbureau/.

About the Missouri Humanities Council

The Missouri Humanities Council is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971. The humanities are fields of study concerned with human cultures, values, and ideas and include history, literature, philosophy, languages, comparative religion, anthropology, archaeology, and jurisprudence.

For more information about the grants program of the Missouri Humanities Council, call (314) 781-9660 or (800) 357-0909 or write to the MHC, 543 Hanley Industrial Court, Suite 205, St. Louis, MO 63144-1905.

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Keith Crown: A Retrospective opens February 6 at the Society

2009-01-21T08:25:00.001-06:00

The vibrant colors and intriguing perspectives of nationally known watercolorist Keith Crown will be on display in the Main Gallery of The State Historical Society of Missouri beginning on February 6, 2009, in Keith Crown: A Retrospective. The exhibit will feature works from the Society’s collection, the artist’s personal holdings, and those held by private collectors in celebration of Crown’s 90th birthday.

A Retrospective will showcase the art of a man who has called Columbia home for 25 years: works of oil, watercolor, and painted ceramics. After earning degrees from the Art Institute of Chicago and serving in World War II, Crown taught art at the University of Southern California for 37 years, served as president of the National Watercolor Society, and helped found the Los Angeles chapter of Artist’s Equity. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Watercolor USA Honor Society in 2003. Crown’s work hangs in museums and art centers across the country. He has been the subject of a biography, Keith Crown Watercolors, by Sheldon Reich, and his paintings and influences have been discussed by many authors during his career.

Keith Crown: A Retrospective will be on display through June 6, 2009. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.

MoHiP Theatre to dramatize 1855 slave retaliation with Song of the Middle River

2009-01-12T12:42:00.002-06:00

The State Historical Society of Missouri’s MoHiP Theatre will present Song of the Middle River on February 6 in Boonville’s Thespian Hall. The play, performed as reader’s theatre, tells the story of Celia, a teenage slave from Callaway County who killed her master after suffering five years of sexual abuse. Song focuses on the days leading up to the killing, confronting the moral dilemmas surrounding slavery and the tragic circumstances of those forced to endure it.

Written by Thomas D. Pawley III, professor emeritus at Lincoln University, and directed by MU George Washington Carver Fellow cfrancis blackchild, Song of the Middle River features a cast including University of Missouri Department of Theatre chair Clyde Ruffin. Boonville musicians Cathy Barton and Dave Para will perform hymns and spirituals of the era beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the play starting at 7:00 p.m. Due to its content, this performance is for mature audiences.

Tickets will be available at the door for $5.00. Tickets can also be purchased in advance with a credit card by calling 660-882-7977, or toll free 1-888-588-1477. Tickets will be held at the box office. For more information, call The State Historical Society of Missouri at (573) 882-2476.

MLK Day

2009-01-08T09:13:00.000-06:00

The Society will be closed January 17–19 in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday

The St. Louis Gemini Story opens January 24 at the Society

2008-12-23T08:46:00.004-06:00

The State Historical Society of Missouri welcomes images of aerospace pioneering into its halls with The St. Louis Gemini Story, on display in the North-South Corridor Gallery beginning on January 24, 2009.

The purpose of the Gemini project was to test new hardware and master procedures integral to achieving President John F. Kennedy's goal to "land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth." McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis designed the crafts used by Gemini, which flew 10 manned missions in less than 15 months, between March 1965 and November 1966, and was an important part of the program that landed a man on the moon in 1969.

Developed by the staff of the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-St. Louis, The St. Louis Gemini Story features images and other materials relating to the production of the Gemini crafts by McDonnell employees, as well as editorial cartoons from the Society's collection that reference Gemini, the space race, and lunar exploration in the 1960s.

The St. Louis Gemini Story will be on display through May 2009.

Missouri’s Newspaper History Presentation Dec. 11

2008-12-02T09:20:00.000-06:00

Missouri’s newspaper history will be shared with the public at a showing of “Trustees for the Public: 200 Years of Missouri Newspapers” on Thursday, Dec. 11. A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by the screening at 6:30 in the Reynolds Journalism Institute on the MU campus in Columbia.

This video, produced by Missouri Press Association, features a number of Missouri publishers. Proceeds from the screening will be used to fund summer internships at Missouri newspapers for college journalism students.

The Missouri Press Association and its 300 member newspapers celebrate the rich heritage of Missouri journalists, yesterday and today, in the documentary video. Each person who buys a ticket to the screening will receive a copy of the one-hour video. Additional copies of the video will be available for $15 each.

Cost for the reception and screening is $25 for everyone except students, who will get in free.

To purchase tickets for the screening, contact Missouri Press Foundation, 802 Locust St., Columbia, MO 65201; phone (573) 449-4167; email kwilliams@socket.net.

[purchase a copy of the video...]
[even more info...]

Nominations for Missouri Conference on History Book and Article Awards

2008-11-26T10:42:00.002-06:00

The Missouri Conference on History seeks nominations for its annual book and article prizes.

The Book Award will be given to the best volume on any historical topic written by a Missouri resident and published in 2008. The winner will receive a $500 prize.

Articles eligible for nomination must relate to a Missouri history topic and have been published during 2008 (no restriction on residence of the author). The author of the winning article will receive a $250 prize.

Three copies of each book or article should be mailed to:

Dr. Gary R. Kremer, Executive Director
The State Historical Society of Missouri
1020 Lowry
Columbia, MO 65201-7298

The deadline for receipt of nominations is January 15, 2009. Award winners will be announced at the Missouri Conference on History, hosted by the Missouri State University Department of History in Springfield, April 15-17, 2009.

For more information, contact:

Laura Wilson
The State Historical Society of Missouri
1020 Lowry
Columbia, MO 65201-7298
(573) 884-7904