Collection Spotlight
Our museum's collection team are the caretakers of a wide range of one-of-a-kind historical objects and archives, ballooning memorabilia, works of art, and more. Some artifacts date back to the beginning of ballooning in the late 18th century while more contemporary collection items connect to recent ballooning milestones and events. Our Collection Spotlight often features artifacts that may not relate to a specific exhibit on display but enable museum visitors to get a close-up look at intriguing pieces from the collections.
- Collection Spotlight presented by Eric Wimmer, curator of collections
- Currently on display as of March 2026
Item A - Painting: Will Rogers at the County Fair, 1951; Maurice Bower (American, 1889-1980); oil on canvas. Soukup and Thomas Collection PB2002.001.1618
Item B - Magazine: Blue Book Magazine, October 1951; in on paper; gift of Cara Herold PB2026.0003.001
Maurice Bower’s Will Rogers at the County Fair was created for the October 1951 cover of Blue Book Magazine, a leading pulp publication of the early twentieth century known for its influential illustrators and striking wraparound covers. A regular contributor, Bowen was central to the magazine’s visual identity during its mid-century peak.
Part of the Men of America series, the painting evokes a nostalgic 1920s county fair, a period when Will Rogers stood at the height of his cultural influence. Framed by the imagery of popular leisure, including a yellow gas balloon, Bowen presents Rogers as both celebrity and everyman, reflecting his role as “America’s Cowboy Philosopher” and a trusted national voice during a formative moment in American popular culture.
- Collection Spotlight presented by Rachel Blomquist, museum registrar
- Displayed from October 2025 through March 2026
Item - Book: Description des Expériences de la Machine Aérostatique de MM. de Montgolfier (1783)
This book is the earliest book ever written on the first balloon flights, unmanned or manned. It is also the oldest book in our special collections library. It was written by Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741-1819) in hopes to gather all the appropriate and factual information of the first ever flying machine in 1783. He compiles the book as letters to the public and includes five more letters from various people that have taken an interest or witnessed the first experiment as well. He is very enthusiastic about writing his observations and poking at the rest of the world as France can claim this world changing achievement and scientific advancement.