Exploring Other Cultures

The 2010 Lew Wallace Youth Academy had a successful first day of Exploring Other Cultures. Dr. James Makubuya and Sr. Stella Sabina lead activities in speaking Luganda and Swahili, as well as dancing, singing, and playing instruments traditional to the African country of Uganda.

The first day of the Academy ends with a performance of singing and playing instruments.

Students concentrate on learning the bow harp, a new addtion to this year's Academy.

Sr. Stella Sabina demonstrates some fancy footwork from her native Uganda.

Dr. Makubuya from Wabash College instructs students on how to play traditional Ugandan drums. Even students in percussion sections of the school band learned a few things!

Former Messala Recalls Ben-Hur Stage Play

In his autobiography (My Life East and West), William S. Hart (Messala) related some of his memories of the stage production of Ben-Hur. Hart remembered that at one of the final rehearsals prior to the opening of the show, Charles Frohman, a renowned actor at the turn of the century known as the “Napoleon of Drama” announced to Klaw and Erlanger, the producers of the Broadway version of Ben-Hur. “Boys, I’m afraid you’re up against it—the American public will never stand for Christ and a horse race in the same show.” (Frohman was killed years later in the sinking of the Lusitania.)

Hart gained fame in Hollywood after his stage career faded playing in Westerns. His ability with horses in the movies was no act. He was a gifted horseman and raced Messala’s team on stage over 400 times. He said he always felt bad that his four horses (Tom, Jerry, Rosie and Topsy) raced Ben-Hur’s team of four bays every night and lost. His horses tried with all their might every night to win. No matter how hard they tried, the result was always the same—just at the moment it looked like they would win, Hur’s treadmill would speed up and the bays would draw away—winning the race.

Hart described the night that the race was reaching its climax. The eight horses racing for all they were worth. Hart’s (Messala’s) horses raced faster and faster, stretching until their bellies were almost on the treadmill—and then Hart realized that his team was going to win. He crawled out on the chariot tongue; put his hands on their backs imploring them, urging them to slow so Ben-Hur could win but “. . . They ran like creatures possessed—their veins stood out like ropes—they were out in front—they were gaining! They strained every muscle to the breaking point, then they lunged ahead in a deathlike dash! And—they won! They Won!” After 400 tries, his team finally out-raced the treadmill.

Hart was always proud that after the first performance, he was sent for and Lew Wallace singled him out telling Hart: “Young man, I want to thank you for giving me the Messala that I drew in my book.”

William S. Hart was one of the most successful early film stars. Hart passed away in 1946 and left his estate to the people of Los Angeles because the community had treated him so well. His Spanish Revival mansion with its outstanding collection of western art, Hollywood memorabilia, and Native American artifacts and its surrounding 260 acres are now part of the Natural History of Museum of Los Angeles.

Travel Back in Time with General Lew Wallace

CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN, June 19, 2010— The Civil War is a major part of American history that all students have read about. But how often do they truly get to experience the sights and sounds of that tumultuous time?

The scent of campfires and the sounds of Stephen Foster songs will fill the air once again at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum for its annual Civil War Encampment weekend, July 10 and 11. The Museum’s partnership with the Mid States Living History Association, Inc. allows visitors a rare chance to dig deeper into the experience of life as one of General Wallace’s rank-and-file soldiers.

Mid States, an Indianapolis-based group comprised of living history interpreters from throughout the Midwest, will present several activities on the Museum grounds over the course of the weekend that offer a greater insight into life as a Civil War soldier or civilian. In addition to live demonstrations of camp cooking, construction, medical care, music, telegraphy and artillery training, visitors will have the chance to interact with General Wallace himself, listening in as he reflects on the controversial battle of Shiloh and his innovative defense of Cincinnati.

“Our Encampment weekends are always popular,” said Acting Director Amanda Wesselmann. “It’s an immersive experience that lets visitors really appreciate what General Wallace and his soldiers had to endure during the Civil War, much more so than they could just by reading a book or sitting in history class.”

The live activities include “School of the Piece,” an instructional training exercise for cannoneers that demonstrates the degree of textbook and practical training required to function on the field of battle. Visitors will also be invited to participate in infantry training drills using toy “Woodfield” (wooden) rifles. Demonstrations in Civil War-era medical care, camp construction and cooking will also be held throughout the weekend.

On the evening of July 10, guests can experience the Civil War re-enactors preparing dinner and readying their tents for nightfall on the lush Museum grounds during their twilight tours of the encampment. “It’s a unique view of the Museum—and of Civil War life—that very few visitors get to see,” said Wesselmann.

Visitors are invited to experience the live drama of the Civil War during extended hours on Saturday, July 10 from 2:00 – 9:00 p.m. and during regular hours on Sunday, July 11 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Crawfordsville. For further information, contact the Museum at 765-362-5769 or email study@ben-hur.com.

Lew Wallace Youth Academy Now Accepting Applications

Change is afoot at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum. As restoration work begins on Lew Wallace's Study building this summer, the students of this year's Lew Wallace Youth Academy will be learning why such drastic changes must take place.

The week-long Youth Academy, July 6-10, is accepting applications for students entering grades 6, 7 and 8 who have an interest in investigative learning, exploring new cultures and new ideas and making friends. Interested families can contact the Museum at 362-5769 or e-mail: study@ben-hur.com for more information.

