Behringer-Crawford Museum announces a special virtual NKY History Hour on Tuesday, August 6 at 6:30 p.m. Author Jessica K. Whitehead presents her book, The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects, which delves into the rich and inclusive history of America’s longest continuously held sporting event.
In her book, Whitehead embarks on a journey to uncover the accurate history of the Kentucky Derby, giving readers a personal tour of 75 carefully selected objects from the Kentucky Derby Museum. Her selections bring to light the significant contributions of Black, Latin American, and female riders, owners, and trainers, placing them closer to the center of the Derby story.
For this special NKY History Hour, Whitehead will focus on 10 objects from her book, offering an in-depth look at their historical significance and the stories they tell.
“To understand the Kentucky Derby is to understand the contemporary American spirit,” Whitehead explains. The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects aims to balance well-known stories with those less widely shared, providing a fuller, more inclusive history of this iconic event.
Register and participate in the free presentation by Behringer-Crawford Museum online.
Information on connecting to the Zoom session will be sent after registration. The event will also be streamed live on BCM’s Facebook page. All recordings of past episodes can be viewed at www.bcmuseum.org.
Jessica K. Whitehead is the Curator of Collections for the Kentucky Derby Museum, where she has recently written The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects published through University Press of Kentucky. Outside of the Derby Museum, Jessica has studied Harlan Hubbard since her student days at Hanover (Class of 2011), curating multiple exhibits in the region and providing the introduction to The Watercolors of Harlan Hubbard, released in 2021. Her upcoming biography of Harlan Hubbard, Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard, will be released by University Press of Kentucky on February 22, 2025. Whitehead served as a founding board member of the new non-profit Payne Hollow on the Ohio, where she still consults on its collection of artifacts. She is currently a board member for the Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance.
NKY History Hour programs take place every other Tuesday evening from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and are free to the public. To support NKY History Hour and access many other entertaining and thought-provoking programs for free, join BCM today.
Behringer-Crawford Museum