Dreaming of a White Christmas with the Highlands Museum
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
It’s a White Christmas at the Highlands Museum, as items on loan from the Rosemary Clooney Museum in Augusta, Kentucky make their debut in Ashland.
The exhibit was originally the idea of the previous Highlands Museum and Discovery Center’s previous director, Carol Allen. Allen had reached out to the Rosemary Clooney House concerning borrowing pieces for a new exhibit, and this year this dream has finally come to fruition.
“This year, the owners of the Rosemary Clooney house remembered that [their previous contact with the Highlands] and they were nice enough to reach out to us and say, ‘hey, we've got some items available if you would like to borrow them,’” explained Heather Whitman, the curator of the exhibit who has been a curator at the Highlands since 2010.
The Rosemary Clooney House Incorporated is a museum in Augusta, Ky based out of the famous actress’s childhood home. The house is owned by previous Miss Kentucky, Heather French Henry and former Lieutenant Governor Dr. Steve Henry and they are attempting to preserve the house and legacy of Rosemary Clooney by collecting items from her career. Heather French Henry was even mentored by Rosemary Clooney herself, from one small town girl to another. Supported by the Department of Tourism, and Paramount Studios, the museum has grown its exhibits since its opening in 2004.
She always implored me to never forget where I came from, and it was just really evident in her that she loves Kentucky. Kentucky loved her, and that's something that I wanted to carry on as well,” explained French Henry about the vision of the museum. “She [Rosemary Clooney] was a very stable force in my life after Miss America. She provided so much great information, and it was a great sort of Kentucky gal solidarity moment.”
Ashland was a particularly important home for the exhibit as Ashland remains one of the few cities with an actual Paramount Theater. The items on loan from the Rosemary Clooney house include garments and costumes worn by Clooney and other characters in the famous 1954 film, props (including the iconic green chairs) and many more.
“Some of the garments are faded. That's very normal with vintage clothing, but the fact that they have survived and that the Rosemary Clooney house has done such a good job of taking care of them, it’s just amazing. A lot of times with movie costumes, they would use it in other pieces and other films. They would take clothing apart and remake it. Some things are gone forever for that reason, so just the fact that they have what they have and what they were willing to let us borrow is very impressive,” expressed Whitman.
The exhibit seeks to highlight these costumes, as well as the impact and message of the film.
“The themes of it are exactly what we want: a thank you to the military. [It] highlights that our military is in harm's way during Christmas. Every year we've got military abroad, who miss their families and miss their children, their wives and mothers and dads–and that's what this movie starts out with,” explained Steve Henry.
The exhibit will be up through the month of Dec. at the Highlands and will be followed by several other White Christmas themed events. For more information about the exhibit and artifacts, check out the Highlands Museum website, and make sure to go and check out the exhibit for yourself!