Amanda Wesselmann, associate director of the museum, announced today that several changes are being made to the curriculum and faculty of the Youth Academy, which helped the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum win the 2008 National Medal for Museum Service. One new facet of the Academy will be the investigation into the Study Restoration Project, a construction plan over three years in the making that will begin this summer.

Mary Jane Teeters-Eichacker, Curator of Social History at the Indiana State Museum, will speak to Academy students about the importance of preserving historic artifacts and sites. Preservation is the primary motivation for the upcoming restoration of the Study, considering the building was designed by General Wallace himself and normally houses irreplaceable original memorabilia from the General's life. The leaky copper roof of the Study put those artifacts in danger each time it rained.

Other changes to this year's Academy include a Sharing Stories day when the students will write biographies and autobiographies of themselves, something General Wallace did in his Study; and a Creating Art day when students will paint with watercolors outdoors under the direction of Karen Patton, president of the Art League of Montgomery County and frequent exhibitor at the Downtown Crawfordsville Fall Art Show.

"I want to foster the students' artistic interest," said Patton, "So they can see that art is far more than just accuracy."

The Lew Wallace Youth Academy will culminate in the students interacting with the Civil War re-enactors of the Mid States Living History Association, who will be encamped on the Museum grounds during the weekend of July 10-11. In addition to discovering how soldiers encountered daily life during the tumultuous days of the Civil War, Academy students will participate in a flag retirement ceremony, the first of its kind in Academy history. The students will help to "retire" the Indiana state flag that currently flies over the Museum grounds according to protocol, and initiating the new Indiana flag that will wave proudly over the property for years to come.

"We have never had a flag retirement ceremony here at the Museum before," said Wesselmann. "This year's Academy students will learn what goes into retiring a flag in the proper manner, and why the occasion deserves reverence and dignity."

A few student spots are still open in this year's Youth Academy, held July 6-10 on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students and their families are invited to an elaborate graduation ceremony on Saturday, July 10, attended by the Civil War interpreters of the Mid States Living History Association. Pre-registration for the Academy is required, and fees per family are only $25, although scholarships for families with financial need are available. Registrations for this once-in-a-lifetime experience are due July 4; please call the Museum at 362-5769 or e-mail: study@ben-hur.com to take part.

Summer storm

Summer has arrived with all the fireworks of the fourth of July. On June 21st and 22nd a severe storm hit the city of Crawfordsville, with lightning, straight line winds and torrential rain. Over 3" of rain fell overnight, filling the former moat and reflecting pond of the Study. Runoff streams ran throughout the museum's grounds. We were fortunate that the buildings did not sustain any damage.

The parking lot was filled with large and small limbs. The museum's grounds were littered with debris from a variety of trees. A large Kentucky coffee tree limb fell, breaking off a nearby tulip limb. One of the sassafras lost a large limb and several tulip trees lost their tops. This scenario played out all over the area.

The sound of chainsaws has permeated the air for the last 2 days. The museum cleanup has begun and the debris will be taken to the local compost site. Hopefully, the grounds cleanup will be finsihed just in time for the award winning Lew Wallace Academy and Civil War Encampment. July 6th through July 11th the museum grounds will be swarming with children and Civil War Reenactors.

What's in a Name?

In honor of the Strawberry Festival on the grounds of Lane Place in Crawfordsville this weekend, we thought it would be appropriate to consider one of our many ties to the Lanes. This excerpt was brought to our attention by one of our summer interns, Kasey Greer. Lew had strong opinions and might have been an authoritative military leader, but he didn’t always get his way on the home front.

“In early 1853, Lew and Susan Wallace were in Covington, Indiana, eagerly anticipating the birth of their first child. In a letter from Lew to his brother, William, he explained what the child should not be named. Lew parodied the names of his father and brothers when he wrote:

“I think I had better right here quietly observe, that the fellow’s name shant be David, that’s too plebian – nor William, that’s very pretty for a child, but unfit for a man, nor Edward, that’s too pretty for either man or baby. I have determined that the most aristocratic and democratic, the most semantic and unpedantic the most noble, manly, appropriate and significant of all that ‘best becomes a man’ is – ‘Lew.”

“However, Lew failed to convince Susan of the name ‘that best becomes a man.’ For on February 17, 1853, Susan gave birth to a son and he was named after his uncle, Henry Lane. Another factor figuring into naming the boy is that it was a common nineteenth century practice to name a child after a military commander and Lew Wallace had served under Henry Lane during the Mexican War.”

Lighty, Chandler S. “Henry Lane Wallace Part I.” Montgomery Magazine, (Crawfordsville, IN) Oct. 2, 2001.

The artwork has left the building

The last of Lew's artwork has left the Study building! Staff and a few experienced volunteers packed up paintings by Wallace himself as well as sculptures and paintings that he owned.

Collections Manager Amanda McGuire explains to summer Intern Kasey Greer (Indiana University) how to wrap and pack a plaster cast of Princess Irene, a character from Wallace's novel The Prince of India.

Amanda and Kasey hand Wallace's best known painting, The Conspirators, to Wabash College Archivist Beth Swift and Museum Director Larry Paarlberg.

Ethafoam, bubble wrap, and sturdy boxes are the tools of the trade for packing interns - er, scuplture. Kasey lines the bottom of this box with ethafoam to cushion a statue of Ben-Hur as a galley slave.

Many thanks to Superior Moving and Storage for helping move these historic artifacts!