Friday Smiles 243

Some of my regular readers saw a sneak peek at the History Museum I visited at the end of September.  I have SO many photos, I thought I would share a few of them each Friday for awhile, along with some funny stories, quotes, verse, or jokes I found when I was cleaning my office.

I'll share the funny stuff first, so you don't have to see the photos of the museum if you choose to just be here for Annie's Friday Smiles.

An older woman who was sitting by the pool saw an attractive man nearby.  She went over and asked, "Why are you so pale?  Did you just arrive?"
"I've been in jail over 30 years," the man replied.
"For what?" she asked.
"Killing my wife," he replied.
"Good.  That means you're single?"

The difference between education and experience is quite simple.   Education is what you get from reading the fine print.   Experience is what you get from not reading it.

Hurried and worried until we're buried, and there's no curtain call, life's a very funny proposition after all.
  ~George M. Cohan

The whole thing about women is, they lust to be understood.
 ~Will Rogers

I will never be an old man.  To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.
 ~Bernard Baruch

The way my wife finds fault with me, you'd think there was a reward.


Now let's head back to the history museum.


This is where we left off last time.  We are now on the second floor.

Today we will stay in the hallway. 

In fact, we will only see the area to the right (in the photo) of the piano.

Wichita, KS has a world famous artist named Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980).  The painting on the right at the top was painted by him, and I'm sure you've seen this icon that has become a symbol in my town.  It is called Keeper of the Plains.  I encourage you to click on the link that takes you to his web site and shows all the places he's had one man shows, including the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.  After graduating high school, he moved to Wichita, where he set up his studio.  He served as a Marine in WWII and rose to fame when his award-winning painting Prairie Fire was published in National Geographic magazine.  

Although he is no longer alive, his art lives on, as does his famous sculpture.

There are many of these replicas and this is just one of them.

You might remember my next door neighbor cut one out of steel that is quite realistic.

I was amazed.  I have milk glass, but gave most of it away.

Apparently, it is far more valuable than I ever anticipated.

Just as Wichita became the nexus of an anti-abortion campaign during the summer of 1991, when a group from across the country forcefully tried to shut down a major highway and intimidated frightened young women, so too, did Wichita became the nexus of peaceful and non-violent sit-ins at the downtown Dockum (Rexall) Drug Store during the summer of 1958.

Although the later sit-ins at Woolworth stores in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960 overshadowed the Dockum sit-in, it was Wichita youth who led and paved the way for others.

By August 11, 1958, the manager of the Dockum Drugstore said "Serve them.  I'm losing too much money."  Once Dockum was desegregated, other lunch counters and retailers in Wichita began to ease their restrictive practice of segregation.

For many years this remarkable story went unknown beyond the group of participants. A Wichita historian researched the student's efforts and helped bring the story to light.  As part of the 50th anniversary observance, on August 9, 2008, the city of Wichita honored those young people who had fought for equality.

I know next to nothing about pottery, but those of you who do, might recognize the names Rookwood, Fulper, and Weller.

In case you can't read the sign, the girl's blue silk jacket with carved buttons (in middle) is circa 1920.  The boy's brown velvet suit with gold braid trim and brass buttons (on right) is from 1877.  The girl's blue cotton dress with gingham appliqué (on left) is circa 1943.

Toys, toys, toys.

I could have stood here all day admiring this collection.

Need I say more?

Check out all the guns on display.  These were acceptable toys in years past.

Next it was time to leave this hallway and enter one of the rooms.  I'll share those photos next week.  For now, let's head to Annie's Friday Smiles at A Stitch in Time.  And thanks for sharing your Friday and Bleubeard's birthday with me, too.

And if you would like to play with us on the 2nd of the month, all you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.