Indeed! In this year’s hoopla is the story of 23-year old Danica Patrick, the fourth woman to qualify for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, and unlike her predecessors, those in the know agree that she has a real shot at winning.

“This is a terrific opportunity for memorabilia collectors”, says Bob Swanson, Executive Director of the San Diego Automotive Museum. “Any trip to the Indianapolis 500 is likely to offer a collector many opportunities to acquire all sorts of items to add to your personal collection or offer to other collectors. This weekend’s race has the potential of making sports history. Should that scenario of a Danica Patrick win come to pass, there’s additional value to all the items you bring home”.

Having had the good fortune to attend the annual race, Bob took advantage of bringing home every program, yearbook, local newspaper, event parking tickets, special event entry tickets, badges, pins and pit passes he could lay his hands on. Some souvenirs are even autographed by racecar drivers.

Bob attended the race in 2006, the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500. He was thrilled by the excitement in the air as the racecars took to the track, each driver hoping to be drinking milk beside the gleaming Borg-Warner Trophy in Victory Lane. “Celebrate the Spectacle” was the theme that year and there were dozens of special events leading up to the big day.

One of the most prominent pieces of memorabilia in Bob’s collection is the front page of the local newspaper from the 2006 race that was won by only .0635 of a second or one car length. It was the second-closest Indianapolis 500 in race history. Sam Hornish Jr. was the winner that year. And 19-year-old rookie, Marco Andretti, grandson of the renowned racing great, Mario Andretti, couldn’t believe he was passed by Hornish in the last 150 yards.

Bob recounts how passes and badges got you into different levels throughout the stands. With certain placards getting you into the pits prior to the race, even to different areas within the pits. But his prize possession – the much coveted brass pin – was a ticket for a trip to the tower.

For those who attend the big race this year, take Bob’s advise! Bring every souvenir, program, newspaper and collectible item you come across back with you to remember the experience.

Where there is a sport, there are fans, collectors and museums. Tomorrow the world’s greatest racecar drivers will compete hoping to win the Indianapolis 500.

In San Diego (two thousand miles from Indianapolis) a passion for everything about automobiles permeates the San Diego Automotive Museum.

“Welcome to the San Diego Automotive Museum. Come and see the beauty and history of the automobile. Feast your eyes on some of the rarest and most beautiful cars ever created.”

Bob Swanson, Executive Director for the San Diego Automotive Museum, is proud of the many Indy 500 collectibles from the nearly hundred years of the race’s history that are in the museum’s collection.

The earliest piece is an eight-page program for the Indy 500 printed on bright yellow paper and containing two black and white photos. The program cost attendees five cents. Another collectible is the equivalent of a press release from 1925. There are programs and yearbooks from throughout the years, getting thicker as time goes on and costing more as well. In the 80’s programs were up to $5.00. Bob recalls paying around $20 for a several hundred-page program in his personal collection from 2006.

There have been historical milestones, as documented in the Indy 500 programs from the 70’s, as the race announcer for the first time began the event with, “In the company of the first lady to ever qualify at Indianapolis, gentlemen start your engines.” You’ll find Janet Guthrie, Indy’s first woman driver, listed in the 1977, ’78 and ’79 Indy 500 programs. This year Danica Patrick has a legitimate shot at taking the checkered flag, and if she does the program will have additional historical and collectible significance.

From the pages in the San Diego Automobile Museum’s collection jump the names and faces of the sport’s greatest drivers: Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Rodger Ward, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears and many more. The sponsor’s names leap from the pages too. Plus each yearbook and program reflects the cream of the crop racecars of the era, with the pictures, originally in black and white and then in full color, showing the progression through the years, up to the sleek, powerful modern machines we know today.

For $10, you can buy this year’s program (with a gorgeous cover) at the
Official Trackside Gift Shop. You’ll also find posters, glasses, t-shirts and die-cast cars. You can preorder the Danica Patrick Twin Ring Motegi “1st Win” Commemorative Car, which is available in 1/18 and 1/64 scales.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Trackside Gift Shop

http://store.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

4575 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222
Call: 317-492-6400 or 1-800-955-INDY (4639)
Fax: 317-492-6456
E-mail Us: eorder [at] brickyard [dot] com

San Diego Automotive Museum

http://www.sdautomuseum.org

2080 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 231-2886
San Diego Automotive Museum – 2080 Pan American Plaza (Balboa Park) 
San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 231-2886

For hundreds of collectors, the Kentucky Derby means entertaining with treasured pieces of M.A. Hadley pottery.

