Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

[VMurphy]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Rick
I'd love to visit the Arabia again and have a "behind the scenes:" tour. I'm about 6hrs. away and have family in the area. So possibly I'll be able to get a tour sometime during the summer??

Thanks to Matt, Anna, and all who posted photos. I do have the book they published but it's 7 or 8 yrs. old...There's so much more that has been conserved. It's great to see the latest displays.

It sounds like there might be enough people interested in a private tour that one for each "region of the country" might be in order. This is something that our group out of St.Louis has been discussing as a "research trip" for a couple of years, now.
Maybe we can get it organized this summer.



Regards
Vivian Murphy

http://www.themantuamaker.net

[Steamboat Willie]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

All,

I have been simply amazed at the attention this thread has received since Matt started it back in May. I do not wish to detract from the original intent of his posting, so forgive me if I stray off the path too far here.

I have talked with the museum about doing a backroom tour for the AC Forum faithful. While we still have to work a out a few minor details, essentially it's a go. For anyone who ever wondered what we were hiding behind the glass, this is your chance to find out. It think it also important to note that this is probably the last tour of it's kind at the museum.

In a word, tours like this are hard, -- It's hard on the artifacts, it's hard in terms of space, and it's really hard on the guy who has been running them. -- and as such we have only offered two previous programs similar to the one I'm proposing here.

Truth be told, I'm pretty sure I only have one of these tours left in me. While you can never say never, this will be my last one. And as such, the last for the Arabia.
So I am talking about a true once in a lifetime happening.

Incidently, those attending will be charged a discounted museum entrance -- about $10 -- as their sole fee for the day. So it's a fairly affordable once in a lifetime happening.

Event Date and Reservation details to follow soon.


Best Regards,

[AZReenactor]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Looking forward to the tour opportunity. Please push the date far enough out so that those of us from far distances can plan accordingly. I'm planning on adjusting my route home from Marmaduke's Raid so that I can visit the museum on Sept. 30 but would definitely be interested in another trip East for a back room tour.

[Steamboat Willie]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Troy,

I will have the official date nailed down by the end of the week, but I have been looking for a time free of other pre-planned events, that is distant enough where folks can plan ahead.

The months of January and February are a very slow time for most museums and the Arabia is no exception. Expect the date to fall in there somewhere. I understand that a trip to Kansas City in the heart of winter doesn't sound very appealing, but it's the best time to do a program like this. I'll try to have an official posting by Saturday.

Best Regards,

[MO-Pard]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

In a word, tours like this are hard, -- It's hard on the artifacts, it's hard in terms of space, and it's really hard on the guy who has been running them. -- and as such we have only offered two previous programs similar to the one I'm proposing here.

Truth be told, I'm pretty sure I only have one of these tours left in me. While you can never say never, this will be my last one. And as such, the last for the Arabia.
So I am talking about a true once in a lifetime happening.



Rick- If my schedule permits, since I have wandered around the back rooms and helped/held artifacts before, I'd be glad to help you if you need assistance.

Best Regards

[Arch Campbell]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned my personal favorite artifacts at the Arabia yet. 4 or 5 years ago (when I was last there) they were in the very first room, with the other "stars" of the haul. They are a pair of boots, as I recall not at all child-sized but still smallish. They have on their front-tops, EMBOSSED and GILDED, the image of a mule tied to a fence at an "Old Kentucky Home" or some such. Seriously.
They are without a doubt one of the coolest clothing items from the period I have ever seen.
If anyone has an image of them to share (I'm afraid I do not, technology and I don't get along well,) I'm sure many readers will fall in love with them as I did.

[EasySam]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I'm really surprised no one has mentioned my personal favorite artifacts at the Arabia yet. 4 or 5 years ago (when I was last there) they were in the very first room, with the other "stars" of the haul. They are a pair of boots, as I recall not at all child-sized but still smallish. They have on their front-tops, EMBOSSED and GILDED, the image of a mule tied to a fence at an "Old Kentucky Home" or some such. Seriously.
They are without a doubt one of the coolest clothing items from the period I have ever seen.
If anyone has an image of them to share (I'm afraid I do not, technology and I don't get along well,) I'm sure many readers will fall in love with them as I did.

