Jacob Lee at his curatorial station.

That famous advice dispensed by 19^th century newspaperman Horace Greeley for young Americans to head west as the tide of Manifest Destiny swept across the Great Plains to the Pacific is being followed today by one of our own. After five years and eight months at The Filson, today is Jacob Lee’s last day. Jacob first came to The Filson as an undergraduate intern from the University of Louisville for the spring 2005 semester. Working on his degree in history, with an emphasis on American history, Jacob was a natural researcher and cataloger from the outset. His inquisitive and intuitive nature for the work and history made him an excellent addition to the Special Collections Department staff. When that internship ended and he entered graduate school, working on a master’s degree in American history, he received a year-long internship. When that ended he was awarded a Boehl Internship. We clearly wanted to keep the young man around! With an opening in the department looming on the horizon, we hired Jacob part-time, positioned to join the department full-time. On September 1, 2006, Jacob joined the staff as a special collections assistant; later being named an associate curator.

Jacob and Col. Reuben Durrett.

Jacob has worn a number of hats in fulfilling departmental and Filson duties. From monitoring researchers and answering research queries to all aspects of cataloging and supervising interns – even hanging the occasional portrait – he has handled his responsibilities with ability and professionalism. A list of the collections he’s cataloged would be lengthy, but some of the largest and most historically important are those from the 19^th century. The Speed Family Papers and the Beatty-Quisenberry Family Papers are two wonderful and frequently used collections that bear the Jacob Lee stamp of excellence. Those who read The Filson newsmagazine, our quarterly journal Ohio Valley History, The Filson’s blog, or attend Filson staff lectures know him well. His work has always been thorough, accurate, and well-written. It has been a pleasure to see him develop into a first-rate curator and promising historian.

Jacob and his cousin, Philip Lightfoot Lee.

Jacob will be missed by his Filson colleagues and many others as he heads west to the University of California at Davis to pursue a PhD in American history, but we certainly wish him happiness and great success. We send him off with thanks and best wishes and even though Thomas Wolfe opined that “You can never go home again,” Jacob can rest assured that he’ll always have friends here at The Filson who would indeed be happy to see him return home to Kentucky, and maybe to The Filson, some day.

Jacob with fellow interns Brandon Winford and Kelly Williams in the summer of 2006.

Jacob and fellow curator Sarah-Jane Poindexter.

A mustachioed Jacob pursuing his off-duty musical career.

And, to complete the many - and usually bewhiskered - faces of Jacob Lee, a clean-shaven Jacob visiting the Alamo.

Statue of General Gouverneur Warren atop Little Round Top

My family and I recently returned from a visit to Pennsylvania. While there we took the opportunity to revisit the Gettysburg National Military Park (having last been there in 1996). Anyone who has ever been there knows what a moving experience it is.

North Carolina monument along Seminary Ridge looking toward Cemetery Ridge.

Touring the museum, viewing the restored Cyclorama, and of course driving and walking over the field (with camera in hand) that witnessed so much death, destruction, and heroism on those three July days in 1863 brings home the sacrifice and loss the soldiers and their families endured. The battle is considered the “high water mark” of the Confederacy. After this defeat, Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was largely on the defensive until the end of the war almost two years later. It was an accidental meeting on a field of neither commander’s choosing that became one of the most famous and important battles in history.

The Union line along Cemetery Ridge.

The battlefield today is revered by many, and the National Park Service and the Gettysburg Foundation do their utmost to preserve this hallowed ground. Time has brought change to some areas of the field, while others remain very much the same. Its preservation and improvement are ongoing goals. If you haven’t visited Gettysburg, please put it on your “bucket” list. If you have, you most likely will be drawn back again to absorb and appreciate the sites and atmosphere from this epic battle that very likely changed the course of history.

View from the Union line on Cemetery Ridge.

Union monument along Cemetery Ridge.

The field Confederate forces crossed on their assault on Cemetery Ridge.

"High Water" mark of the Confederacy, where Confederate forces pierced the Union line on Cemetery Ridge.

