Friday Fun Fact: Lew Wallace, Fishing Fanatic

Did you know that Lew Wallace was crazy about fishing?


Patent diagram for
traveler's fishing pole

 

Lew had a moat on two sides of the Study and stocked it so he could fish from the back porch. In the winter, he could fire up the coal furnace in the Study basement and stick his fishing pole out the windows.

In fact, he loved fishing so much he invented a special traveler’s fishing pole.

The line reel was integrated into an aluminum handle. A hollow wooden pole attached to the end of the handle and carried the line inside. US Patent No. 460,272 was issued for the invention on September 29, 1891.

Be sure to stop by the Study for a tour, where you can see this invention along with his collection of fishing poles!

Discovery Saturday features games, experiments

CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN, July 19, 2008— Deb King, Grounds Manager of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum, is eager to fish from General Wallace’s moat, an activity that Wallace himself greatly enjoyed from 1898-1903.

“General Wallace had a ‘moat’ dug around half of his Study during its construction, and he stocked it with fish,” King said. “He taught his grandsons how to fish from the moat, and it’ll be interesting to watch kids fish from it once again.”

This time, however, children who will have the opportunity to fish from the General’s moat will do so without water, as the fish are made of cardboard and will attach to the kids’ cane poles with magnets. This is one of the many activities planned for Discovery Saturday, a special event held in conjunction with the Lew Wallace—Gentleman Scientist exhibit on Saturday, August 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Other fun things being planned for Discovery Saturday include making “nature impressions” on sun-sensitive paper, exploring the grounds with the Museum’s new Nature Study Backpacks, going on an innovation scavenger hunt, and taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum, including the Study’s basement, a place that is usually closed off to visitors.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to create a rudimentary fish ladder, similar to the one Wallace erected at Water Babble, his summer home on the outskirts of Crawfordsville. “What’s a fish ladder?” King teased. “You’ll have to come and see.”

All ages are welcome to this special event and admission is free. For further information, contact the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum at 765-362-5769 or email info@ben-hur.com.

Gentleman Scientist exhibit opens to wide acclaim

After months of planning and weeks of careful installation, Lew Wallace—Gentleman Scientist, the new interactive exhibit at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum, has finally opened to wide public acclaim.

The sneak preview party, open to members of the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, was held on Friday, March 28, at the Museum and at the former Wallace home in Crawfordsville. Members enjoyed a wine and cheese reception while learning about the new exhibit from Museum Director Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. “We are so grateful to our Science Advisory Committee for helping us conceptualize this exhibit,” said Catlin-Legutko in her remarks. “The staff and I have been engaged with this exhibit since last year, and it’s very gratifying to see it come to fruition.”

After the reception, members moved to the Carriage House Interpretive Center, which had been transformed into a creative workshop dedicated to Wallace’s achievements in the realms of invention, innovation and the natural world. Large-scale vinyl images of Wallace’s patent drawings have been reproduced and now hang on the walls, next to some of his inspiring quotations. Artifacts from Wallace’s avocation as an inventor sit side by side with his fishing equipment and original materials he used in the construction of his unique Study building. A special Creativity Station invites both children and their families to design and build their own structures out of Lego® blocks, or to draw their own inventions and have them specially “patented” by staff with a specialized Museum seal embosser.

Another exciting addition to the new exhibit is the collection of backpacks filled with binoculars, field guides and drawing supplies that visitors can check out and utilize on the Museum’s shady grounds to become a true nature observer. Instructions are included on methods of bird watching, identifying trees, and more.

The public opening of the “Gentleman Scientist” exhibit took place on Saturday, March 29, and a brisk day full of bright sunshine greeted visitors from throughout the region as they came to the Museum. “Visitation is up markedly since the beginning of March,” said Museum Associate Director Amanda Wesselmann. “We had quite a crowd today, coming to see both the new exhibit and the Study. We hope this momentum carries throughout the exhibit year.”
The upcoming year features events and educational programming that complement the “Gentleman Scientist” theme, including community favorites the Lew Wallace Youth Academy and the second-annual Taste of Montgomery County. The next events in the 2008 exhibit year are Park Day on April 5, an annual comprehensive cleanup of the Museum grounds in preparation for the coming year, and Lew Wallace’s Birthday Celebration on April 10, a party for children and their families celebrating Wallace’s 181st birthday with games, gifts, refreshments, and the planting of the new Lew Wallace Children’s Garden.

Lew Wallace--Gentleman Scientist exhibit opens 3/29

Lew Wallace's fascinating and little-known avocation as inventor, innovator and naturalist will be the focus of this year's exhibit theme, Lew Wallace-Gentleman Scientist, opening Saturday in the Carriage House Interpretive Center of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum.

The museum staff has been busy selecting related artifacts, composing the narrative that will serve as label copy, fabricating vinyl panel reproductions of some of Wallace's patent drawings, and constructing hands-on activities that will appeal to children and adults alike."Just like last year's Wallace Women exhibit, we are designing the Gentleman Scientist exhibit in a way that visitors will be able to relate to Lew Wallace's lessons of innovation and conservation and apply them to their own experiences," said Museum Director Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. "People will see Wallace's solutions to some of the problems of his day, and they'll be encouraged to test out their own."

Some of the interactive elements of this year's exhibit include a patent drawing station where children can design their own inventions and have them specially "patented" and displayed inside the Carriage House. "We have a special embosser that we'll use to certify visitors' drawings as 'official' Museum patents," said Catlin-Legutko.

For even younger visitors, the Gentleman Scientist exhibit will introduce a colorful component. Using Lego® blocks, children (and their parents) will be encouraged to copy Wallace's design of his unique Study building or to create a Study of their own. "Lew Wallace's Study reflects a design that is uniquely his, something that fulfilled all of his needs," Catlin-Legutko said. "We're excited to see what visitors can dream up for themselves."

Accompanying the Gentleman Scientist exhibit will be a full year of educational programming and community events that revolve around the theme. New this year are an architectural discovery walking tour and "Discovery Saturday," an assortment of hands-on education stations located throughout the Museum and grounds that illustrate lessons of innovation and the natural world.

In addition, the Museum's successful annual programs such as the Lew Wallace Youth Academy, the Artists in Residence Program and the Brown Bag Book Club will showcase themes that tie in to the exhibit.For members of the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society, the Museum will host a special Sneak Preview Party on Friday at 5 p.m. Members will be able to take a first look at the Gentleman Scientist exhibit amid refreshments and camaraderie with the Staff and Trustees.Invitations to members were mailed last week. The public opening of the exhibit takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.