There are many wonderful things there and I have to agree with Arch that those boots were the coolest. It would be great to get a repro pair. On one of my visits to the Arabia, when Mr. Hawley spoke with us and took questions, I asked what was his favorite. He said a box full of carpenter's tools. These tools were not part of the cargo but belonged to a passenger. He said that having been a man who had worked in a trade, it created a more personal attachment. That passenger lost his livelyhood, at least for awhile. Like all of you, on each trip there I wondered what more they had and wouldn't it be neat to get to go behind the doors. If a visit can be arranged and if I would be welcome, I certainly would be there.

[mtodriscoll]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

So what did at least one type of stick matches look like and how were they packaged? These below have the phosphorous tips disolved away, but you'll get the idea. The wooden containers were about two inches in diameter. They varied a little which was from being waterlogged and then shrinkage. Dave and I looked under the cap to see if there was a rough place, i.e. glued sand paper, but we found nothing but a dark spot. Couldn't tell if it was discolorization from the phosphorous tips, where glue had been or simply age. So who's going to tackle making these now?

Well, I took a shot at making one of these and the pics below are what I came up with. It's my first prototype, and I learned a few lessons. For starters, I made it too short and had to cut the matches to get them to fit inside with the lid closed. The next version will be a little longer. I also need to find some strike-anywhere matches. The matches in the picture are the kind that need the side of the box to strike on. Will update when the next version is completed. The cylinder has 1-1/4" outside diameter.

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I was able to squeeze in a visit to the Arabia two weeks ago while visiting the in-laws with my wife (thank God for sunken river packets) and something kind of popped out to me that I hadn't noticed before. For a boat going up stream to re-supply stores as well as deliver families to yonder western frontiers, I was struck by the lack of durable farm goods such as plows and the repair equipment for a plow, scythes, or other pieces. I asked one of the preservation specialists and was given what seems to be the museum line about mainly women and children on the boat that trip and that most men and their agricultural implements were already ahead on the future farm. Leaving questions of historiography and accurate research aside, the boat's departure date of late August would put it well within a window that stores would be receiving goods to sell to farmers for the harvesting of goods. Realizing that there are several thousand goods still in storage awaiting preservation, is there the small possibility of some form of agricultural goods still waiting to go on display?

And not wanting to sound like a completely spoiled brat, I did enjoy the new display of rubber and gutta percha goods. The one artifact that really caught my eye that I'd never noticed before was the foil package of pipe tobacco.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Bob,

There are many items yet to be preserved and put on display. I don't know if there is any farm stuff like you mention. There are about 3000 pairs of shoes and boots, a couple prefab homes, and tons of stuff still waiting for the slow preservation process.

[Jeff Prechtel]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt- Does anybody have a pic of the boots that Mr. Campbell mentioned?
I seem to recall seeing them somewhere....here or maybe on the Arabia website.
I also seem to recall various other pairs that were similar to those that had
slogans and/or graphics on them. I'd love to get one of the vendors to make
a pair of boots that had something similar on the tops, what a living history
conversation piece that'd be!

[26th NC]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Jeff, let me look. KC is where my parents live and I go to the Arabia everytime I am in town. The last time there they were preserving several pairs of shoes and boots and I was allowed to see themup close. Let me see what photos I have and I'll send them to you. Give me an email address to send them to.

Layton Pennington

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Jeff,

without going through the photos here and on the Arabia site, I think they are on both. But they may not be as close up as you want to have some reproduce them.

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

from the Arabia'a facebook page:

"Arabia Steamboat Museum The History Channel’s series, “Life After People” will broadcast a story about the Steamboat Arabia on March 9th at 9:00 PM central time. The episode is entitled, “DEPTHS OF DESTRUCTION.” They were interested in discovering what becomes of man-made items if left untouched for 100 years or more. In the case of the A...rabia Collection it was remarkably well preserved. Tune in and see what the History Channel has to say about this incredible collection."

Pat Cunningham

[Shantyman]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I've heard before that sailors were forbidden to have points on their knifes. I took this for a reenactorism but darned if some of those pocket knives don't look like they had their points cut off or filed down and rounded.

This is a gold mine of info, thanks so much. Keep it coming.