Another view of the Union line at the 'high water" mark.

Union monuments along Cemetery Ridge.

11th Mississippi Infantry monument on Seminary Ridge. The regiment suffered almost 90% casualties in Pickett's Charge.

Daughter Emily keeping watch on Little Round Top.

View from Little Round Top toward Cemetery Ridge.

All the Holmberg troops - Elise, Aaron, and Emily - at the "High Water" mark in 1996.

The twists and turns in this story led to thoughts on the Ferguson Mansion, still a relatively new work environment for me. People who visit The Filson often comment on how wonderful it must be to work in such a beautiful house. It’s true that there are many physical components of the house to absorb that are wonderfully appealing. What is also intriguing, however, is the history of this house, a place that has contained both families and a funeral home.

The Specially Sized Elevator

The biggest contrast in levels can be found between the first floor and the basement. The first floor contains carved mantels and sideboards, a mural that winds around the dining room, and portraits on almost every flat vertical surface. Here is where important family events took place from 1905 through the 1920’s, such as Margaret Ferguson’s wedding. Children ran through here, dinners were eaten here, parties were held here.

The basement, on the other hand, is a basic space that houses a kitchen, lockers, a lounge. It is here that I feel the echoes of the former Pearson’s Funeral Home are strongest. As I warm up water for my tea in the kitchen, I recall that the employee dining area was once designated for embalming bodies. Kelly Brennan, a Fellow who researched the changing processes of the funeral industry, was excited to learn that the elevator was purposefully created to hold coffins.

Any place where human beings have lived and worked for so long inevitably houses secrets. Working in a place with such an extended history, the Ferguson Mansion, is a wonderful process of discovery where the marvelous and macabre blend.

The Louisville Exposition - A Wondrous View

[From an article written by Kathryn A. Bratcher and published in Volume 4 Number 4 of The Filson Magazine]

An exposition to be held in Louisville was the idea of the Louisville Board of Trade to show the world that Louisville was ready to claim her place in the trade market. The Southern Exposition opened on August 1, 1883. Admission was 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children under twelve, with a 25 cent admission for all on Saturdays. The popularity of the Southern Exposition allowed it to re-open for several years until it ended in 1887.

The Exposition’s main building was a large two-story wooden and glass structure designed by McDonald Brothers and Curtain that covered approximately 12 acres. The building was divided into four large sections that included interior courts with large windows for light, and a fountain in the center of each court. The trade exhibits were featured around the perimeter of the main building.

In addition to the main building there were several outbuildings that featured more curiosities for people to explore. One of them was a large art gallery built in Central Park which held masterpieces from many famous international collections. The Exposition’s agricultural department presented a farm and garden of about 3 acres and identified the trees in Central Park with labels. The police and fire departments for the Exposition were also located in Central Park, and a police substation still exists there today.

View of the Buildings at the Southern Exposition

The use of electricity made the Southern Exposition the first successful nighttime exposition in the country. The exhibition grounds, main building and art gallery were illuminated by electric lights made by the Edison Company of New York. The courts and parks were illuminated by Jenny Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana, which allowed for late afternoon and evening entertainment.

The Filson Historical Society is fortunate to have several rare artifacts and items from the Southern Exposition in its collections.

Norman Kohlhepp

University of Cincinnati Track Team, Normal Kohlhepp Second from the Right

Currently being processed in Special Collections are the papers and photographs of Louisvillian Norman Kohlhepp (1892 – 1986).  Kohlhepp was a multi-talented individual who excelled in the fields of science, art  and education.  A graduate of Louisville’s Manual Training High School, he went on to obtain a degree in metallurgical engineering from the University of Cincinnati.   After graduating, he worked for the General Fireproofing Co. in Boston, MA, a manufacturer of steel office furniture.

In 1917, Kohlhepp enlisted in the armed forces and served in the “Reserve Mallet” in World War I – a transport unit that was created as part of the French Army but later became part of the United States Army’s Transport Service.  He also trained other mechanics during his time in France.  Kohlhepp remained in Europe until 1919 when he returned to Camp Taylor and was demobilized from the Army.

