Author Gail Stephens Stops In at Study

Lew Wallace scholar and author Gail Stephens made a brief stop at the Study Friday while traveling west. Gail serves on the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society Board of Trustees and wrote Shadow of Shiloh, winner of the 2011 William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography. A volunteer at Monocacy National Battlefield, Gail has given talks here in the past about the Battle of Shiloh and the complex misunderstandings that occurred there.

While Gail was here, she graciously agreed to sign our stock of her book. If you come in soon, you can purchase an autographed copy of Shadow of Shiloh for only $27.95--but do it soon! Supplies are limited, and we aren't expecting to see Gail again until early 2014.



 
 

In the Gift Shop: Finding Indiana Ancestors

A new book has found its way to our gift shop as we prepare for our 2013 exhibit about Lew and Susan Wallace's descendants. Along with talking about the accomplished Wallace family, we will also be discussing how family research is done and how best to preserve your own family legacy.

We have added Finding Indiana Ancestors: A Guide to Historical Research to our gift shop offerings. Edited by M. Teresa Baer and Geneil Breeze and published by the Indiana Historical Society Press, this book is a treasure trove of information, how-tos, resources, and examples to help you navigate the speed bumps and detours along the road of your family history.

The book has six parts: Getting Started, Identifying Resources, Researching Records, Researching With Maps, Researching Ethnic Groups, and Providing Context and Accuracy. It provides an excellent foundation for beginning genealogists, but also contains in-depth resources that even experienced family researchers will find useful.

Are you interested in family history? Do you have a favorite book or website about genealogy?

Christmas Shopping in the Carriage House

We all have that one person, don't we? That person who seems to have everything? That person who says, "I don't need anything this year?" So how do you shop for someone like that?

Consider giving them a gift that also supports local history and culture!

Proceeds from the gift shop here are used for the benefit of the museum. We have books about Lew Wallace, copies of Ben-Hur, Christmas tree ornaments, t-shirts, and even artwork. For the real collector in your family, you can purchase the two-volume autobiography Lew was writing at the time of his death; it was completed by his wife Susan. We also have Mama G beaded earrings created by a local artist and Indiana-shaped cheese boards made by a local artisan.

If you would prefer to give a gift that is less tangible but carries the benefits of being tax deductible and directly supporting our mission, buy a membership to the Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society in someone's name. Membership levels start as low as $25 for the Lieutenant Level and go all the way to Ben-Hur Level at $500.

If you're interested in preserving Lew Wallace's legacy, Christmas is a great way to do it!

Exciting New Gift Shop Items

We have some exciting new items in our gift shop. There are two new bookmarks, one with a design featuring photos of Lew Wallace and another with a design featuring photos of the Study itself. They sell for $2.75 each and have information and quotes on the back.

We've also added a brand new t-shirt design. Drawn by our own Deb King, the design is a clean, simple line drawing of the Study building. T-shirts are available in dark green and maroon, in adult sizes. They sell for $14.95.

Stop in soon and check out the new souvenirs!

New in the gift shop--My Indiana: 101 More Places to See

Past visitors to the Study gift shop will recognize My Indiana: 101 Places to See by Earl L. Conn. New to the gift shop this week is Mr. Conn’s sequel, My Indiana: 101 More Places to See. Both books sell for $19.95.

The books are divided into regions of the state: North, East, Central, West, South Central, and South. Each region features notable locations in several cities. Crawfordsville, listed in the West region, is mentioned because of the Rotary Jail Museum.

Many nearby locations in the West region are just a short drive from the Study. Come in to see us, pick up a copy of the book while you’re here, and plan some short excursions from the book!

Shirt Sale!

We only have a few of our Lew Wallace Study t-shirts left! If you’ve been putting off your purchase, make sure to stop by in the next few days. T-shirts are currently marked down to $7.

We do have more of the Princess Irene t-shirts. If you’ve visited the Study, you’ll know there are four faces carved in stone on the four sides of the building. One is the Princess Irene, a character in Lew’s novel The Prince of India. T-shirts with her picture are also marked down to $7.

 

Polo shirts with an embroidered Lew Wallace Study & Museum logo are marked down to $20. And if you’re feeling festive instead of historical, we have Taste of Montgomery County shirts available as well.

Stop by the gift shop today!

New Items Make Gifting a Breeze!

Things are blooming outside, and new things are also popping up in our gift shop! We have several new book titles for readers of all ages, including our 2008 Brown Bag Book Club selections Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and The Wizard of Menlo Park by Randall Stross. Younger readers can check out You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Civil War Soldier!, which spells out what life was like in the Union army, from the wool uniforms to the tasteless hardtack!

Lew Wallace became very acquainted with the art of using a quill pen on parchment paper, and now you can too! Our “Create Your Own Parchment Document” kits include ink, glass ink bottle with cork stopper, feather quill pen and piece of parchment to make your own historical-looking documents. Want to make your words really stick? Our new Lew Wallace magnetic poetry kits mix the fun of creating your own verse with some terrific Wallace-themed words to make an activity that entertains and educates!

In addition, we have a terrific collection of items for the Civil War buff, literary enthusiast and nature lover in your family. Remember the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum gift shop when you shop, and keep General Wallace’s legacy alive with every gift you send! Contact us through our website, by emailing info@ben-hur.com, or by giving us a call at 765-362-5769 and let us help with all your gift-giving needs.