January 28, 2015

This Week - George Washington: Life of a Father
January 29, 2015 at 7 p.m.
Oklahoma History Center | Oklahoma City, OK

The Oklahoma History Center is pleased to announce that it will host the interpretive staff from George Washington's Mount Vernon Estates and Gardens on Thursday, January 29, at 7 p.m. These interpreters will give firsthand accounts of life at Mount Vernon, including stories of General Washington beginning with the French and Indian War and ending with his final hours, introducing the listener to a George Washington few individuals know. Portrayals will be of Dr. James Craik, Washington's close friend and personal physician, and Nelly Custis, Washington's youngest granddaughter.

 

The History Center doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program will start at 7 p.m. The event is free but seating is limited. For more information please contact the Oklahoma History Center Education Department at [email protected] or 405-522-3602.

 

This program is funded in part by SONIC, America's Drive-In.

See Art Conservation in Progress

Monday, February 2 - Friday, February 6, 2015
Oklahoma History Center | Oklahoma City, OK

The Oklahoma History Center will highlight the importance of artifact conservation by inviting the public to view the step by step process of conserving a painting Monday, February 2, through Friday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. History Center Director Dan Provo said, "This form of exhibit will give us the opportunity to provide collections care to a valuable and beautiful piece of Oklahoma art and, at the same time, demonstrate a process that is seldom seen by the public."

 

The painting to be conserved is Elizabeth Jane's "Trail of Tears" that was completed in 1938 as part of the requirements for her Master of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma. It was donated to the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1940 and was displayed almost continuously in the Oklahoma Historical Society's previous home, the Wiley Post Building, for more than 60 years.

 

Carmen Bria, director and chief conservator of the Western Center for the Conservation of Fine Arts (WCCFA), a Denver based firm, will be in charge of the project. As he works, supported by museum staff, Bria will explain how his preventative conservation approach is applied, including techniques for proper care, handling and storage of the artwork. Conservation treatment will include cleaning the painted surface, repairing small punctures, and creating a new stretcher to support the painting for many years to come.

Special Exhibit: The Highway Patrol: Regulating Route 66 & Oklahoma's Highways
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum | Clinton, OK

Beginning on February 5, 2015, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum will be opening "The Highway Patrol: Regulating Route 66 & Oklahoma's Highways," a new exhibit celebrating the early history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The exhibit will be on display through January 2016.

 

For more than 75 years, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has proudly served the state of Oklahoma. Following Route 66's creation in 1926, the new highway brought with it an increase of traffic and consequently traffic accidents. A push for the necessity of a statewide police force grew during the Great Depression, even being championed by the "Father of Route 66" Cyrus Avery. Born in the summer of 1937, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol soon became focused on correcting the poor driving habits of motorists and eliminating the lawlessness plaguing Oklahoma's roads. Through hard work and diligent patrolling, troopers made a quick and significant impact on the safety of the state's highways. The exhibit at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum details the importance of these formative years for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

This special exhibit can be viewed at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the month of April. Beginning in May, the museum will be open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. For additional information, please contact Pat Smith at 580-323-7866 or e-mail [email protected].

Oklahoma History Center

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Development Department

Oklahoma Historical Society

800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive

Oklahoma City, OK  73105

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From the Encyclopedia...

Did you know that the invention
of the seismograph has a strong Oklahoma connection?

Nicole Harvey, Editor

[email protected]
(405) 522-5202