The Hadley museum and pottery is a popular place especially during Derby week, as collectors arrive to fill out their patterns for Derby celebrations with friends and family. At one point, museum office manager Lynnette Faulkenberg said, limousines would form lines around the building while eager shoppers collected their pottery for Derby parties.

The durable, hand-painted plates, mugs, pitchers and julep cups are treasured by Louisvillians who’ve relocated and hold Derby Day celebrations all over the world. Collectors appreciate the craft and the simple, cheerful patterns offered by M.A. Hadley.

“It’s very collectible,” said Gene Hewitt who added that the pottery can be found in shops around the country.

Mary Alice Hadley was a painter in Louisville in the 1930′s but her true calling as an artist and designer for stoneware began in the late 30′s. According to Hadley Museum and Pottery general manager, Gene Hewitt, the business began when Mary Alice designed and fired a set of dinnerware for a party on the family’s boat. Her guests were charmed by the folk designs and glazes and asked for sets of their own.

“She started selling to friends in 1940 and the family bought her this building in 1944,” Hewitt said. Today the Hadley Museum continues to produce Hadley pottery and hires artists and art students to hand paint Mary Alice Hadley’s original designs.

If you have lost or broken a piece, it can be replaced. According to Faulkenberg, most of the older designs can be duplicated. The only M.A. Hadley pottery that the museum cannot reproduce is an award-winning brown fleck, because the clay to make it is no longer available.

A standard M.A. Hadley dinner plate sells for $25.50 but there are seconds to be had at the company’s headquarters. Older designs and those actually painted by Mary Alice Hadley herself are more valuable. In general, a collector can determine if a pattern is older by the clothing worn by the characters in the design. As far as determining whether or not Mrs. Hadley actually painted your piece, Hewitt says some of the retired artists can still tell her signature.

“We can usually determine if she signed it or not, but all of our artists still sign each piece with her initials and name,” Hewitt said. He added that while he did not know how much some of the older pieces were being sold for, that the value was increasing each year.

The Hadley “horse” pattern is particularly popular with collectors this time of year as the historic run for the roses brings Louisville, Kentucky and it’s local artisans into the public eye.

• You can find a list of specialty shops where you can purchase Mary Alice Hadley pottery here http://www.hadleypottery.com .

While staying in Beijing, I made time to take a subway and visit the Chinese Military Museum. This spectacular building spans 60,000 square meters (196,850.39 square feet) and exhibits 5,000 years of Chinese military history on two four-story wings.

The first floor is devoted to the Second Revolutionary Civil War (1927-1937), the second floor to the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) and the third floor to the Third Revolutionary Civil War (1945-1949). All types of militaria are displayed from tanks and jet planes to swords, firearms, uniforms, flags, and photographs.

This museum is a place where a person interested in military history could easily spend days studying exhibits. However, I only had a few hours before having to leave and had to make good use of my time. My wife attended the museum with me. Afterward, I asked for her perspective as a person not very interested in military history. She was impressed by the enormity of everything. Its colossal scale displayed reverence for China’s military culture in a way that is uniquely different from our museums.

As a Westerner, the museum was not difficult to navigate. All the signs were in Chinese and English and it was far from crowded.

Several observations were made while working my way through the exhibits:

1. There were a lot of captured Japanese militaria including weapons, shin-gunto swords, uniform pieces, and equipment. The pieces ranged in rarity and condition. Most had the look of being captured in the field. Overall, these were some of my favorite things to look at.

2. There were very little US militaria (other than weapons) considering China fought against the US in the Korean War. I saw one ground dug M1 helmet and had been told that there were captured Sherman tanks. However, they must have been in the outdoor hanger that was closed off for winter.

3. Items were exhibited differently from US museums I’ve visited. In US museums, the ratio of items displayed is typically 10 percent exhibited and 90 percent in storage. US museums typically select unique representations of items to display then store duplicates. In the Chinese Military Museum, there were countless multiples of unattributed, identical items on display. This may have been done because there was no shortage of square footage and it contributes to the magnitude of the exhibit. Many common items were in relic, or ground dug condition, which was interesting to see because only rare or old items are displayed in that condition in US museums.

