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Good morning!

This Thursday, the Frazier will participate in Give for Good Louisville, and on September 30, we will host our annual Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament. These fundraising events, along with Summer Beer Fest at Frazier and our annual campaigns, are the primary sources of our individual donations.

Just like our fellow non-profits, the funding provided by these events is critical to keeping the Frazier as a public resource for Louisville and our community. Without the support, the Frazier’s ability to provide exhibitions, free admission to students in need, inspired and thought-provoking programs and events, and even this Frazier Weekly newsletter would disappear.

That is why we are asking for your support. If you value the Frazier and what we offer you, your family, and the people of our community, we ask you to please consider donating during Give for Good Louisville, Thursday, September 15. This is a twenty-four-hour online campaign. You may donate directly here—and any amount is greatly appreciated! If you are so inclined, you can also share why you give by filling out this short form. If your response is chosen, the organization of your choice, hopefully the Frazier, will receive an additional $250 through the campaign. President and CEO Andy Treinen wanted to personally deliver this message about where your dollars will go to support the museum.

If you would like to participate in a more active way, we invite you join us for the Frazier Classic. It is not too late to sign up yourself, or get a team together. The day will be full of breaking clays, great food, craft beer, Bourbon, and lots and lots of fun. You can get more information and register here. All the proceeds from the Frazier Classic support our exhibitions and educational programs.

Thank you for your support!

In today’s issue of Frazier Weekly, Simon Meiners highlights the 1950s historic miniatures of the late Queen Elizabeth II on display in the Frazier’s Stewart Gallery. Our new product and program manager, Haley Hicks, introduces the Bourbon Limited Members’ Club (which has just 5,000 spots!) and Kevin Bradley shares his recipes for pork chops with homemade apple Bourbon chutney and wassail.

Heather Gotlib previews 2022 Fall Break Camps, Rachel Platt interviews Dr. Frank Smith on Ida B. Wells Hall at Simmons College, and author Bill Hinkebein teases our September 28 program with some info about the advent of the American Baitcasting Reel in Paris, Kentucky.

Plus, Amana Egan announces a new contest: Become a Frazier member and you’ll be entered for a chance to win four-day general admission passes to 2022 Bourbon & Beyond! We’ll be at that festival this weekend; just look for our Model T and come say hello!

Thanks for reading.

Lonna Versluys

Director of Advancement

Frazier History Museum

THIS WEEK IN THE MUSEUM

Object in Focus: Queen Elizabeth II Dioramas and Miniatures, 1952–54

Since the Frazier History Museum opened back in 2004, certain anglophile communities—medievalists, Lady Di fans, and toy soldier collectors, to name three—have found something they love here.

Now, if your interest lies in the late Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II (1926–2022), who passed away Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, we’ve got several objects you may appreciate: historic miniature models of Her Royal Highness and a pop-up diorama of her 1953 coronation ceremony.

Some of these objects are on display; others are in storage and inaccessible. Either way, we’re sharing them with you, our readers!

First, let’s look at the miniatures, each of which was made by W. Britain. Founded in 1893, W. Britain—named for its founder, William Britain Jr., and also referred to as “Wm Britain” and “Britains”—is a British toy brand. From 1893 to the 1960s, W. Britain manufactured die-cast scale models and figurines—predominantly, toy soldiers.

In the Frazier’s Stewart Historic Miniatures Gallery, which opened in 2016 as a space to showcase some of the 30,000 historic miniatures in the museum’s collection, the south wall is comprised entirely of cases of W. Britain figures.

Set 2065: Princess Elizabeth, Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, September 9, 2022. Made by W. Britain, 1952. On display in the “English Makers” wall in the Stewart Historic Miniatures Gallery at the Frazier. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Made in 1952, Set 2065 depicts the queen astride Winston (1937–57), the chestnut gelding she rode in the Trooping the Colour ceremony from 1949 to 1956. Winston had previously carried Elizabeth’s father King George VI, on whose February 6, 1952, death Elizabeth ascended the throne.

The figure has a movable arm at the salute. Created for the tourist market, Set 2065 was discontinued in 1966 and is now extremely rare.

Set 2081: The Sovereign’s Escort, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 2012. Made by W. Britain, 1953. Note that this photograph was captured in 2012, when Set 2081 was displayed in a case of its own with artwork depicting Westminster Abbey. Visitors will now find the set on display in the “English Makers” wall in the Stewart Historic Miniatures Gallery at the Frazier. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

The unlisted Set 2081 depicts the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953. The second-largest set W. Britain ever made, it was probably only sold in 1953, when large stores would have had it on display.

