Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/129660
FROM TOP: An Aspen Historical Society image depicts a motorcycle and sidecar along Independence Pass; Polish and Russian immigrants aboard a ship coming to America in 1905; the automobile entrance to the Old Colorado Midland Railway tunnel in 1934. Ashcroft ghost towns, the Holden/Marolt Mining and Ranching Museum, the Wheeler/Stallard Museum (the Society's West End home) and its archives, which hold more than 27,000 photos, 7,000 objects, and 6,000 documents pertaining to Aspen. Telling the story of Aspen seems to be a fitting theme for the yearlong 50th anniversary celebrations organized by the Society. "We thought nostalgia would be important, and we wanted everything to be compelling to the current residents of the Roaring Fork Valley as well," says Hanson. "We ended up with quarterly events, beginning with Wintersköl and the Mad Hatter's Ball, which was a great hit." Building on those successes, the Society will offer two special events this summer aimed at helping our community celebrate where we've been, who we are, and where we're going. The first is a Smithsonian traveling exhibit, hosted by the Society, called "Journey Stories," held at the Aspen Fire Department's downtown location from June 4–July 10. The exhibit explores the history of American travel from coast to coast, and how transportation and migration helped form a nation. Visitors to "Journey Stories" will explore four centuries of US history—including our own—along with the tales of Aspenites and how they arrived in the Roaring Fork Valley. This spring the Society began putting together the exhibit's local component by creating four-minute video recordings of people's stories, which play in a loop. "The Smithsonian exhibit just fell into our lap in terms of timing, and we couldn't be more thrilled," says Hanson. "Having an exhibit downtown that draws attention to how we all got here is a stupendous way to lure everyone into exploring our remarkable story." The second celebration is Chautauqua, a reimagination of the popular late-19th- and early-20th-century adult-education movement that emphasized arts and culture. It's set for July 8 –12 on the grounds of the Wheeler/Stallard Museum. In that era, circuit Chautauquas often visited small communities throughout the West that had little access to culture. Traversing the country, they delivered the message of education and cultural enlightenment to large crowds under humped tents. continued on page 80 ASPENPEAK-MAGAZINE.COM 076-080_AP_SP_HT_SUM_Fall_13.indd 77 PREVIOUS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE HERALD & REVIEW, DECATUR, ILLINOIS. THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ASPEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (INDEPENDENCE PASS, HAGERMAN PASS); LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/COURTESY OF ASPEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY/SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION (RUSSIANS) "Journey Stories" explores the history of American travel. 77 5/6/13 11:03 AM