4. Lighting was nonexistent in places, which is unusual for a museum.

5. The souvenir shop actually sold militaria as well as books, posters, and other military related items. Most of these items can be had in the United States for the same price or less. Many of the militaria items were post Vietnam War era Chi-Com uniform pieces and field gear. Many of the reference books were interesting, but I could not find any in English.

The Chinese Military Museum is an economical way to spend an afternoon with admission being only 20 yuan (US$4.80).

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

In China’s southwest province of Guangxi, the Zhuang nationality comprises the largest ethnic minority with about 14 million people. I was fortunate to meet types of people from this ancient tribe – men and women and little babies – while touring the region. Wherever I found examples of Zhuang collectibles, the one that struck me as particularly unusual was the embroidered ball.

A Zhuang woman, who was also on the tour, explained the history of the craft. The balls are made of colored silk cloth whose pattern indicates the connection of twelve petals or months. Each petal (month) has a mascot. A mascot could be a plum blossom, bamboo, swallows, dragon, chrysanthemum, orchid or phoenix. All these symbols represent reunion and eternal happiness. The petals typically are red, yellow and green.

Originally a love gift, a Zhuang woman would climb a mountain and sing out to her fiance who she hadn’t yet met face-to-face. He would answer with song. If she liked the sound of his song, she would present him with an embroidered ball as a sign of affection–the bigger the ball the greater the love. She whispered in my ear an old Zhuang saying that is passed on from mother to daughter. “If you don’t embroider, you won’t find a good man.” That is why every Zhuang girl learns to embroider from an early age.

You can see the difference between hand-woven and machine-made balls by the tightness of the weave. If it’s done by hand, the weave is flatter and looser. There are three layers to the balls, all sewn. Even so, it is sometimes tricky to see the difference if you are purchasing one at a night market with glaring neon. The Chinese name for the old technique is called Diuxiu Xiuqiu. As the years pass and China modernizes, it is becoming harder to find the hand-woven balls.

A true “King of Embroidery Ball” named Zhu Zhu Xian is held in high esteem because he apparently made the largest-ever embroidery ball at 2 meters long. He’s now in his fifties and still follows the old way of hand-making the balls.

Modern and vintage examples of these “love balls” are on display at the Guangxi Provincial Museum in Nanning.

If you’d like to purchase the authentic Zhuang Embroidered Ball, please contact ShunZhou Embroidered Ball Company, Miss Sarah Lee. email: xiuqiu [at] live [dot] cn. Her telephone is: +86 – 138776 54107 or +86 – 137188 72913. She speaks very good English and will answer all your questions. If you’re wondering about her name well, like many Chinese who choose an English name, she acquired it after eating a sweet cake made by same company.

We are very lucky at the Kentucky Derby Museum to have a great variety of artifacts. We have a wide range of trophies, a number of saddles, and silks in every possible color. Despite the fact that the collection is varied and numerous, I still have a few favorite objects.
I am in love with Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Glasses. The glasses came to the scene in 1938 and local legends suggest that they were used as water glasses. Many patrons at Churchill Downs could not resist the urge to take them from the tables in the track’s dining room. Churchill Downs decided to capitalize on this thievery and began charging patrons an additional .25 cents to each meal if folks wanted to keep the glass. A design was born for the glass in 1939 and they became an official souvenir. This souvenir has changed considerably over the years. In the early 1940s track management sought to reduce the amount of hazardous broken glass found in the infield, thus the aluminum tumbler was introduced. However, World War II brought with it a large increase in the price of aluminum and a ceramic-type tumbler was introduced in a variety of colors including: red, orange, blue, grey, pink, brown, black, and white. These glasses, produced by the Beetleware Company, have to be some of my favorite objects in the museum. They have a unique appearance that transcends both time and trends.
A tour of Kentucky Derby ephemera would not be complete without mentioning advertising signs. My favorite signs are the ones that date from the early 1960s though the 1970s. They typically are fashioned from embossed cardboard and feature winning horses in a relief detail. Generally these signs were used to advertise vices like cigarettes or alcohol. They have a charming almost folksy look to them and we house many in our collection.
Another one of my favorite objects is the 1925 Kentucky Derby Trophy; Flying Ebony won this trophy in a year for the record books. It was the first year that the Kentucky Derby was broadcast over the radio and it was the first year that the term “The Run For The Roses” was coined. 1925 was also the year that a very expensive colt won the Kentucky Derby. Flying Ebony was purchased for $21,000, which was a fortune at that time. After his victory in the Kentucky Derby he went on to lose every race after for the remainder of the season. He did have a great career as a stud and we are pleased to celebrate his history with his Kentucky Derby Trophy. The trophy is crafted out of 14k yellow gold and it sits on a beautiful jade base. It is currently on display in our museum and we are so proud of it.
Another fantastic object is a traditional Japanese geisha doll. This doll was given to the museum as a gift from Fusao Sekiguchi. Mr. Sekiguchi was the owner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus. The doll is enclosed in glass and she is dressed in a lovely, colorful kimono. The Kentucky Derby Museum has all this and more, won’t you come and visit? With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are open every day of the year.