Comprised of 212 figures, the set consists of the blue-paneled State Coach with the Queen and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021), seated within; attendants, a Sovereign’s Stand and Escorts, fifty-one Life Guards, fifty-one Horse Guards, thirty Irish Guards, and thirty Royal Marines.

W. Britain included in the box set a leaflet with detailed instructions for how to arrange a coronation display.

Set 2094: State Open Road Landau, September 9, 2022. Made by W. Britain, 1954. On display in the “English Makers” wall in the Stewart Historic Miniatures Gallery at the Frazier. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Set 2094 depicts Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in the 1902 State Open Road Landau with a team of six Windsor Greys. The landau, or horse-drawn enclosed carriage, was die-cast, with lead lamps and other accessories. The side of the coach was decorated with transfers of the Royal Arms.

The set was discontinued in 1967.

Exterior of stand-up model of the Royal State Coach, c. 1953. Part of the Frazier History Museum Collection. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Interior of stand-up model of the Royal State Coach, c. 1953. Note that the words “PRINCE CHARLES” and “PRINCESS ANNE,” visible at the bottom, are in fact printed on the following page, as part of a Royal Family Tree diagram. Part of the Frazier History Museum Collection. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Plate commemorating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, c. 1953. Part of the Frazier History Museum Collection. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Not on display, but in our collections nonetheless, are two nifty objects that commemorate the 1953 coronation: a ten-page illustrated book with a pop-up model of the ceremony and a ceramic plate.

Sources

Opie, James. The Great Book of Britains: 100 Years of Britains Toy Soldiers, 1893–1993. Antique Collectors Club Ltd., 1st ed. 1993.

Simon Meiners

Communications & Research Specialist

Clarksville to Honor Pulaski County Native Rosie the Riveter With Waterfront Statue

Wall panel with information about Rose Will Monroe on display in the “Iconic Kentucky” section of the Frazier’s Cool Kentucky exhibition. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

A photograph of riveter Rose Will Monroe packaging an engine for shipment at Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan, c. 1942. The image appears in a booklet published in 1942, a copy of which is on display in the “Iconic Kentucky” section of Cool Kentucky at the Frazier. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

On Friday, a statue of Somerset, Kentucky, native Rose Will Monroe—the original Rosie the Riveter!—will be installed at the riverfront in Clarksville, Indiana. Since Monroe is one of the figures to whom we pay tribute in the “Iconic Kentucky” section of our Cool Kentucky exhibition, right alongside Nancy Green, Duncan Hines, and Harland “Colonel” Sanders, we’ve asked Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission president Lynn Lewis to discuss the project.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

The Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission has changed their theme from “We Can Do It!” to “We Did It!” as they have completed the funding and the production of a Rosie the Riveter statue on the riverfront at Clarksville.

Rosie the Riveter statue in progress, 2022. Credit: Weber Group.

Rendering of Rosie the Riveter statue on the riverfront in Clarksville, Indiana, 2022. Credit: Weber Group.

A widow at twenty-two with two children, Rose Will made her way from Pulaski County, Kentucky, to the Willow Run Ford Plant in Michigan to become a riveter and feed her family. During World War II, she was chosen as a representative of all women in the workforce as she appeared as Rosie the Riveter in films supporting the purchase of war bonds. After the war, Rose moved to Clarksville, Indiana, where her grit and determination continued to manifest itself as she owned a construction company building high-end homes, drove a taxi, flew an airplane, and managed a beauty parlor. Rose is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in New Albany under a stone that reads “Rosie the Riveter.”

Check out the Rosie installation at the Frazier to celebrate how Rosie’s Kentucky roots molded her determination and fearlessness. And please join the Town of Clarksville, corporate and individual supporters from across the region, and Local 862 of the United Auto Workers this Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. on the Clarksville riverfront across from the Widow’s Walk Ice Creamery at 415 West Riverside Drive as we celebrate Rosie’s wartime representation of women in the workforce and her “can do” spirit.

