Kepi and other treasures

[elisabeth]

You might enjoy feasting your eyes on some very gorgeous items in the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum's online collection -- stuff that belonged to Keogh!

Two warnings: first, it's impossible to give you the direct link, so there's a hoop to jump through. If you go to this:

www.autrynationalcenter.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe

you'll find yourself on their Search page. In the 'Search Database' box, type 'Keogh' and click on the Search button. With luck, that should take you through to the right page.

Second warning: their captioning will drive you insane. 'Calvary' for 'cavalry' is the least of their errors! But it's worth a few moments of tooth-grinding to see these lovely things ...

[Melani]

Thanks, Elizabeth! I especially liked the picture of Buford's staff identified as Papal Guards! Now, aren't these guys supposed to have the largest collection of Keogh memoribilia around? You'd think they'd know their own collection a little better!

[elisabeth]

I liked Keogh fighting in the Mexican war, too ... Alarming, isn't it!

[Melani]

I discussed the matter with my colleagues in the museum where I work, and we all agreed that we would die of embarrassment to have a mistake like that on our website. So I have sent the Gene Autry folks a very polite and carefully-worded email suggesting that they might like to correct the "Mexican War" and "Pontifical Zouaves" captions, saying that I was sure the curators knew this stuff and there must have been a miscommunication with the webmaster--that was the probable explanation that our historian suggested. I hope they follow through--it's a shame to have stuff like that available to confuse the public.

[elisabeth]

Oh, well done! I tried the same when I first saw the captions, and got no response whatsoever -- but maybe it'll carry more weight coming from you. (I may not have been cool-headed enough at the time to word mine as tactfully!)

[Melani]

I didn't represent myself as anything but a private individual, which is what I am. I'm now wondering what would happen if I got all my friends to send them similar messages--maybe if they got a whole lot of them, it might get their attention. But I probably won't--this is beginning to sound like somebody with too much time on their hands.

[Lawtonka]

Hey, that was a nice treat. The Kepi looks pristine!

[elisabeth]

Glad you enjoyed them, Lawtonka! It's the helmet that gets to me -- SO glamorous ...

Melani: well, I suspect we ALL sound like that! I've just had another look at the site, and it appears what they've done with the Pontifical Zouaves thing is simply transposed two captions -- as the PZ picture is listed as shortly to appear directly below the Buford's Boys one. Doesn't excuse all the other daft errors, though. Plus now they even seem to have lost their scroll bar (on my computer at least). Maybe a mass e-mail campaign, such as you suggest, would make them sit up ... Or maybe, if they still show no sign of responding to your message once New Year's out of the way, an old-fashioned letter landing on the right person's desk might have an effect. Sometimes letters are harder to ignore! I'll do some investigating, see if I can find out who the relevant curator is. Unless anyone on the board happens to know?

[Lawtonka]

Hey, ya'll check out these two links. I found them tonight just surfing for photos. There is a ton of Custer realted stuff that was sold in November!

There is Custers field chair used in the IW

Ya just gotta go look for yourself!


www.americanaexchange.com/NewAE/auction/auctiondetail.asp?par=&m=11&aid=994&page=8

www.historicamericana.com/

[Melani]

Huzzah! The Gene Autry folks cleaned up their act and changed the captions! There is hope after all! Now I wonder how soon they'll notice that the "cotton" kepi is actually wool? Oh, well, that's a minor point. Plus, they have added new images. Check it out!

[elisabeth]

Hooray!!! Victory!