Digitized Audio and Film Added to ExploreUK

 The following audiovisual collections have been digitized and are now accessible online via ExploreUK.

Edward T. Ned Breathitt films (films 1.1, 2.1, 3, and 5)

The Edward T. Ned Breathitt films (dated 1963; 3 cubic feet; 22 items) comprise 16mm chemical moving image films that document rallies, speeches and campaign commercials created by and for Edward Breathitt's 1963 campaign for Governor of Kentucky.

Dunbar High School basketball films

The Dunbar High School basketball films (dated 1958-1964; 1 cubic feet; 19 items) comprise game footage of the Dunbar High School boy's basketball team against various opponents primarily on their home court.

The Louisville Free Public Library, WFPL, and WFPK Radio audio recordings

The Louisville Free Public Library, WFPL, and WFPK Radio audio recordings (dated 1954-1997; 21 cubic feet; 21 boxes) consists of audio recordings on 1/4 in. reel-to-reel audiotape and grooved audiodiscs from WFPL and WFPK Radio in Louisville, Ky.

Katherine Peden campaign film

The Katherine Peden campaign film (dated 1968 November; 1 cubic feet; 1 item) consists of a campaign film for Katherine Peden's run for Kentucky United States Senate in 1968.

What do Tenochtitlan, Jean Thomas, Lexington Pride Fest, and Whiskey Manufacturing Have in Common?

Resources related to Tenochtitlan, Jean Thomas, Lexington Pride Fest, and Whiskey Manufacturing, and more have been digitized and added to ExploreUK!


Description of the O.F.C., Carlisle, and J.S. Taylor distilleries, and process of whiskey manufacture applied therein 1886

The Tape Recordings series and the Films series from the A.B. "Happy" Chandler papers

Temistitan (map of Tenochtitlan), circa 1572

Jean Thomas The Life and the Legend scrapbook ,1943-1984, consists of a scrapbook concerning the life of Kentucky folklorist Jean Thomas, which was compiled by University of Kentucky student, Jerry Groce.

Several Pride Fest programs were added to Pride Community Services Organization publications

A WWI scrapbook was added to the John Jacob Niles papers

United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the Mysterious Ten

Journal of the Annual Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic Department of Kentucky, 1896-1907

New digitized Wade Hall collections

A number of new collections from the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters project have been digitized and made available online! New collections include topics such as prison, athletic training, romance, war, family, travel, and healthcare! These collections, along with many others, were digitized as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled "P.S. Write Again Soon": Revealing 200 years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters. All digitized and published Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!

David Bolotin to Jayne Bolotin, 1942

David Bolotin letters, 2009ms132.0063 - The David Bolotin letters (dated 1917-1946, undated, bulk 1944-1945; 1.80 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters, sketches, and newspaper clippings that document the relationship between David Bolotin and Jayne Weil before and after their marriage as well as David's service overseas in Calcutta, India in the years leading up to World War II and during the war.

Helen Hungerford papers, 2009ms132.0102 - The Helen Hungerford papers (dated 1905-1992, bulk 1912-1920; 1.05 cubic feet; 3 boxes ) comprise letters and other papers from former male and female classmates, boyfriends, and relatives that document daily life in Washington and Rochelle, Illinois during the period just prior to, during, and after World War I.

Thomas L. Smith letters, 2009ms132.0113 - The Thomas L. Smith letters (dated 1891-1910; 1.05 cubic feet; 3 boxes) comprise letters that document Thomas Smith and wife during his military service stateside and abroad at the turn of the twentieth century.

Cole family letters, 2009ms132.0124 - The Cole family letters (dated 1881-1908, bulk 1903-1906; 1.4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprises letters that document the relationships of multiple generations of the Cole family in Pennsylvania.

William W. Masterson to Lizzie, 1881

William W. Masterson letters, 2009ms132.0153 - The William W. Masterson letters(dated 1877-1885, undated; 0.13 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters that document the efforts of young William Masterson to become sober and turn his life around in the late nineteenth century.

John and Vera Helfrich papers, 2009ms132.0187 - The John and Vera Helfrich papers (dated 1946-1949; 0.11 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters to John and Vera Helfrich that document everyday life in Ohio immediately post-World War II.