Lynn Lewis

President, Town of Clarksville Historic Preservation Commission

Guest Contributor

Museum Store: Rosie the Riveter Merchandise

Rosie the Riveter mug sold in the Frazier’s Museum Store and online. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

We are proud of Kentucky native Rose Will Monroe, the icon she became when she was filmed working as a riveter in a Michigan factory, and all the women she represented. Check out our Rosie the Riveter merch online—and remember: WE CAN DO IT!

Product and Program Manager Haley Hicky on Bourbon Limited Members’ Club

I’m Haley Hicky, the new product and program manager at the Frazier. I’ll be running our brand new Bourbon Limited Members’ Club and all of the fun whiskey events we offer our members and the public. Essentially, I’ve got the best job on the planet!

I was born and raised in Kentucky and after attending college at UK, I moved to Las Vegas where I worked in the hospitality and event industry. Then life took me to Los Angeles where I started a career in the spirits industry, beginning with the role of Southern CA market manager and brand ambassador for the Buffalo Trace Distillery. This was the perfect job for me, a woman who loves Bourbon and her home state! After years of working for liquor companies, I started an experiential marketing firm and had the pleasure of working with some of the best whiskeys in the business. Unfortunately, like so many others, my business had to pivot during the pandemic—but that gave me the opportunity to move my family back to Kentucky. We’ve been back in this beautiful state for almost two years, a place I love and appreciate even more after being gone, so I was eager to close my West Coast business and start working with an organization that strives to make Louisville an even better city . . . like the Frazier Museum.

Bourbon Limited Members’ Club logo. Credit: Bourbon Limited Members’ Club.

Bourbon Limited Members’ Club box. Credit: Bourbon Limited Members’ Club.

Now I’ll get to the good part: the Bourbon Limited Members’ Club. As the starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, and as passionate ambassadors for the rich history of our Commonwealth, the Frazier Museum is excited to announce a new venture that combines both in the most delicious way. This is an opportunity to get fabulous and exclusive Bourbons from all different distillery partners into the hands (mouths) of our discerning members. It’s unlike any other Bourbon club in the world because we aren’t doing private labeling or single bottle selections—this is so much more. Distilleries are choosing something totally new that’s unavailable to everyone else in the world and only sharing it with the members of our club. Whether it’s a Bourbon that’s aged an extra few years, or finished for months in special casks, each expression is unique. The bottles are even given a distinct label before they’re placed in a beautiful Bourbon Limited box and shipped to your doorstep. Now, whether you decide to open and share that Bourbon or add it to your collection of rare whiskeys is up to you!

Membership is free and only offered to Kentucky residents at this time. Bottles are $200 plus tax and will be shipped out every other month. You can skip one shipment each consecutive twelve-month period, but trust me, you won’t want to miss one.

Along with the fabulous bottle of whiskey, members will have access to our private Facebook group to discuss releases, past and present, with other whiskey aficionados. You’ll also be invited to exclusive events, such as a lunch at the distillery with the master distiller or a Prohibition-themed party in the Frazier Museum’s Speakeasy. Occasionally, we’ll even send you little gifts from other Kentucky businesses to thank you for being part of our group.

You can sign up here.

If you have any questions or are interested in partnering with us in any way, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. We can’t wait to drink Bourbon with you!

Haley Hicky

Product & Program Manager

Kentucky Bourbon Distillery Spotlight: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery

Graphic for Kentucky Bourbon Distillery Spotlight: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

As the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Frazier History Museum shares stories of the people, places, and producers of the Kentucky Bourbon industry. To learn more, visit our Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center or tour our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

Exterior of Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery. Credit: Michter’s Fort Neslon Distillery.

Located at 801 West Main Street in the heart of downtown Louisville, Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery offers guided tours and tastings to learn about their “Cost Be Damned” approach to producing the highest quality American whiskeys and a world-class cocktail bar located on the second floor. Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum & Bat Factory and down the block from the Frazier History Museum, which has been designated the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center and serves as the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.

Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is home to the legendary pot still distillation system and cypress wood fermenters from Michter’s Pennsylvania distillery, which traces its history back to 1753. Here you will learn about all of the extra steps Michter’s takes throughout the whiskey production process. Following the tour, you will taste a special set of Michter’s expressions based on the tour of your choice.

Pot still distillation system and cypress wood fermenters from Michter’s Pennsylvania distillery. Credit: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.

Michter’s Discovery Tour provides an introduction to all of the extra steps Michter’s takes throughout the whiskey production process to pursue our goal of producing the greatest American whiskey, from barreling at a lower entry proof to toasting our barrels before charring and heat cycling our warehouses. Your tour will conclude with a guided tasting of five of Michter’s expressions.

