This Just In Exhibit Opens At Study

The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is pleased to announce the opening of our 2022 exhibit “This Just In: Recent Acquisitions at the Museum.” The exhibit will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, in the Carriage House Interpretive Center at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum.

A lot of people may believe history museums stop adding to their collections. Lew Wallace died in 1905, after all, so nothing has changed about his life since then, right? But we are constantly learning new things about Lew. In the past few years, people have decided some pieces should come to the Museum as we help tell Lew’s story to the world. We have had paintings and other artwork inspired by Ben-Hur, The Fair God, and the Study grounds donated to us. Just last year we were contacted by someone who had a notarized document that the very ornate carriage lanterns they wanted to donate had been owned by Lew Wallace.

Some items are easier to verify than others (and some still haven’t been traced). In the 2022 exhibit, you’ll learn what guides a Museum’s decisions to collect (or not collect) certain pieces. We discuss aspects of our Vision & Mission Statements & Collections Policy, among other guiding documents, and we’ll tell the stories of some of the fantastic pieces we have added to our collection in the past decade.

The exhibit may be viewed free of charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. “This Just In” will run through early December 2022. The Study is also open for guided tours. The Museum requests visitors seeking a guided tour of the Study book their appointment ahead of time, but walk-ins will be accommodated as much as possible. Tours last approximately one hour and are $7 for adults and $3 or $1 for students. As a precaution, Museum staff will still wear masks.

Other upcoming events at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum include American Battlefield Trust’s Park Day on Saturday, April 2, and Hoosier Authors Book Club on Thursday, April 7. Park Day is a grounds work day from 9 a.m. to noon. Hoosier Authors Book Club will be virtual on Zoom; participants must register ahead of time to receive a link.

For more information about the exhibit, visit https://www.ben-hur.com/programs/annual-exhibit/ or contact Larry Paarlberg at 765-362-5769 or [email protected].

About GLWSM

The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is deeply committed to the protection and preservation of Lew Wallace’s legacy now and for generations to come. The museum is located on Wallace’s home site in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and is where he wrote Ben-Hur. His unique and personal Study, built in the 1890s, is a National Historic Landmark and the home of the world’s largest collection of General Wallace’s personal memorabilia. For more information, please visit the museum website: www.ben-hur.com.