Clipping on arrest of Jesse James Price 

Jesse James Price papers, 2009ms132.0197 - The Jesse James Price papers (dated 1950-1963; 0.14 cubic feet; 8 folders) comprise letters, applications, and certificates that document the military service and prison sentence of Jesse Price in Kentucky in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Staunton, Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals clerk papers, 2009ms132.0206 - The Staunton, Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals clerk papers (dated 1870-1890; 0.35 cubic feet; 12 folders) comprises correspondence, recipts, and legal papers that document the activities of the Staunton, Virginia session of hearings for the Supreme Court of Appeals in the late nineteenth century.

Gordon family letters, 2009ms132.0207 - The Gordon family letters (dated 1889-1904; 0.7 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters that document the movement and growth of the Gordon family in Pennsylvania and Kentucky at the turn of the twentieth century. 

Epworth League secretary's book, 2009ms132.0216 - The Epworth League secretary's book (dated 1910-1911; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one secretary's book that documents the religious activities and work of a local chapter of the Epworth League in the 1910s.

Page from photograph album of Pauline Bourne-Duryea as a young girl

Pauline Bourne-Duryea papers, 2009ms132.0250 - The Pauline Bourne-Duryea papers (dated 1899-1966, undated; 0.82 cubic feet; 2 document boxes, 1 flat box) comprise letters and photographs that document the social activities, trips taken, costs incurred, and daily life of Pauline Bourne-Duryea in the first half of the twentieth century.

Broadcast message from Voyles to mother after captured by German military

Vilmer Voyles World War II prisoner of war diary, 2009ms132.0267 - The Vilmer Voyles World War II prisoner of war diary (dated 1942-1988, bulk 1942-1945; 0.23 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprises loose papers that make up a diary documenting the experiences of Voyles as a prisoner of war by the German military during World War II in Northern Africa, Italy, and Germany.

Norman Kohlhepp World War I diary and photograph albums, 2009ms132.0270 - The Norman Kohlhepp WWI diary and photograph albums comprise a diary and three photograph albums that document Norman Kohlhepp's service in World War I in Europe.

Kentucky Democratic Party letters, 2009ms132.0277 - The Kentucky Democratic Party letters (dated 1939-1946, undated; 0.25 cubic feet; 10 folders) comprise letters that document the efforts of the Democratic Party to have their representatives elected in Kentucky in the early 1940s.

Leon M. Fisher letters, 2009ms132.0282 - The Leon M. Fisher letters (dated 1888-1968, undated, bulk 1902-1917; 0.68 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters and papers that document the experiences of Leon Fisher and his family and friends in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts in the early twentieth century.

Lady E. Clarkson letters, 2009ms132.0309 - The Lady E. Clarkson letters (dated 1867-1890, undated; 0.45 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises letters that document the life of Lady Clarkson while attending Stuart's Female College in Shelbyville, Kentucky and later life in Louisville in the last two decades of the nineteenth century.

Hiawatha Gray working on Al Johnson, from Gray's scrapbook

Hiawatha Gray scrapbook, 2009ms132.0328 - The Hiawatha Gray scrapbook (dated 1930-1970; 0.34 cubic feet; 1 box and 1 folder) comprises a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, phtographs, and ephemera that documents Hiawatha Gray's career as a boxing coach throughout the 20th century in Indianapolis.

Jefferson County Jail, Kentucky prisoner record book, 2009ms132.0340 - The Jefferson County Jail, Kentucky prisoner record book (dated 1922-1925; 0.3 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises one record book that documents the inmates of Jefferson County Jail in Kentucky in the mid-1920s.

St. Luke's Hospital patient case history, 1866

St. Luke's Hospital case history records, 2009ms132.0384 - The St. Luke's Hospital case history records (dated 1866-1868; 0.07 cubic feet; 1 item) comprises one record book that documents the patients seen over a six month span in 1866 and reports sent to board members on the activities of St. Luke's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lionel Grimes letters, 2009ms132.0402 - The Lionel Grimes letters (dated 1918-1919, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters, a newspaper clipping, and two photographs that document the military training and overseas experience of Lionel Grimes during World War I.

Page from the Blackwell's travel diary

Burt and Mildred Blackwell travel diary, 2009ms132.0465 - The Burt and Mildred Blackwell travel diary (dated 1934-1967; 0.15 cubic feet; 1 box) comprises one diary that documents the trips and vacations taken by the Blackwell couple across North and South America, and Europe in the early-to-mid twentieth century.