Already skilled at mechanical and scientific rendering, in his mid-thirties Kohlhepp began to seriously pursue the fine arts.  During further visits to France, he founded the American Students and Artists Club in Paris, where he met his future wife, Dorothy.  She encouraged his artistic inclinations and Kohlhepp began his studies at the Académie Colarossi and Académie de la Grande Chaumière.   Kohlhepp and his wife also studied with Andre Lhote, the cubist painter.

Kohlhepp whole-heartedly extended his support to the Louisville arts community and was active in the Art Center and the Louisville School of Art.  His work resides in collections at the University of Louisville, The J. B. Speed Art Museum, The National Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institution.

The Kohlhepp photo collection contains over 200 negatives and prints, highlighting his time at the University of Cincinnati, the General Fireproofing Co., the war years in France, and his travels abroad in later decades.

The Kohlhepp papers contain correspondence from his parents while he is attending UC,  his senior thesis and supporting articles, and material from his time in the army, including his note books on automotive repair and maps of various sections of France.  The collection also includes financial papers and work correspondence from the 1920s to the 1940s, and a 1983 copy of Beaux Arts features an article about Kohlhepp and his artwork.

Scrapbook of Photographs from the General Fireproofing Co.

John Sneed (1755-1855), painted 1855 by unknown artist.

On the third floor landing, just outside the door to the curator’s office, hangs a very unusual portrait: Mr. John Sneed.

Nearly all of the Filson visitors who reach the third floor, without fail, pause to marvel at this unusual image of the elderly man. Perhaps it’s his no-nonsense expression that captures the imagination? Sneed was 100 years old when he sat for this portrait. Who wouldn’t be cranky at having to sit still for long stretches at such an age! Perhaps it’s the starkness and honesty of his old age that compels the viewer? There are few comparisons for Sneed’s portrait in American 19^th-century portraiture, as historical portraiture of elderly people is rare.

John Sneed was born in 1755 Albemarle, Co., Virginia where his father worked as Thomas Jefferson’s first teacher. At the age of 14, Sneed was said to have been employed as Thomas Jefferson’s personal secretary. In February 1778 he enlisted in the army and fought in the Revolutionary War, serving until January 1782. During the Battle of Guilford, Sneed was taken prisoner and did not return to his regiment until after the Battle of Eutaw, some six months later. Sneed married Sarah Johnson; together they settled in Boyle County and had ten children. Family tradition asserts that Sneed was so frugal that he was known to walk from his home in Danville all the way to Lexington to collect his veteran’s pension several times a year.  He did this even in his elderly years, as opposed to paying for a carriage or a courier service. At the age of 100, Sneed passed away in 1855, only a few months after this portrait was painted by an unknown artist.

1 - Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gunter at Tea

This first postcard showcases one of the many photographs in The Filson’s Paul Gunter Collection. Here, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gunter take tea on a Sunday afternoon in 1921. The location is Transit Avenue in Louisville.

The second postcard in the series, also from the Paul Gunter Collection, depicts four children enjoying a horseride. This photograph was taken on Mellwood Avenue in Louisville.

2 - Four Children Enjoying a Ride

Another prominent photographer featured in The Filson’s Special Collections is Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston. The third photograph featured has the fanciful title “The International Graces Before Hyden Frontier Nursing Hospital” written at the bottom. It was taken in Leslie County, KY, in 1928.

3 - The International Graces

4 - Group at Elys "Parlor"

5 - Girl Enjoying Water at Sulphur Well

A young girl beams out her enjoyment of the water in this fifth scene, captured once again by Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston. This photograph was taken in 1932 in Metcalfe County, KY.

The final postcard of this series depicts a summertime gathering at Cabell’s Dale, near Lexington, KY. This photograph is from the Issa Desha Breckinridge Collection.