Offered once per week, Michter’s Founders Tour includes the same introduction to Michter’s production process as the Discovery tour, but also gives you the opportunity to delve into the process of distilling on the legendary Michter’s Pennsylvania pot still system. You will have the chance to nose samples of the heads cuts, hearts cuts, and tails cuts from the stills and learn what characteristics our distillers look for in our distillate. After your tour, you will join us for a tasting of seven Michter’s whiskeys, including our legacy brands, Bomberger’s and Shenk’s, before receiving a gift to commemorate your visit to Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.

Michter’s Fort Nelson Tasting Room. Credit: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.

Offered once per month, Michter’s Legacy Tour is an exclusive in-depth educational distillery experience led by one of the senior members of Michter’s team. There will be an opportunity for you to delve into the process of distilling on the legendary Michter’s Pennsylvania pot still system. You will have the chance to nose samples of the heads cuts, hearts cuts, and tails cuts from the stills and learn what characteristics our distillers look for in our distillate. Each guest will participate in the filling of a barrel and will learn more about Michter’s approach to filtration. You will conclude your tour by tasting an exceptional selection of Michter’s whiskeys, including some of our rarest expressions. You will also receive a special gift to commemorate your visit. Please note Legacy Tours must be booked in advance.

After your tour, enjoy a cocktail or whiskey flight at The Bar at Fort Nelson. Located on the second floor, The Bar features classic cocktails curated by cocktail historian and author David Wondrich as well as modern creations by the bar team. The Bar features glassware from UK producer John Jenkins and an ice program with machines from top global equipment purveyors, including Clinebell, Hoshizaki, and Scotsman. The Bar serves as a resource for the local Kentuckian bar community and hosts educational seminars from leading industry professionals through its Fort Nelson Fellows program.

Crusta Cocktail at The Bar at Fort Nelson. Credit: Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery.

Online reservations for tours and The Bar are strongly recommended, but walk-ins will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Vicky Fugitte

Director of Hospitality and Guest Experience, Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery

Guest Contributor

Pork Chops With Apple Bourbon Chutney and Wassail

Hey y’all, happy National Bourbon Heritage Month. Summer has finally come to an end. You know what that means? All things fall! All those wonderful mild Kentucky evenings, stick to your ribs dinners, football, and before we know it, the holidays. So, for Bourbon Heritage Month, rather than talk about Bourbon history, I want to share some super easy recipe ideas that will be a hit at your dinner table or your next gathering. One of my favorite things about fall is all the hearty meals we make for dinner. My wife and I love to spend time together cooking and talking about our day.

One dish we enjoy making together is pork chops with a Bourbon and apple chutney. Pork chops and apples are an iconic duo, and when you add Bourbon . . . fuhgeddaboudit. You can cook your pork chops however you prefer. We marinate ours in a mixture of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and a little blackened seasoning and put them in our air fryer (if the weather is nice, I will throw them on the grill). However you cook your pork chops, this chutney recipe will definitely take them to the next level. The recipe below yields about 4 servings. You can refrigerate your leftovers for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months.

Homemade pork chops with apple Bourbon chutney, August 2022. Credit: Kevin Bradley.

Pork Chops With Apple Bourbon Chutney

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 40 minutes.

Variations: You can substitute chicken for pork and use peaches rather than apples.

Ingredients:

• 2–3 apples (I used Gala apples for this batch), cored and medium diced (toss with 1 tbsp. lemon juice to prevent browning)
• 1 medium shallot
• ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. dried Craisins
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2–3 oz. Bourbon (amount is based on personal preference)
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tbsp. preferred cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, add your oil over medium high heat.
2. Add shallot until it sweats.
3. Add apples until they begin to soften.
4. Add brown sugar and apple cider vinegar and stir to dissolve.
5. Once apples are tender, mash well with a potato masher. Mash to your preference (we prefer ours with a little chunk).
6. Add cinnamon.
7. Once mixture comes to a low boil, CAREFULLY add your Bourbon.
8. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce begins to thicken (the alcohol will cook out of the Bourbon during this step).
9. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste and stir.
10. Stir in Craisins.
11. Remove from heat and allow to thicken (about 5 minutes).
12. Spoon over top of your pork chops to the desired amount.
13. Enjoy!

