An insider's perspective on the most interesting
objects at the |
Cool
Things Podcast
|
Adventure Martin and Osa Johnson indulged their passion for travel by filming
the South Seas and Africa in the 1920s and 1930s. They collected this
barong (a jungle knife used by
members of the Moro people) on their first trip to Borneo. |
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Centron During the 1950s, this Kansas
film studio promoted mental hygiene among America's youth by producing
such films as "The Bully" and "What About Prejudice." |
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Space
Age Stove This nearly indestructible Frigidaire Custom Imperial Flair
stove from 1968 made efficient use of space in the kitchen. Only
a kitchen remodeling project and difficulty in getting replacement
parts brought an end to its use. |
Lincoln
Log The exciting story of the hours following Lincoln's assassination
involves this piece of wood, removed from the gallows on which the
conspirators were hanged. |
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Monopolize
The goal of the game Monopoly is to become a real estate tycoon.
But originally it was designed to teach the evils of monopolies
and the virtues of something called the Single Tax. |
Connie's Café
Wichita's oldest family-run Mexican restaurant is Connie's Mexico
Café. These objects were used by its founders, Concepción "Connie"
Lopez and her husband Rafael. |
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Boyd's Girls
This group of girl cadets, armed with broomsticks and rifle parts,
produced a patriotic quilt while defending Topeka at the turn
of the 20th century. |
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Flagged
Hear about two battle flags carried in the Civil War by Kansas
boys fighting in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Yes, the Civil
War was fought in states west of the Mississippi, too! |
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Modern
Ledger Art Looting of Native American artifacts has been a problem almost
since Columbus first stepped off the boat in the New World. Meet
Dolores Purdy Corcoran, a Topeka artist who argues for repatriation
through her paintings. |
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Firestick
Kansas ranchers get to indulge their pyromaniacal tendencies
every spring when they light the grasslands on fire with homemade
incendiary devices called firesticks. It's an accepted technique
for managing the prairie. |
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Plowed
This revolutionary plow was invented by a farmer from Plains,
Kansas. It worked well, maybe too well. Some people believe it
was responsible for the Dust Bowl. |
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Blue Jacket
In the Future Farmers of America, blue corduroy is the fabric
of success. This particular jacket was worn by Wes Jackson, a
former FFA member who today is recognized as a visionary leader
in agriculture. |
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Clocked
Submerged under seven feet of floodwater in a small Kansas City
cafe, this clock quietly documented the rising tide of one of
the most destructive events in the history of the central plains.
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Snow Gate
How do you drive across Kansas on Interstate 70 during a blizzard?
You don't. Hear about a gate used to close the highway during
severe winter weather. |
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Cyclone
Stop Sign Find out what it takes to crumple street signs like pieces of
tin foil. These signs survived a massive tornado that destroyed
the town of Greensburg in May 2007. |
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A Civilized
Bookcase This bookcase symbolizes a tragic period in Native American
history. Were the missionaries who used it trying to improve the
lives of their Indian pupils, or wipe out their culture? |
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Seat of Government
Topeka's first African American mayor used this unassuming office
chair. James McClinton felt his appointment to the mayorship reflected
the positive impact of the nation's civil rights movement, and
a sign that Topeka was moving ahead. |
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Quadruple Constitutions Every territory needs a constitution to become a state. Kansas
had four of them. What a political nightmare! Hear about Kansas'
complex constitutional history, closely related to the nation's
tense pre-Civil War politics. |
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Funston's
Flu Disease was the deadliest enemy during World War I. In this podcast
we examine a quarantine sign used in Bushong, Kansas, during the
greatest pandemic in history. Also, learn the history of Kansas
Day--our state's birthday. |
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Saddle Up!