Victor W. Winton letters, 2009ms132.0520 - The Victor W. Winton letters (dated 1911-1912; 0.03 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises three letters to Victor and his wife from their son, Victor, while he is studying music in Leipzig, Germany in the early twentieth century.

Hollingsworth family letters, 2009ms132.0537 - The Hollingsworth family letters (dated 1887-1893, undated; 0.035 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises letters from the Hollingsworth family to their eldest daughter, Laura Vinzant, that document pioneer settler life in Colorado and Kansas during the late nineteenth century.

Mulberry harbor photographs, 2009ms132.0617 - The Mulberry harbor photographs (dated 1944; 0.02 cubic feet; 16 photographs) comprise images that depict the construction and use of Mulberry harbors in World War II.

Paper from Philip Schneider's service in the Middle East during World War II

Philip Schneider papers, 2009ms132.0619 - The Philip Schneider papers (dated 1942-1945, undated; 0.08 cubic feet; 6 folders, 23 photographs) comprises booklets, pamphlets, letters, ration cards, and photographs that document the military service of Schneider in Iran during World War II.

New Digitized Wade Hall Collections on ExploreUK!

Want to learn more about how the J.B. Speed Art Museum came to be? How about the opinions of those working with and near former President Lyndon Johnson? Other collections document the YMCA, family life, military service, political machines, romance, and entertainment across the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These collections, along with many others, were digitized as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled "P.S. Write Again Soon": Revealing 200 years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters. All digitized and published Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!



Robert N. Cook letters, 2009ms132.0422: The Robert N. Cook letters (dated 1937-1950; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters sent to Robert Cook from his parents and siblings that document the life of a poor family in Kentucky from the Great Depression to post-World War II.

Colgan family letters, 2009ms132.0170: The Colgan family letters (dated 1960-1973; 0.35 cubic feet; 1 box) comprise letters between the Colgan family members that document the growth of the family, daily lives, education, and business in Kentucky during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Colgan family members on a skiing holiday

Ralph Bowden letters, 2009ms132.0163: The Ralph Bowden letters (dated 1910-1912; 0.38 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters from Ralph Bowden to his mother, Jennie S. Bowden, sister, Beulah M. Bowden, and brother, Bright R. Bowden that documents his experience working for the YMCA in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early twentieth century.

Robert C. Riggs letters, 2009ms132.0418: The Robert C. Riggs letters (dated 1926-1929, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters to Robert from friends that document the education efforts and social lives of young doctors in Kentucky in the early twentieth century.

Letter concerning Robert C. Riggs having an internship at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital

Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum, 2009ms132.0423: The Alexander P. Humphrey papers on J.B. Speed Art Museum collection (dated 1925, undated; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises correspondence, notes, legal papers, and a booklet that document the gifting and planning of the J.B. Speed Art Museum to the University of Louisville in 1925.

George T. Settle letters, 2009ms132.0412: The George T. Settle letters (dated 1913-1916; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters sent to and from George Settle that document his work as a librarian at the Louisville Free Public Library in the early twentieth century.

Bernard Flexer to George T. Settle, stating how pleased he is with Settle's work in the library

Frank William Major papers, 2009ms132.0378: The Frank William Major papers (dated 1835-1881, undated; 0.05 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters and statements that document the efforts of Frank W. Major to be recognized and promoted for his duties as a commissary in the British Army in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Jeremiah P. O'Mahoney papers, 2009ms132.0377: The Jeremiah P. O'Mahoney papers (dated 1898-1926, 1980, undated; 0.04 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters and newspaper clippings that document the interest of O'Mahoney in the life and work of Catholic priest Patrick A. Sheehan in the early twentieth century.

Robert A. Cochran, Jr. letters, 2009ms132.0157: The Robert A. Cochran, Jr. letters (dated 1877-1906, undated; 0.46 cubic feet; 13 folders) comprise letters that document the lives of the Cochran family in Maysville, Kentucky while their son Robert was attending college in Massachusetts in the 1870s.

T.B. Lyon letters, 2009ms132.0375: The T.B. Lyon letters (dated 1906-1909; 0.04 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters that document the efforts of Lyon to sell tracts of land he owned in Kentucky in the early twentieth century.

