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The State Historical Society of Missouri

1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201 | 800–747–6366 | shsofmo@umsystem.edu

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Events Calendar

All events are at the Society unless otherwise indicated.

June 6 – October 3, 2009

“Wall Street and Main Street,” Editorial Cartoons on the Economic Crisis of the 1930s from the St. Louis Post–Dispatch

This exhibit chronicles the history of the Great Depression through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Daniel Robert Fitzpatrick (1891-1969) of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Approximately fifty original pen-and-ink cartoons will be exhibited with information placing each image in historical context. Fitzpatrick’s works comment on the policies of Herbert Hoover, the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the New Deal, and additional Depression-era issues. According to AskART.com, Fitzpatrick is “acknowledged by many as the dean of editorial cartoons” and was known for “strongly supporting the rights of the underdog.” Viewers may draw parallels with the current economic crisis as they ponder the bold drawings, poignant images, and wry wit of “Fitz.”

June 6 2:00 pm

A Trip Around the World: Travel Diaries from 1906-1948

Come see the world through the eyes of travelers of the past. The presentation, by Mary Beth Brown of the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia, will use travel diaries, correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks to offer a look at the people, places, and wonders of the world.

June 20 – Sept. 5, 2009

Under Construction: Images of the Gateway Arch by Art Witman

This exhibition of mural-size photographs from the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-St. Louis illustrates construction of the 630-foot Gateway Arch. In 1947 architect Eero Saarinen won a national design contest for a monument to be placed in St. Louis, Missouri, commemorating westward expansion in the United States. Saarinen’s Gateway Arch was built during 1963 to 1965, and photojournalist Arthur Witman documented the process. Witman often joined workers high on the scaffolding to take breathtaking photographs - many of which are displayed in this exhibit.

July 7 7:30 p.m., Walters-Boone County Museum, Columbia

“Did Abraham Lincoln Visit Columbia?”

There have always been rumors that Abraham Lincoln visited Columbia. Are they true? Is there a connection between Lincoln and Columbia? In celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday, learn about the myths and what reality lies behind them with a presentation by William T. Stolz from the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia.

July 11 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Art Explorers: Discovering George Caleb Bingham’s Missouri

Families are invited to join Art Curator Joan Stack for an interactive program in the Art Gallery. Participants will pack a suitcase for a visit back to the nineteenth century, while learning how Bingham paintings document this period in Missouri history (1830-1875). Kids will have hands-on experience with replica clothing, toys, and objects from the past, and each child will decorate a cardboard “explorer’s telescope” to take home. The program is designed for children grades K-5 with accompanying adult(s). Limit two children per adult please. The program is free for Society members and families. Non-member fee: $5 per child, adults free. Registration is required by July 8 and can be made by calling (573) 882-7083.

July 16 7:00 p.m., Daniel Boone Regional Library, Columbia

“The History of Columbia: 1949-1959”

Did President Harry S. Truman really come to town? What did Columbia look like in the decade before the establishment of the Daniel Boone Regional Library? William T. Stolz, assistant director of reference, will give a presentation using letters, diaries, and photographs held by the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia.

July 28 7:00 p.m., Daniel Boone Regional Library, Columbia

Visualizing the Creative Impulse: The Drawings of Thomas Hart Benton

Art Curator Joan Stack will present an illustrated lecture examining the drawings of famed Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton. Benton’s diverse approaches to drawing will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the role of drawing in his creative process. Stack will focus on the Benton sketch Oak Tree, recently acquired by the Society, to consider the drawing’s relationship to oak trees depicted in the artist’s painting Persephone and additional works.

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