6 - Gathering at Cabell's Dale

Tiffany dragonfly lamp

Shortly after The Filson Historical Society (then known as The Filson Club) purchased the mansion in honor of the club’s one-hundredth anniversary, a detailed account of Ferguson and the mansion’s history was written by George H. Yater and published in the October 1984 issue of The Filson Club History Quarterly (1). In this article entitled, “Edwin Hite Ferguson and the Ferguson Mansion,” Yater outlines Ferguson’s life in Louisville and describes how the mansion came to be. According to Yater, the design work, (done by William J. Dodd who also helped design the Seelbach hotel) commenced in 1901 and construction was completed in 1905. It is considered a fine example of the Parisian Beaux Arts architecture featuring the use of wood and damask paneling along with sculpted marble and bronze mantelpieces. Also, a small area of the second floor houses a set of unique Tiffany lamps in the form of dragonflies.

Ferguson Mansion Dining Room

Around the turn of the century in Louisville, (when an average home cost about ten thousand dollars) the mansion was considered one of the most expensive residences, valued at about one hundred thousand dollars. Ferguson was able to build this kind of lavish residence because he had become a successful entrepreneur, as the president and founder of the Kentucky Refining Company. However, his success was fairly short lived and Ferguson eventually sold the mansion in 1924 to the Pearson Funeral Home. For the most part, the Pearsons kept the mansion in its original condition, with the exception of the removal of the grand staircase. Finally, in 1984 when the Filson purchased the mansion, some of its original furnishings and décor was also purchased in an auction. For more information regarding Edwin Hite Ferguson and the mansion please feel free to visit The Filson Historical Society Library to see the quarterly article in its entirety.

_____________________

[1] Yater, George H.. “Edwin Hite Ferguson and the Ferguson Mansion.” The Filson Club History Quarterly 58. 4 (1984): 436-457. Print.

This painting utilizes a severe palette of white, black and gray. Mrs. Whipps’ luminous skin vividly contrasts with her crimson lips and brown eyes, as well as the black beads of her necklace. Similarly, the white ruffles surrounding her neck stand out strongly against Mrs. Whipps’ black dress and provide symmetry to the white and black ruffles of her headpiece. The strong nose and determined mouth signify that Mrs. Whipps is not to be trifled with. At the same time, her eyes hold a reassuring kindness.

Both this portrait and others in The Filson Collection bring to mind the contemporary artist Anne Faith Nicholls. Nicholls employs a striking use of folk art imagery and animal totems, and there is an environmental edge to her work as well. Nicholls characterizes herself as a Neo-folk artist, which has been defined as a recent outgrowth of folk art influenced by early colonial American and European folk art paintings and Surrealism. This movement is considered to be a part of both the high-low art aesthetic and the outsider art perspective.

“Hold Back Against the Naysayers” by Nicholls depicts a seated woman with Gothic hair, a thundercloud above raining down on her head (click http://www.annefaithnicholls.com/#goto=painting-portfolio&viewimage=20 to view). The details of her clothing, such as her riding boots and corseted dress, as well as her exaggeratedly pale, heart-shaped face, evoke an earlier era. Looking out at the viewer with wide eyes, she resolutely grasps the collar of a flame-breathing dog. Winged hands point to her in accusation. The palette of this painting echoes that of the portrait of Mrs. Whipps, with luminous white utilized to emphasize the woman’s face. The oval that frames the woman and her frenetic dog in lace-like curves is also white. Faux-wood panels in shades of gray radiate from the framed scene like dreary sunrays.

Nicholls seemingly depicts this woman’s twin in her painting “Catch or Release” (click http://www.annefaithnicholls.com/#goto=painting-portfolio&viewimage=22 to view). Here, the woman holds a beached whale distinctive for its small scale. The dank landscape, which includes felled trees, a burning house and a weeping cloud, echoes the whale’s distress. Plants float in the lower corners of the picture like seaweed. The painting also features alternating panels of gray and a curved white oval, accentuating the woman in her grief.

The environmental concerns and dark emotions that Nicholls depicts in her work are a world away from the serenity of Mrs. Denton Whipps. But the palette and style of portraits like the ones that hang in The Filson have clear repercussions on present-day artists, even as these portraits continue to provoke enjoyment from Filson visitors.