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The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects
The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects

Browse Items (405 total)

  • Autobiography written in English by Denise Wolff (1909-2000), a Jewish French American that immigrated to the United States during World War II. She describes her youth in France, hardship during German occupation during World War II, and immigration to the United States via Spain and Portugal, and activities she took part in at the Temple in Louisville, Kentucky.

  • Color cardstock promotional card printed for B.F. Avery & Sons, Plows and Agricultural Implements, Louisville, Kentucky. The inside of the card is an ad for the Avery Universal Plow, featuring a lithograth of Neptune plowing the Isthmus of Panama with an Avery Plow pulled by two horses. The back of the card depicts a horse falling in a field, with an attached plow and laborer in the air behind it. On the otherside of a fence, a horse is calmly pulling an Avery Plow while the laborer guiding the plow looks at the other person. Below the scene is the text "If you're trying to fly, you're all right

  • The images in this set showcase architect Jasper D. Ward's innovative 1969 design for converting the Ballard Mills grain silos at 912 E. Broadway, Louisville, KY, into a mixed-use development featuring apartments, offices, and recreational spaces. This project exemplifies Ward's advocacy for adaptive reuse of existing structures, illustrating a bold approach to repurposing industrial buildings. The detailed architectural plans include 48 circular efficiency apartments, 84 split-level apartments, a restaurant, a recreation room, and a pool with a heated bubble atop the towers. A notable feature of the design is the pool, which was to be partially submerged within the bar area, allowing patrons to view swimmers through large portholes.

    The set comprises architectural drawings of various levels, elevations, and site plans. These include floor plans that demonstrate meticulous attention to detail and spatial arrangements, as well as exterior elevations that emphasize symmetry, window placement, and overall building massing. The recurring circular and curved motifs reflect an emphasis on both aesthetic form and functional space usage, contributing to the project's unique architectural character.

    Although this ambitious design was never realized, as the silos were demolished in 1972, these documents provide significant insight into mid-20th-century architectural practices, adaptive reuse strategies, and Ward's visionary approach to design.

  • Barry Jr., Sallie, and Robert Worth Bingham III at the Nautilus Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.

  • Barry Bingham Sr., as a young man kneeling with a dog.

  • Barry Bingham Sr. and Queen Elizabeth II at a Waldorf Astoria luncheon in New York City. Luncheon was hosted by the English-speaking Union, chaired by Barry Sr. Also in attendence was the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.

  • A scrapbook page with a picture of Barry Bingham Sr., holding a chimpanzee in an International Press Institute group touring Mysore, India zoo.

  • Barry Bingham Sr. seated, and holding hands with Mary C. Bingham in London.

  • Barry Bingham Sr. and Mary Caperton Bingham on their wedding day in Richmond, Virginia.

  • These images show two architectural sketches by Jasper Ward, illustrating proposed shops on the Big Four Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky. The drawings, depicted in white on a dark background, detail a conceptualization of shop spaces integrated within the existing steel structure of the bridge. The sketches accentuate the industrial framework, prominently featuring structural elements like trusses and beams, creating a dynamic and intricate visual composition. The images emphasize Ward's vision of adaptive reuse, transforming the bridge into a thriving commercial area while preserving its historic industrial character.

  • The Bill Hume House, designed in 1972 by Jasper D. Ward, was a conceptual architectural project never built. The set includes detailed architectural drawings such as site plans, floor plans, roof framing plans, and various elevations. These drawings illustrate the house's unique geometric design, characterized by a complex, faceted roof structure and a non-traditional floor layout, reflecting the innovative architectural approaches of the early 1970s. The drawings also include intricate details of structural elements and decorative features, providing insight into the meticulous planning that went into this unrealized project.

  • Mary and Barry Bingham Sr. seated outdoors with their five children in Chatham, Massachusetts.

  • Reproduction of a negative by Ivey Watksins Cousins (1898-1973). It captures the joy of young Black boys playing with a pet dog in a northwestern view of East Broadway and South Jackson Street in Louisville, Kentucky. A native of Danville, Virginia, Ivey Watkins Cousins moved to Louisville in 1944. He held numerous jobs over the years, working as a tobacco dealer, photographer, machine-shop instructor, manager of the USO Shop, and Curator of the Louisville Library Museum. In 1959, he began photographing houses and structures being demolished to make way for I-65. After viewing the images, the Filson Club Board of Directors gave Cousins $25 to buy film for his project. This is one of the few images in which Cousins photographs people.

  • British Ambassador Robert W. Bingham (1871-1937) walking with dignitary in England.

  • Facsimile envelope from Brooks & Co. Live Stock Commision Merchants located at the Bourbon Stockyards (Johnson and Main Street), Louisville, Kentucky to Earl Rothrock, Depauw, Indiana.

  • The November 1933 newsletter of the Louisville Section of the National Council of Jewish Women. Portions of the newsletter reflect concerns for Jews following Adolph Hitler's rise to power and the increase of antisemitism in Germany. The bulletin announces that the organization donated $300 from the emergency fund "for the relief of German Jews." It informs that the National Board of Directors approved an official boycott of German goods and that the Louisville, Kentucky, section will formally consider the boycott at the next board meeting. The newsletter notes that "In the Interim, the Advisory Committee of the Council urges you and your friends to refrain from purchasing goods made in Germany and from stores who continue to buy in Germany." The bulletin also encourages Jews "to obtain their citizenship papers" and details the requirements.

  • September 1934 issue of the newsletter of the Louisville Section of the National Council of Jewish Women. The President's Report includes references to German emergency relief, boycott of German goods and stores that buy from German merchants, immigrant aid, and citizenship programs.

  • Brochure for the Jewish Community Center of Louisville's 1968 summer camps: Camp Ben F. Washer, Camp Ricarree, and Junior Camp.

  • 8mm color film clip of a milkman delivering and removing milk churns for Camp Tall Trees, and children dispensing milk. The Jewish Community Center of Louisville hosted the 2-3 week long summer camp in Otter Creek Recreation Area, Meade County, Kentucky.

  • 2-page brochure for the June-July 1945 season of Camp Riccaree day camp operated by the Young Men's Hebrew Association in Louisville, Kentucky. The center fold notes "Camp Riccaree operates from the Y.M.H.A. building where are located cabins, craft shops, council ring, and the dining room. The camp is operated during the day with activities and programs similar to a boarding camp. Parks, swimming pools, and other public and private facilities are used as occasions warrant." The brochure details the fees, season and daily schedules, and staff.
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