Indianapolis, Eteljorg Museum, & Kachinas!

[scifan57]

Power of Poison - Traveling Exhibit

Another attraction at the Indiana State Museum was the traveling exhibit The Power of Poison described in the quotes below. Originally presented at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City several years ago - now making tour stops. The exhibit starts w/ poisons in nature (plants, animals, etc.) and continues with poison in myth & legend, then onto villains and victims, and ending with poison for good - a fascinating presentation that we hurried through too fast (crowded on a Saturday afternoon) - I could have easily spent an afternoon there - also highly recommended. Dave




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When most people think of Indianapolis they think of the Indy 500, not museums like this. Thanks for showing us that there’s so much more in Indianapolis than car racing.

 

[giradman]

When most people think of Indianapolis they think of the Indy 500, not museums like this. Thanks for showing us that there’s so much more in Indianapolis than car racing.

Hi Scifan.. - our first visit to Indianapolis was in 1992 when we took our son to Indiana University in Bloomington for his freshman year - we toured the Motor Speedway which included a van tour on the 2 1/2 mile track - I've never been back in our many visits to Indianapolis over 20 years or so since our son and DIL have lived in the city, nor have they ever gone to the race - frequently they plan an 'out of town' activity to avoid the crowd - according to the link, the Speedway "has a permanent seating capacity estimated at 235,000 with infield seating raising capacity to an approximate 400,000. It is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world." There is also the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort w/ four of the holes on the infield of the race course.

So, there is much more to do in Indy than attend a car race - Some examples shown in the pics - the Canal is beautiful although we've never 'boated' on the water; the Zoo is worth a visit and is near the downtown museums; we occasionally go to the Museum of Art, especially if there is a special exhibit. Our son is a huge Colts fans and has tons of memorabilia in his basement 'man's cave' - the Presidential Benjamin Harrison House can be toured (which we attempted but no docent was present - must go back). There are certainly other activities, plenty of good restaurants, and interesting surrounding communities and state historic sites which we have not explored much (need a longer visit than 3 nights) - thus for someone or a family w/ no interest in car racing (including us), there is plenty to do in and around the city. Of course, Indianapolis is the state capitol and its building(s) can be toured, which we not done at least yet. Dave

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[giradman]

Gennett Records - Starr Piano Company - Richmond, Indiana

Richmond, Indiana is a small town on the Ohio state border (see map), first famous for the Starr Piano Company (first quote), and then in 1917 for its phonographic offshoot, Gennett Records (last two quotes) - now, I've never visited the town, but have had many jazz & blues recordings made there in my CD collection for years.

When at the gift shop of the Indiana State Museum, I purchased the book shown below, Jelly Roll, Bix & Hoagy - Gennett Records and the Rise of America's Musical Grassroots by Rick Kennedy - a revised and expanded edition - just amazing what came out of their 'primitive' recording studio - at the moment, I'm listening to the 4-CD compilation remastered and produced by JSP of 1922-1930 recordings (last pic below). We really need to explore the 'environs' of Indianapolis on our next visits there - Dave

The Starr Piano Company story begins in Richmond in 1872 when James Starr, partnered with Alsatian piano craftsman George Trayser to open a small piano factory downtown. By the mid-1880s, the growing factory operated in the gorge of the Whitewater River under the “Starr” name. In 1893, three Southern investors, including Henry Gennett of Nashville, Tennessee, acquired control of the company. At the turn of the century, the Gennett family assumed full ownership of Starr Piano. By then, the Starr factory in the gorge of the Whitewater River had become one of the largest in the world devoted to the production of pianos. That it made room for quality as well as quantity is evident in the top honors the company’s top models took at national and international expositions. But even before the United States entered World War I in 1917, the phonograph had begun to displace the parlor piano as the primary “home entertainment center.” When key phonograph technology patents expired in 1916, Starr took advantage of its mechanical and woodworking facilities to add phonographs and phonograph records to its product line. At first, all or most recordings were made in talent-rich New York City, sent to Richmond for duplication, and distributed from there with a Starr label. But because other piano and phonograph companies were reluctant to sell in their own stores records bearing the name of a competitor, Starr soon changed its label to Gennett, for Henry Gennett, by then the company’s president. Thereafter, Starr’s recording business operated as Gennett Records. (Source)

Gennett was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings of Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and Hoagy Carmichael. Its roster also included Jelly Roll Morton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, and Gene Autry. Gennett Records was founded in Richmond, Indiana, by the Starr Piano Company. It released its first records in October 1917. The company took its name from its top managers: Harry, Fred and Clarence Gennett. Earlier, the company had produced recordings under the Starr Records label. Gennett set up recording studios in New York City and later, in 1921, set up a second studio on the grounds of the piano factory in Richmond under the supervision of Ezra C.A. Wickemeyer. The sides recorded in Richmond are decidedly below average in audio fidelity, and sometimes have a crude sound and show problems of inconsistent speed of the turntable while the master was being recorded, problems which the major labels had solved some 20 years earlier. (Source)

Gennett is best remembered for the wealth of early jazz talent recorded on the label, including sessions by Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, The New Orleans Rhythm Kings, King Oliver's band with the young Louis Armstrong, Lois Deppe's Serenaders with the young Earl Hines, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, The Red Onion Jazz Babies,The State Street Ramblers, Zack Whyte and his Chocolate Beau Brummels, Alphonse Trent and his Orchestra and many others. Gennett also recorded early blues and gospel music artists such as Thomas A. Dorsey, Sam Collins, Jaybird Coleman, as well as early hillbilly or country music performers such as Vernon Dalhart, Bradley Kincaid, Ernest Stoneman, Fiddlin' Doc Roberts, and Gene Autry. (Source)