The Kentucky Derby Museum
704 Central Avenue
Louisville, KY 40208

(502) 637-7097 Info
(502) 637-1111 Office

info [at] derbymuseum [dot] org

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Did you know the country’s most prestigious art museum, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, doesn’t charge an entrance fee? The fee is listed as twenty dollars but it’s actually a suggested donation, meaning you can pay one penny and walk in – no questions asked. It probably helps that many of its visitors are unaware of this policy; they read the listed ticket price and purchase theirs. But it’s nice to know someone who can’t afford the fee can still enjoy the art. The Met has yielded the highest profits of any museum in the nation and it is “intelligent design,” such as its entrance policy, that has kept it popular.

Phillipe de Montebello, the man responsible for smart programming and excellent management is retiring after thirty successful years at the helm. This past month, his news made all the art headlines. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times gave a retrospective of Mr. de Montebello’s contributions to the city and to the international art world, citing a combination of innovation and tradition in exhibitions that kept the public coming back for more. Mostly, an understanding and respect for the individual art enthusiast enabled Mr. Montebello to make choices that would prove popular with the visitor. He was able to uphold tradition and show a classic piece of art in a thoughtful and interesting context. His style can be an inspiration for any collector displaying their possessions.

Eric Gibson of the Wall Street Journal writes:
“In his three decades as director, Mr. de Montebello has transformed the Met into the pre-eminent art museum in the nation, if not the world. He has done this through stimulating and enlightening temporary exhibitions, important acquisitions…whole collections…and judicious collections management….But Mr. de Montebello’s impact has been as much broadly cultural as aesthetic, something that can be said of no other departing museum director….the Met has drawn in its public the old-fashioned way — routinely offering it intellectually substantial fare.”

Phillipe de Montebello understood the essence of the art experience – the one-on-one connection between person and object. He honored that experience through his presentation of collections; something we collectors seek to achieve with our own, personal objects at home. We hope this distinguished tradition continues to be upheld – both in the art world and within our own WorthPoint community.

WWII Museum: European Front Exhibit
945 Magazine, New Orleans LA
Adult Admission $14
Student Admission $8
Child $6

Why is the National WWII museum in New Orleans? 92% of vehicles used during WWII came from Higgins Industries in New Orleans. Furthermore, Andrew Higgins designed the Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) in the 1930’s. He added a ramp in 1941, creating the boats that were able to run on shore during D-Day. President Eisenhower said, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us. Without Higgins designed boats that could land over open beaches the whole strategy of the war would have to be rethought.” Considering the influence Higgins had on the strategy of the war, New Orleans is a perfect place for the WWII Museum. Higgins’s influence is also seen in the organization of the exhibit itself, for it is arranged by date or by each strategic move of the Allies. Within these different sections are mixed personnel stories and enlarged pictures of the war and those who fought in it.

The Museum is a place where the images and sounds of WWII meet modern technology to tell the stories of both sides of the conflict. The first display seen has the different flags of the countries involved in WWII in its background, sized for the amount of servicemen and women contributed to the war effort. In front stood small model soldiers, each representing a certain percentage of contributed servicemen and women. This display brings a statistic to life. Using charts, enlarged photographs, recreations utilizing WWII memorabilia, models, short films and multimedia presentations the voices of a generation can be heard and one of the most important events in modern history is explained to all generations. The museum has collected numerous oral histories, news and radio clips to help tell this story. By having individuals explain their experiences different ages can sympathize with and come to a better understanding of life during WWII.

