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Summer Hours
Extended Summer Hours for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial starting Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 25, 2013, through Labor Day, September 2, 2013, the Gateway Arch hours are 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. More »
Artifact of the Month
About This BlogThe Artifact of the Month column will feature artifacts from the park's collection, some on display, some that are in storage. Artifact of the Month is intended to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes into the history of these fascinating items. Jukebox
April 30, 2013
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The impact of the jukebox on American culture was profound. People now had the freedom to listen to what they wanted to, almost anywhere they wanted. On exhibit in the St. Louis gallery of the Old Courthouse is JEFF 8277, a Seeburg Rex 1937 model art deco style jukebox that holds 20 records. The development of the jukebox is an interesting story. Pen and Ink Drawing of a KeelboatPaul Rockwood was an American graphic artist, printmaker and lithographer who made many drawings of keelboats, flatboats and other views of early transportation on the western rivers. Keelboats were common rivercraft at the beginning of the 19th century. The history of early transportation on the Mississippi River would be incomplete without a discussion of the important role of the keelboat. Artifact JEFF 1407 is a well-executed pen and ink drawing by Paul Rockwood which depicts the arduous t Who Am I? Children's Book by Lily Swann Saarinen. Artifact of the Month for January 2013A charming children's book by Lily Swann Saarinen, wife of Eero Saarinen and member of the team that won the architectural competition in 1948. Karl Bodmer Aquatint “The Steamer Yellowstone/On The/ 9th April 1833” Artifact of the Month for December 2012Swiss artist Karl Bodmer was one of the greatest painters of the American West. His aquatint engraving "Steamer Yellow-Stone/On The/19th April 1833" is the artifact of the month. His works are remarkable for their careful detail and sensitivity and are recognized as some of the most perceptive and visually compelling visions of America and its peoples. The Gateway Arch Ephemera Collection, Artifact of the Month for November 2012The Gateway Arch Ephemera Collection is meant to document the development of the image of the Arch to become the primary icon of St. Louis. Since 1948, the image of the Gateway Arch has been used in a wide variety of ways and represented on all types of materials. The collection comprises items on which the Gateway Arch design has been used artistically and commercially to promote ideas, products and events associated with St. Louis. "St. Louis" Model Automobile made by George Dorris, Sr. Artifact of the Month for October 2012One of the most popular artifacts on exhibit at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is the 1904 “St. Louis” model of the Dorris automobile manufactured by the Saint Louis Motor Carriage Company. Old Courthouse Square Survey, Artifact of the Month for September 2012This month’s artifact of the month is a survey of the land for the Old Courthouse dated 1826. Campaign Buttons, Artifact of the Month for August 2012Since America is now in the throes of the 2012 Presidential campaign and election, it seems like an appropriate time to discuss examples of campaign buttons from the Jefferson National Expansion collection. Fur Trade Illustration Project Papers, Artifact of the Month for July 2012This month’s artifact of the month is one of the park’s wonderful archival collections - The Fur Trade Illustration Project. This fascinating collection consists of two hundred and fifty pen and ink drawings by National Park Service artists William Macy and James Mulcahy. Jefferson Peace Medal, Artifact of the Month for June 2012This large, silver Thomas Jefferson peace medal was donated to Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1964. It is a fascinating piece of the past. These precious medals were given as tokens by explorers to important leaders and chiefs of Native American tribes as a symbol of peace and friendship between the two groups. Read about its interesting history. Terra Cotta Owl Architectural Ornaments, Artifact of the Month for May 2012A pair of 128 lb terra cotta owl ornaments recovered from 121 South Second Street on the Arch grounds by park employee, John Bryan and saved for their architectural interest. Indian Wars Widows Project Records, Artifact of the Month for March 2012The collection comprises the records of park historian Don Rickey. In the 1960s, Rickey was planning exhibits for the Museum of Westward Expansion and was searching for information, letters, photos and artifacts from men who were soldiers in the United States Army in the West. Rickey undertook a project in 1962 to contact all the surviving un-remarried widows of Indian Wars Veterans who were still receiving pensions from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Meyer Brothers Drug Company Artifacts, Artifact of the Month for February 2012Meyer Brothers Drug Company Artifacts Titian Ramsay Peale's Insect Specimen Collection Kit, Artifact of the Month for January 2012January's artifact of the month is Titian Ramsay Peale's insect specimen collection kit. This kit was a vital tool of one of America's early naturalist explorers used in his efforts to document the native species of the American continent. The Emigrant's Guide, Artifact of the Month for December 2011Emigrant's Guide to the West guidebook Prussian Vases, around 1860, Artifact of the Month for November 2011The artifact of the month for November is a pair of extremely large and elaborate vases that were presented to St. Louis lawyer Charles Gibson as a gift from the Prince Regent of Prussia Wilhelm I (later to be King of Prussia and the first Emperor of Germany). The gift was in recognition of Gibson's work representing the previous King of Prussia, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, in a legal case that took place in St. Louis' Old Courthouse. Old Courthouse Deed, Artifact of the Month for October 2011The deed to the land the Old Courthouse stands on. Oath of Loyalty Book, 1868-1871, Artifact of the Month for September 2011The artifact of the month for September is a fascinating reminder of the hostility and resentment that remained in the state after the end of the Civil War. This Oath of Loyalty book consists of pages containing the text of the "test oath" and the signatures of men holding (or seeking) public office in the city. |
Did You Know?
On September 10, 1804 on Cedar Island, in South Dakota, William Clark discovered the fossilized remains of the ribs, backbone and teeth of a plesiosaur. Plesiosaurs were animals who lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but swam rather than walking on land. Clark thought it was a giant fish bone! More...