On this, the last day of May in Kentucky, we are closing out Derby month with these two talented ladies on mules. Apparently, they were the winners at a “Mule Derby” held at Renfro Valley in Rockcastle County. Our mystery not only lies with the identity of these two derby...
Our History Mystery this month features a Halloween Party given for local Frankfortonians in 1981. This photo was contributed by Andrew Mason, Sr. as part of the Community Memories Project. The photo was described as an event given for local kids that was held above Mason’s Grocery Store. Since the...
What we know: the image is dated 1912 and shows tents and people walking around. There is a Ferris wheel in the center of the image with children in the seats. We know it is in Franklin County, Ky. What we want to know (the mystery): Are these the fair...
Today we have one of those random group shots that often stump even the most seasoned of photo archivists. We usually have something to go on that would give us clues, but in this case, the clues are limited. Here’s what we do know: The photo is part of the...
Years ago, when KHS staff was traveling through the Ohio Valley to scan personal family items for our Ohio River Portrait Project, we were not prepared for the wonderfully fun items that would come our way. We’re used to the stoic studio portraits, and the pleasant landscapes/cityscapes, but catching a glimpse of...
By: Laura Frazier, Georgetown College Senior and KHS Winter Intern This image is from the Robert Burns Stone collection, a recent acquisition of the library and special collections. In this photo, a man stands by what appears to be a mountain grave covered by a small house and surrounded by...
By: Wes Cunningham, University of Louisville Graduate Student and KHS Winter Intern While researching one of our lantern slide collections for digitization we stumbled across this monument. This image was mixed in with pictures of some of Kentucky’s most famous individuals and sites, including portraits of Daniel Boone and a...
This month’s History Mystery features a special family treat, with some unanswered questions. We’ve all seen the occasional family Bible record that recorded the life and death events of family members. While most are fairly simple in design, some can contain beautiful color embellishments. The thing I want you to...
On Wednesday, February 4th, our library staff will be heading up the hill (literally) to the State Capitol for another Piecing Together History event: Representing Kentucky. Around our neck of the woods, we refer to this as the “New” Capitol Building (1910) since the previous, or “Old” State Capitol is...
KHS has a photographic collection that details scenes from the Governor’s Mansion over a couple of decades. A percentage of the photographs feature Christmas celebrations that have occurred during the 1970s and 80s. Of course, as you probably guessed, the people in those photographs remain a mystery. This one example includes...