Now that you have a great dinner addition, I am going to share a drink recipe that is a staple at our gatherings. My wife and I typically host one of the big holidays, and that means tons of friends and family at our house. We are responsible for the main dish (e.g., turkey or ham) and our guests bring the sides and desserts. One thing that we always make is wassail. If you aren’t sure what wassail is, it’s a hot mulled cider drink (and is quite good!). The great thing about this beverage is that it can be made with or without alcohol. Also, we make ours in a crockpot, so it is super easy to make in large batches and keep warm, which makes it perfect for large gatherings. Take a look at our recipe below.

Homemade wassail, August 2022. Credit: Kevin Bradley.

Wassail

Ingredients:

• 1 gal. apple cider
• 1 qt. orange juice
• 1 qt. pineapple juice
• 1 c. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. ground clove
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange, sliced
• Whole cloves
• 4 c. high rye Bourbon

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine apple cider, ground clove, ground cinnamon, and sugar.
2. Heat to a low simmer just to dissolve spices.
3. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, and lemon juice to a crockpot.
4. Add apple cider mixture to crockpot.
5. Set crockpot to low for 2–4 hours. After 2 hours, slice orange and stud with whole cloves and add to wassail. Stir in Bourbon.
6. Garnish with clove-studded orange and cinnamon stick.
7. Serve warm and enjoy responsibly. (Yields around 30 6- to 8-oz. servings.)

These recipes can be customized to fit your taste buds. You can use different combinations of fruits and Bourbons for the chutney. I personally use a high rye Bourbon for my wassail, but I have had wheated and low-rye varieties as well, which both play quite nicely with the ingredients. You can also make the wassail without adding Bourbon. We always make a couple of batches for gatherings, one with and one without Bourbon, so everyone can enjoy the drink. You can also adjust the quantities based on the number of guests. Just simply divide the total ounce by 6 or 8 (depending on your own serving size) and adjust the amounts as needed.

I hope these recipes find their way into your home for your next family dinner or holiday party. I will be sharing more recipe ideas in future issues of Frazier Weekly. Talk to y’all soon. Cheers!

Kevin Bradley

Bourbon Steward

Fall Break Camps to Explore Napoleon, Mythic Creatures, and More

Now that Labor Day is behind us, it’s obviously time to start thinking about the next break from school! Fall break will be here for JCPS students at the end of this month, and we’re excited to host Fall Break Camps for our Frazier family!

Graphic for 2022 Fall Break Camps. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

On September 29 and 30, we’re bringing you Pop Up Camps with a past. We’ll be looking back on the Frazier’s long history of fascinating exhibitions. Join us as we turn things up to eighty-eight miles per hour to reminisce and explore everything from Mythic Creatures to Samurai, Napoleon, and Princess Diana—and be on the lookout for some special guests, too!

Camps are available for those who have started kindergarten through students in the sixth grade. You can sign up for either day or both days. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and doors open at 8:45. Spaces are limited, so sign up here.

Heather Gotlib

Manager of Youth & Family Programs

MEMBERSHIP

Become a Member for Chance to Win 2022 Bourbon & Beyond Tickets

Win a FREE pair of Bourbon & Beyond 4-Day GA Passes!* (That’s over a $700 value!)

Official logo for 2022 Bourbon & Beyond. Credit: Bourbon & Beyond.

All you need to do is become a member, or if you are already a member, purchase a gift membership today at the Contributor level or above in order to be entered to win! Each level above that will be given additional entries.

We mean it when we say that Members Experience More!

Michigan visitors Ivory Hoang and Keaton McGregor take pictures posing in front of the newly reinstalled Model T outside the Frazier Museum’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center, June 20, 2022. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Even if you don’t win these tickets, if you head to Bourbon & Beyond this weekend, make sure you look for the Frazier’s Model T.

We will be staffing the event and telling concertgoers all about the museum, our memberships, and all we have to offer—including Bourbon tastings seven days a week!

*Giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 13. (2) Two winners will be selected and notified via email the morning of Wednesday, September 14. Passes must be picked up in person at the Frazier History Museum during normal business hours.

Amanda Egan

Membership & Database Administrator

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Dr. Frank Smith on Dedication of Ida B. Wells Hall at Simmons College

The old Central High School building located at 550 West Kentucky Street in Louisville, Kentucky, September 8, 2022. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Historical marker at the old Central High School, September 8, 2022. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

You’re invited to “The Dedication” at 550 West Kentucky Street this Thursday at 2 p.m. That address is a historic site: A marker sits in front of the building, which now carries the name The School House.

