by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider

Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibit explores themes related to courtship, love, and wedding traditions in Kentucky over the last 150 years. This beautifully curated and intricately designed exhibition highlights fashion, jewelry, décor, and gifting while encouraging visitors to learn more about traditions from the past, and those from other cultures.

From white wedding dresses to engagement rings, this display will span from ancient Rome, through the 1800s, and into modern-day Kentucky, where interracial and LGBTQ couples have been foundational to legal precedent taken all the way to the United States Supreme Court.  

The exhibit, curated by Frazier’s Senior Curator of Exhibitions Amanda Briede, is described in the official press release as being “a bouquet of history, fashion, bling, ritual, and equity that will not only teach but make our guests feel.  It’s the historical and personal significance of the rituals that bind people and community. Whether it’s love or marriage or both, it’s sure to stir up memories of your special day.  For better … or worse.”

Naturally curious about how this exhibit came to be, in addition to wanting the backstory about a number of elements to it, explains why the Arts Insider reached out to Frazier History Museum’s Communications & Research Specialist, Simon Meiners (he/him), with the following questions: 

TODAY’S WOMAN: Whose idea was the Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibit? 

SIMON MEINERS: “It’s an exhibition that’s been talked about for several years. With the collection the Frazier received from the Kentucky Science Center back in 2023, we finally had enough wedding dresses to curate the exhibition.”

TW: What research process was involved in acquiring the dresses?

MEINERS: “The majority of the dresses come from our own collection. We reached out to Kentucky residents to borrow additional dresses representing different communities and cultural traditions found within the state.”

TW: Which dresses are the oldest in the exhibit?

MEINERS: “There is one dress from the 1840s that belonged to George Rogers Clark’s grand-niece *Fanny Thruston Ballard. We also have a timeline of dresses that features one dress from each decade, spanning the 1870s to the 2020s.”

TW:  Which dresses are the most ‘delicate’ due to age or material?

MEINERS: “The most delicate dress is the dress that belonged to Mary Brown, grandmother of J. McCauley “Mac” Brown. Her dress was specially conserved for the exhibition. The dress’s silk is shattering, so it must be handled with care.”

TW: What is the most unusual wedding dress material in this exhibit?

MEINERS: “One of the dresses we have was made during WWII out of military parachute material.”

TW: Are there any particular sentimental stories (or even tragic) behind any of the dresses?

MEINERS: “The last gallery features stories of significant Kentuckians. One of those stories is about Mabel Graham Kelly. The exhibition features the brown skirt suit Mabel wore to her wedding in the 1930s. Mabel was an amateur photographer and a teacher prior to her marriage to Wallace McElroy Kelly. Once she became Mrs. Kelly, she stopped teaching. It seems this may not have been her own decision, but rather a decision made by the government. As early as the 1890s, certain states had a ban on hiring or continuing to employ women who were married. According to the defenders of this law, it was unnecessary for married women to work, since their husbands were already working. According to supporters of this law, women were taking jobs away from good able-bodied men who needed work. This sentiment only grew after the first World War when men began to return from combat. By 1940, twenty-six states restricted married women from holding employment in government. State bans generally affected teachers and clerical workers. Despite the probable reason for her no longer holding a teaching position, she began accompanying her husband, Wallace, on his photography ventures. She even stars with the rest of their family in a short film directed and produced by her husband titled Our Day. Silent, and shot in black and white, the film shows the daily life of a rural Kentucky family.”

As to whether Meiners knows if any of the brides whose wedding attire are part of this exhibit were ever captured on canvas or with a camera for an official portrait that one might find in a museum today, he says “The Filson Historical Society may have a copy of a portrait of *Fanny Thruston Ballard.”

And the most well-known bride, whose gown is part of this one-of-a-kind exclusive to the Frazier History Museum?

That honor goes to Heather French Henry, crowned the 2000 Miss America, and who is also a former second lady of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“Heather’s strapless white gown worn at her 2000 wedding is on display, in addition to the black tailcoat, white pleated shirt, white satin tie, and white satin vest worn by the groom, Lt. Gov. Steve Henry (the 52nd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1995- 2003),” Meiners reveals.

WHEN: Runs through March of 2026. Museum Hours: Monday-Saurday: 10AM-5PM & Sundays: 11AM-4PM
WHERE: Frazier History Museum, 829 W. Main St., 40202
TICKETS: www.fraziermuseum.org

   *GA admission prices under (Military/Senior/Students/Children)