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[suenc]

November 2017 - return visit to see our son & DIL, just our usual 3-night stay - one afternoon we toured the Sun King Brewery in downtown Indianapolis, the city's only brewery although the state has dozens of craft beer makers. Our son signed up for the extended tour, which was just over an hour long and included the main building and also a smaller structure w/ their 'craft beers' aged in a variety of used oak barrels (bourbon, rum, wine, etc.). The business is only 8 years old but has had millions of dollars of expansion w/ numerous jacketed stainless steel fermenters - their output listed in the quotes below (from previous link) and the pic is 18,000 barrels but that was in 2012 - according to our excellent guide, if I recall correctly, Sun King is currently producing at least twice that amount w/ numerous distribution sites throughout Indiana and now into Chicago, Illinois.

Our tour included a nice tasting glass w/ their logo - we tried all 3 of their 'Active Beers' (see pic) and also one of the seasonal ones, i.e. Fistful of Hops (an Indian Pale Ale style, one of my favorite beers - love those hops!). We also tasted several of their craft barrel beers, which were somewhat weird (and experimental in my mind) - these are sold in screw-top cans at a premium price (like $20+ for two cans) only at the brewery. A deli-style restaurant just opened (couple of pics below) which we did not try, but probably will on our next visit. There was also a small gift shop and we picked up some tee-shirts and several 4-can cartons, including the hoppy one. Next year the company is opening a distillery in Carmel where our son lives, so that may be a visit too. For those reading this thread and are in or near Indy (and enjoy beer), then a visit is highly recommended (sign up for a tour online or call). Dave




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I enjoyed sampling the beers. Their “experimental” citrus beer was mouth-puckering--it will never hit the market. The brewery was small and friendly. Indianapolis has some interesting sites, but you do have to do a little hunting.

 

[suenc]

Gennett Records - Starr Piano Company - Richmond, Indiana

Richmond, Indiana is a small town on the Ohio state border (see map), first famous for the Starr Piano Company (first quote), and then in 1917 for its phonographic offshoot, Gennett Records (last two quotes) - now, I've never visited the town, but have had many jazz & blues recordings made there in my CD collection for years.

When at the gift shop of the Indiana State Museum, I purchased the book shown below, Jelly Roll, Bix & Hoagy - Gennett Records and the Rise of America's Musical Grassroots by Rick Kennedy - a revised and expanded edition - just amazing what came out of their 'primitive' recording studio - at the moment, I'm listening to the 4-CD compilation remastered and produced by JSP of 1922-1930 recordings (last pic below). We really need to explore the 'environs' of Indianapolis on our next visits there - Dave






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Do you think they would let me play one? I played Frank Lloyd Wright’s piano at Taliesin West in Arizona.

 

[giradman]

Do you think they would let me play one? I played Frank Lloyd Wright’s piano at Taliesin West in Arizona.

Well, Susan has 'chimed in' w/ some comments!

Over the decades, we've made many trips to the Southwest states, mainly attending medical meetings in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area - we toured Taliesin West (brief quote below + some pics from the web) - during our tour we sat in the 'music hall' and Frank's piano was rolled out to the front (seems to be in a rock recess in the pic) - our guide asked whether anyone wanted to play the piano and Susan volunteered (she's good on that instrument) - forget the song she played, but all were appreciative and the piano was indeed in tune! Dave

Taliesin West was architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school in the desert from 1937 until his death in 1959 at the age of 91. Today it is the main campus of the School of Architecture at Taliesin and houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Open to the public for tours, Taliesin West is located on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. The complex drew its name from Wright's summer home, Taliesin, in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

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[giradman]

New Trip to Indy - October 2019 - New Grand Dog + Hugh Jackman Show!

Just returned from a 4-night trip to Indianapolis to see our son, DIL, and new 5+ month old grand dog, Brody, a Maltese 'toy' breed - also, we had tickets to the Hugh Jackman Show (short synopsis below - more on the link, if interested) - he was outstanding! The venue was held at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Pacers play basketball - pics below of the inside/outside, plus a pano I did w/ Susan's iPhone - there were over 10,000 attending (the arena holds about 18,000 depending on the seating arrangement, according to the link). Finally, a pic of Susan & me w/ Brody just before our departure to fly back home. Dave

Hugh Jackman in Concert
While this is billed as a one-man show, Hugh Jackman The Show doesn’t disappoint. Jackman is accompanied by a 26-piece live orchestra, 30 backup singers and numerous dancers, creating a delightful musical and visual experience while he serenades you through all of his most popular vocal performances. This is a Broadway-style concert, so expect for Hugh Jackman to use his acting talents to bring each song to life as if it were a snippet directly from Broadway. Hugh Jackman is not your typical singer on tour, which will be apparent from the first notes of the opening song until the last refrain. Like any veteran of the stage, Hugh Jackman gives an exciting performance that is sure to have fans talking about him long after the final curtain closes. (Source)

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[suenc]

A good time was had by all. Jackman was the consummate entertainer. Our new Maltese family member, Brody, us a charmer!