Corinne Berg letters, 2009ms132.0176: The Corinne Berg letters (dated 1954-1955; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise eight letters that document the difficulties faced by Corinne Berg and her family with a sister who is mentally ill in Illinois in the mid-1950s.

Corinne Berg to Dr. Wolff concerning her sister's current and future capabilities

George B. Eckert letters, 2009ms132.0182: The George B. Eckert letters (dated 1912-1939; 0.23 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprise letters that document the members of the Eckert family personal and professional lives during and after World War I.

Mary Frances Cottom letters, 2009ms132.0171: The Mary Frances Cottom letters (dated 1907-1959, undated; 0.35 cubic feet; 8 folders) comprise letters that document the relationship between Frank Cottom and his wife and children in Montana and Ohio in the early twentieth century.

Stanley C. Roettinger papers, 2009ms132.0178: The Stanley C. Roettinger papers (dated 1920-1930; 0.07 cubic feet; 4 folders) comprise a biography and letters that document the professional and personal life of Stanley Roettinger in Ohio from 1920 to 1930.

Stanley C. Roettinger election campaign card

William P. Alcott travel diary, 2009ms132.0242: The William P. Alcott travel diary (dated 1859-1877, bulk 1877; 0.04 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one diary that documents the pilgrimage travels of Reverend William Alcott to the Middle East via England and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century.

Clarence Hodge letters, 2009ms132.0288: The Clarence Hodge letters (dated 1899-1901; 0.09 cubic feet; 3 folders) comprise letters from Clarence to his mother, Anna, and sister, Clara, while he was serving in the US Army in the Spanish-American War from 1899-1901.

Envelope of letter from Clarence to his mother while in Cuba

Jakie L. Pruett letters, 2009ms132.0324: The Jakie L. Pruett letters (dated 1974-1985, undated; 0.16 cubic feet; 6 folders) comprise letters that document the research conducted by Pruett on former President Lyndon Baines Johnson in the 1970s.

John Burns to Jakie L. Pruett on LBJ

Aldis and Jane Brainerd letters, 2009ms132.0348: The Aldis and Jane Brainerd letters (dated 1852-1862, undated; 0.03 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters, a marriage license, and military service note that documents the life of Aldis and Jane Brainerd in Vermont during the Civil War.

William Henry Harrison Carpenter letters, 2009ms132.0349: The William Henry Harrison Carpenter letters (dated 1862, undated; 0.014 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters to Carpenter's aunt, uncle, and sister that document his time serving in the Union Army during the Civil War in Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

Ellen Kays letters, 2009ms132.0352: The Ellen Kays letters (dated 1860-1862; 0.014 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters sent to Ellen Kays from Hugh McLaughlin and Nancy Fitzgerald that document the political and social life of Brooklyn, New York in the early 1860s.

G.W. Goulding letter, 2009ms132.0353: The G. W. Goulding letter (dated 1863; 0.014 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises one letter from Goulding to his mother that documents New York City in the month following the Draft Riots on July 1863.

Edward R. Moore papers, 2009ms132.0357: The Edward R. Moore papers (dated 1861-1905, undated; 0.17 cubic feet; 12 folders) comprise certificates, correspondence, legal papers, receipts, and military orders that document the life of Edward Moore and his family in Kansas during and after the Civil War. 

Commission for Edward Moore as Justice of the Peace 

W.L. Perkins letters, 2009ms132.0359: The W.L. Perkins letters (dated 1862-1865; 0.03 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprise letters from Perkins to his parents that document his daily life as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and as part of General Sherman's March to the Sea.

Jenkins family letters, 2009ms132.0089: The Jenkins family letters (dated 1909-1945, bulk 1909-1911; 0.8 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters between June and Alleen Jenkins that document the intricacies of their courtship and relationship during the early twentieth century.

Mack D. Ferguson papers, 2009ms132.0007: The Mack D. Ferguson papers (dated 1905-1939, undated; 0.39 cubic feet; 1 flat box and 2 folders) comprises one scrapbook and twenty-three letters primarily documenting the career of Mack D. Ferguson, vaudeville singer, actor, comedian, and manager.

