Shelly Overfield
Frazier Museum Extra Credit
HY 103-004
In Louisville, Kentucky the Frazier Museum hosts several exhibits and artifacts that are from the early settlement age to 1877. I love going to the Frazier Museum because they constantly change and display new exhibits frequently throughout the year. The feel of the museum automatically brings you back in time, and its sophisticated style gives the museum an upscale and respectable outlook on the importance of history.
The main exhibit right now is called “ Civil War: My Brother, My Enemy.” Here I learned Kentucky was a divided state. Many families were pulled North and South. In 1861, Kentucky sate government declared its neutrality, but President Lincoln established a Union army. However, Kentucky had soldiers in both sides. Families were broken because brothers and fathers sometimes fought for different armies. This exhibit also included documents detailing Abraham Lincoln’s wife’s insanity in 1875. These documents are framed, and reveal her arrest warrants, court proceedings, and other official letters.
Some of the unique artifacts the Frazier museum hosts include the ceremonial sword of Founding Father Josiah Bartlett, the family bible of the legendary pioneer Daniel Boone, the original “Big Stick” of President Theodore Roosevelt, the bow attributed to the great Apache leader Geronimo, and the ivory-handled Colt pistols of General George Armstrong Custer.
The Frazier Museum always displays numerous types of weapons. One of the items that drew my attention was the bow and arrow of the great Apache leader. Personally, the arrows did not seem very sharp and maybe that is because of how old they are, but the arrows were skinner and thinner then I imagined. Another is the six-shooter also known as the “Colt Peacemaker”. This firearm was made by the Colt’s Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut and was an important weapon for the West.
In addition, the Van Male collection displays prehistoric stone tools and bronze age daggers. This was very interesting to me because of how old theses items were. It is so amazing to see artifacts from so long ago. Also, a British Highlander coat from the Crimean War era is displayed. The coat is red with gold buttons and lining while the cuffs and collar are mustard yellow. I think the British wear something similar to this day.
Overall, I enjoyed this visit to the Frazier Museum because every time I visit I learn and see new things that I would not experience anywhere else. Yet to this day, my favorite exhibit the Frazier Museum has held was the Princess Diana exhibit where they displayed several of her most famous outfits and jewels.