If you read the marker, though, you find out the building was the original Central High School, opened in 1873, the birthplace of Black public education in Kentucky. That building was purchased by Simmons College and will become the new campus headquarters.

Graphic for dedication of Ida B. Wells Hall. Credit: Simmons College.

It will be named Ida B. Wells Hall, after the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who reported on the violence against African Americans during the era of lynching.

The National Baptist Convention of America gave the Historically Black College a $350,000 donation used in that purchase, and will have a home inside as well.

I talked with Dr. Frank Smith of Simmons College to talk about this full circle moment, and what it means.

Rachel Platt

Director of Community Engagement

Origin of American Baitcasting Reel in Paris, Kentucky, c. 1810–20

As a city boy who rarely ventures outside the Watterson Expressway, I haven’t gone fishing since my dad took me to Pickett’s Dam in Finchville in the mid-1990s. So, whenever I’m giving a Cool Kentucky exhibition tour and a guest asks me about the various fishing reel models we’ve got on display, I change the subject! There’s not much I know about fishing. But fortunately, Bill Hinkebein and Art Lander—authors of A Brief History of Baitcasting, Bass Fishing, and the Kentucky Reel—will be here Wednesday, September 28, to discuss their book over a guided Bourbon tasting that includes Stagg Jr., E. H. Taylor, Blanton’s, and Sig Luscher beer. In today’s Frazier Weekly, Bill shares a bit about how he came to know so much about fishing reels.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

The “Large Snyder Reel” created by George Snyder and made c. 1810–20. Credit: Bill Hinkebein.

In 1991, I found an old fishing tackle box in a barn in Oldham County. Opening the box, I discovered a time capsule from the 1940s. It was full of hand-painted wooden lures, multiple fishing devices, and several 1940s fishing reels.

I began going to antique shops and estate sales looking for more vintage tackle. What I found was an entire network of old fishing collectibles and collectors.

I soon discovered there were old, hand-crafted, high-quality fishing reels made of silver and brass from the early days of Kentucky. These reels were created by various frontier settlers of German or Swiss heritage—silversmiths, jewelry makers, and watchmakers in Kentucky towns such as Frankfort, Paris, Danville, and Louisville.

Kentucky is where the American baitcasting reel was born. The Kentucky Reel revolutionized the sport of angling forever. Kentuckians made design improvements and elevated the level of precision craftsmanship to a fine art, so much so that by the 1880s it became one of the ways in which the state was identified worldwide.

The original Kentucky Reel maker was George Snyder of Paris, Kentucky. He was later joined by J. F. and B. F. Meek, B. C. Milam, and others.

Graphic for the Frazier’s September 28 Bourbon, Beer, & Baitcasting Pioneers program. Credit: Frazier History Museum.

Please join me and my co-author Art Lander on September 28 at the Frazier Museum to discuss our new book, A Brief History of Baitcasting, Bass Fishing, and the Kentucky Reel. We will discover this 200-plus-year history, the growth of the sport of bass angling, the rise of wildlife conservation, and those craftsmen who helped make it all happen.

We will taste some special Bourbons made by distillers who also fished Kentucky waterways with specially made Kentucky Reels: Bourbons from distiller anglers such as E. H. Taylor, Albert Blanton, and George T. Stagg.

Bill Hinkebein

Co-author, A Brief History of Baitcasting, Bass Fishing, and the Kentucky Reel

Guest Contributor

• Tuesday, September 13, 4:45–7:45 p.m.: “Teacher Professional Development | The Journey: Exploring Local Connections to the Underground Railroad Through Inquiry” MORE INFO
• Tuesday, September 13, 6–7:30 p.m.: “Let’s Talk | Bridging the Divide: The Journey” SOLD OUT
• Wednesday, September 28, 7–9 p.m.: “Bourbon, Beer, & Baitcasting Pioneers” MORE INFO
• Friday, September 30: “2022 Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament” MORE INFO
• Wednesday, October 26, 7–8:30 p.m.: “Hopping Into Shakespeare With Rabbit Hole” MORE INFO
• Tuesday, November 15, 6–7:30 p.m.: “Let’s Talk | Bridging the Divide: Kentucky’s Native History” MORE INFO