Newspaper advertisement from Ferguson scrapbook for Burlesque show

Divided Loyalties & Sharing Stars

Hathaway Family Collection pa59m113-0014
Available on KDL: http://name.kdl.kyvl.org/KUKAV-PA59M113-0014

During the Civil War, Kentucky was a valued border state, which meant though both Union & Confederates wanted it (partially due to its resources & strategic geographic location), it declared loyalties to neither - in theory, of course. In practice, the official state government flew a Union flag over Frankfort's Capitol Building. However, the Confederacy also accepted the ordinance of secession from a convention representing 64 counties, and, on December 12, 1861, Kentucky became the 13th - and, purportedly, the center star on the Confederate flag. A version of the Confederate flag is pictured above.

Kentucky's Confederate government was never more than a provisional government; formed quickly and readily mobile, until a permanent, stable one could be established. As with much of history, it is arguable when this process truly began, but secessionists and southern delegates first met to discuss joining the Confederacy in October 1861. The following month, a sovereignty convention, chaired by John C. Breckinridge, met in Russellville for 3 days. This time, the shadow government formed adopting the 1850 Kentucky Constitution, a capital (Bowling Green, though they conceded to meet anywhere, for realistic purposes), a Governor (George W. Johnson), and a 10-member council, with judges and other officials, as necessary. Their first act was to secede from the Union. Though it was through irregular procedure, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, a native Kentuckian, had reccommended their admittance when he first heard of their meeting - and accepted!

Success of Kentucky's Confederate government was not to be, however. Union forces had a general stronghold on the state, meaning the mobile government stayed behind the Confederate lines, which changed greatly throughout the constant Kentucky battling over the following year. The Confederacy required militia quotas from each state, which they were never able to fulfill. Even Confederate KY's first Governor volunteered, only to die at the Battle of Shiloh. His replacement was Richard Hawes. Despite seizing area banks, Confederate KY was never able to pay the required taxes either. Nevertheless, they attempted to establish their permanent government with an inauguration at an occupied Frankfort in October 1862. This again, failed, leading to the Battle of Perryville. For the remainder of the war, Confederates (with the exception of raiders) never officially saw their home state. The shadow government only existed on paper and with the Senators and Representatives in the Confederate Congress. When the Confederacy disappeared, so did Confederate Kentucky.

The image above commemorates the Confederacy, its flag, and the efforts of those who seceded from the United States of America. But is it in a proud manner or is it satire? What do you think?

3 final steps

With less than twenty-four hours left before election day, we offer an easy 3-step process for voting:

1. VOTE

Wilson Wyatt explains the voting process, James Edwin "Ed" Weddle photographic collection. 1997AV27_4368

Voting booth in Rowan County constructed by the WPA, Goodman-Paxton photographic collection. AV64MI_4320

2. WAIT

Keeping tabs of election results at the Kentucky Kernel, 1968, UK General photographic prints. 2001ua025_3596


Waiting for election results, 1968, UK General photographic prints, 2001ua025_2481

3. PAY UP (OR COLLECT!)

Arthur Nichols pushing a peanut with his nose after losing an election bet, 11/7/48, John C. Wyatt Lexington Herald Leader photographs. 2004AV001_1_03_1306_01

-- JC

Campaign trail

With less than two months left before the presidential election, both candidates are hitting the campaign trail with renewed intensity. At present, there don’t appear to be any further stops from either candidate in Kentucky. This may not seem unusual in the age of mass media which allows candidates to focus on target areas of the country and still get their message across to the rest of us, but in the past candidates did sometimes make stops at the University of Kentucky or Lexington.

Dwight D. Eisenhower campaigned at UK twice, in 1953 and 1956. On October 1, 1956, Eisenhower addressed issues of concern to Kentuckians at Memorial Coliseum during his re-election bid. Click here to read what he had to say.

This photo from October 8, 1960 of John F. Kennedy’s campaign stop at UK captures a scene eerily reminiscent of the later footage from Dallas minutes before his assassination. Kennedy was on campus to generate support for his presidential bid that year (and pay homage to Kentucky politician Henry Clay). Click here to read his speech from that day.

Then (California) governor, Ronald Reagan, made a brief stop in Lexington during his unsuccessful 1976 bid for the Republican nomination against Gerald Ford. The contents of his campaign literature from that year can be found here.

-- JC

All photos from University of Kentucky Special Collections and Digital Programs.