The road between Abilene and San Antonio could get a little rough
in the 1870s. This saddle cushioned the ride for Kansas cowboy
Gus Bellport. |
2007 Podcasts
Voted Top Ten Podcast Museum and Cultural Podcast Winner for 2007 by MuseumPods
|
Christmas on
a Card Some people get into Christmas more than others. Louis Glynn
spent the whole year, every year, hand-painting 500 cards for
friends and family. |
An
Aluminum Tree Christmas This luminous relic from the 1950s was used in a western Kansas
home. |
War,
With a Twist Hear about a ballot box that survived both the Kansas county
seat wars and a tornado. Election results were literally up in
the air. |
Prison
Town Four prisons are located in Leavenworth County. This guard uniform
was used at the oldest one--the Kansas State Penitentiary. |
Teddy's
Jag William Allen White's BFF, President Theodore Roosevelt, gave
this jaguar rug to the family after a dangerous trip to the Amazon. |
Autographed
Ferber Books Edna Ferber inscribed and dedicated these books to renowned Kansas
journalist William Allen White. |
Cure
for Cancer Serum A Kansas City doctor claimed to have found a cure for cancer
in the 1920s. Only problem was, it didn't work. |
Civil
War Saber & Pistols Glitzy pistols and a fancy Civil War saber "presented as
a token of his soldierly qualities." |
Hides
of Nauga Naugahyde chaps made by a member of Kansas' rodeo royalty. |
Golfing
With Cows Golfing hazards in Topeka 100 years ago included cattle and their
byproducts. Talk about mashies! |
Lone
Shoe In the 1950s, runners from around the globe challenged the four-minute
mile barrier. Among them was Wes Santee, a Kansas farm boy who
found sure footing in this track shoe. |
Narkaleptic
This Kansas baseball story won't put you to sleep! Hear how the
Narka team emulated the St. Louis Cardinals. |
45
Rounds Here's some knockout boxing gear used by world heavyweight champion
(and Kansan) Jess Willard. |
Uncomfortable
Socks A Topeka woman wore this wool basketball uniform for the Aces
in the 1920s. Scratchy clothing wasn't the only difficulty encountered
by women in sports, though. |
Eight
is Enough Fielding a team is tough when your community's population is
in decline. Learn how eight-man football keeps the drive alive. |
A
Tale of Two Fieldhouses Drafting table on which an engineer helped designed Kansas' best-known
sports arenas--Ahearn Fieldhouse at Kansas State University, and
Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas. |
Iron Horse of Kansas Learn of the amazing connection between Kansas runner Glenn Cunningham, Adolph Hitler, and the 1936 Olympics. |
Give the Ball a Ride A giant wooden bat and silver baseball trophy from an 1860s game
in Kansas. |
Smacked by Napoleon Elegant swordplay in Kansas? Believe it. This fencing equipment
was used by a German social club in Topeka. |
Fallout Food Cold War survival kits from the 1950s included cans of granulated
synthetic protein--yum! |
Flying Monkeys Populist manifesto or just plain fun? Learn the real story behind
L. Frank Baum's book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." |
Bloody Benders Death stalked the highways in 1870s Kansas. Was this knife used
to commit murder, or only to spread butter? |
State Stump What do you get when you combine a cottonwood tree and a chainsaw artist? The state stump! |
Something
in the Water This jug was owned by a frequent visitor to a Kansas sanitarium. He may have been a victim of bizarre water treatments, or a resort playboy who enjoyed a good bath. |
Fatherland
This memorial card for a fallen World War I soldier is printed in German. Was this Kansas boy a German sympathizer? |
Moon
Rocks Moon rocks, or rather gravel, from the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. |
2006 Podcasts
Voted Top Museum Podcast for 2006 by MuseumPods
Key
Overalls Key overalls, made and worn in Kansas, are the subject of this down-home podcast. |
Coleman
Pocket Stove American soldiers used these innovative portable stoves produced by a Wichita company during World War II. |
Medical
Quackery Kansas investigators confiscated this quack medical equipment with imaginative names--the Solarama, Color Therm, and Pathoclast. |
Custer's
Dumbbell Learn how spirited soldiers--among them George Armstrong Custer--adapted to an often boring frontier life. |
Agnes
the Frog Costume The tale of a fictitious amphibian who threw her hat into the political ring. Save the wetlands! |
Delahay
Portraits The fascinating story of Mark Delahay--lawyer, editor, judge, opportunist, and notorious alcoholic. |
Prison
Doll This doll bears a striking resemblance to an incompetent criminal. |
Waconda
Springs Artwork Was Waconda a real Indian princess or just a poor swimmer? The Kansas well she dove into was rumored to be medicinal and bottomless. |
Fox
the Horse Perhaps not surprisingly, horse mannequins are a rarity in museum collections. |
Chief's
Blanket This rare Navajo weaving came to Kansas via the Santa Fe Trail. |
Travel
Satchel Rickshaws and 400-lb. seashells remain from the adventures of a gentleman farmer who traveled the world three times, collecting the bizarre. |
Tornado
Relics A massive tornado tore through Topeka in 1966. Hear about the aftermath of this devastating storm, including the relics left behind. |
Wolf
Creek Insignia A Native American artist designed the logo for the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant. Its central image is, of course, a wolf. |
Electronic
Football Game Some have argued that it's the worst game ever invented. |
Southern
Rights Flag What were Southerners doing in Kansas before the Civil War? And impress your friends by reciting the causes of the war in 10 words or less. |
Leg
Brace The town of Protection, Kansas, had a role in safeguarding the world against polio. |
Dolcette
An unusual and uncommon musical instrument made in Kansas. |
Mickey
Mouse Undies Who wore this Mickey Mouse underwear from the 1930s, and what does Walt Disney have to do with Kansas anyway? |
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A
Kansas Memory Podcast: Another podcast from the Kansas Historical
Society sharing stories of Kansans -- some famous, some infamous, and
some just average folks.
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