There are many ways in which the European Front exhibit illustrates the events of WWII. A great aspect of the Museum is short multimedia presentations projected on to an oval floor screen. Both presentations visually and orally explain the different military movements during the war and at D-Day. Another great section of the exhibit is on propaganda in Allied nations. There is a diverse group of posters displayed including some vilifying the Germans, a few including Uncle Sam sternly calling Americans to sacrifice, and others complimenting the heroics of Allied soldiers. These posters reflect the serious side and dramatized side of war. The exhibit also includes many enlarged historical photographs; as one looks on the faces of the past, they are reminded of the great sacrifices suffered by both sides during WWII. The purpose of the WWII Museum is to educate by mixing historical objects with technology. The European Front Exhibit at the WWII Museum takes you on a journey through the past in order to understand how we became the nation we are today.

Not many people realize that the oldest museum in Louisiana, The Civil War Museum, is across the street from one of the newest museums, The War World II Museum. Though often overshadowed by the newer facilities across the way, the Civil War Museum offers a great amount of historical memorabilia that shall not be forgotten due to the dedication of the Memorial Hall Foundation. This non-profit group has maintained the Memorial Hall building, which has housed civil war memorabilia for 117 years. The building was donated by Frank T. Howard and has been under legal battle for the last 8 years. The battle over the property rights of the museum has taken the Memorial Hall Foundation to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. Though history is full of unpleasant beliefs and repugnant action, all history has a right to be preserved. For it is with the desire to preserve American history that the Memorial Hall Foundation fought against those who refuse to see the good and education in our past. Unlike what many assume, the museum preserves the character of our nation, not racism. As of 2003 an agreement was made and the museum will remain open. Unfortunately the weather has not acted in Memorial Hall’s Favor. Luckily Katrina caused no damage to the museum and its artifacts. Though the winds of Katrina did not affect the museum, a random storm in September 2007 caused huge water damage to one side of the museum. Some of the oil paintings are still being restored and a few of the swords rusted. However, the majority of items are back and the cases remain mostly undamaged.

Walking into the long cypress paneled hall with exposed beams transports you into the 1860s, for the building itself is quite amazing and historical. The Memorial Hall is the perfect venue for Civil War memorabilia. Veterans and their families, making the experience truly authentic and personal, donated the majority of the collection, 90%, after the civil war. Many of the artifacts are from the personal holdings of different soldiers, not just Generals. However, the museum boasts of a Jefferson Davis section, including personal items from before and after the civil war. The most interesting include his daughter’s Mardi Gras Comus jewelry and Davis’s saddle. The museum does an excellent job of showing civil war life to its patrons; the personal affects and hundreds of photographs illustrate civil war life, especially in the quickly conquered city of New Orleans. There is even a case about the creation of old photographs and lithographs. Civil War life in New Orleans is revealed through the cases referencing General William “Beast” Butler, (the military leader over New Orleans after its fall to the Union known for his disdain for Southerners). This section includes political drawings, General’s orders, photographs, and the silver spoons he stole from Confederate soldiers’ houses, giving him the infamous nickname “silver spoons.” Other exhibits include a huge array of weaponry, including guns and swords from the time period, uniforms, hats, and over 125 flags. One of my favorite cases held medical devices and an amputation kit, which made me think of the great advancements made in medicine and the poor soldiers who fought only to lose a limb in a painful, gut wrenching procedure. Many of the artifacts cause reflection. From handcrafted cups to sewing kits, the cases filled with personal items bring the past to life. To complete the experience is a knowledgeable staff, happy to talk with any patron. Next time you find yourself in New Orleans, do not forget Memorial Hall and the treasures of the past that so many have fought to preserve.

Marilyn vos Savant, in her regular column, was asked “where was the earliest known museum and what was displayed?”

Ms. vos Savant answers that the first museums as we understand them were located in Egypt, Greece, and Rome.  However, only scholars got to view anything kept inside and then only used as teaching tools, not viewed by the general public.

The first museum as we understand it today, she continues, was the Uffizi in Florence, Italy displaying paintings, statues and anything collected by the Medici.  It officially became a public museum, a word coined during the Renaissance in the 14th through 16th century, in 1769.

This squares with a book I recently bought at the Big Flea a while ago.  ‘To Have and To Hold:  An Intimate History of Collectors and Collectiing’ by Philipp Blom (The Overlook Press, 2002, ISBN 1-58567-377-3).  I’m not far into it yet, but the first collections were housed in studiolos and consisted of natural flora and fauna for visiting scholars and rich visitors only.