Tag Archives: Bernie Babcock

Women’s History Month – Bernie Babcock

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Julia Burnelle “Bernie” Smade Babcock was an author and museum founder.  When her husband died, leaving her with five children, she starting writing for money. She published several temperance novels and later wrote for the Arkansas Democrat.  She also published a magazine, wrote plays which were performed in New York, and authored a poetry anthology.  She later became recognized as an expert on Abraham Lincoln and wrote several books about him, as well as other historical figures.  For her writing skills, she became the first Arkansas woman to be included in Who’s Who in America.

In 1927, after professional curmudgeon H. L. Mencken wrote derisively of Arkansas, she decided to start a museum. The Museum of Natural History and Antiquities was first located in a Main Street storefront.  In 1929, she “gave the City of Little Rock a Christmas present” by giving the museum to the city.  It was relocated to the unfinished third floor of City Hall, with her as its employee. After being closed during part of the Great Depression, she relocated the museum to the Arsenal Building and reopened it as the Museum of Natural History.  She was involved in the efforts to rename City Park in honor of Douglas MacArthur (who had been born there) and welcomed him when he came to Little Rock in 1952.

Following her retirement in 1953, she moved to Petit Jean Mountain where she wrote and painted.

After more name changes and a relocation, her museum is now known as the Museum of Discovery and is an anchor in the River Market district.

Poetry Month: Bernie Babcock & “The Sun-Caressed Prairies of Arkansas”

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BabcockBernie_fBernie Babcock was an author and museum founder.  Born in April 1868 in Ohio, she moved with her family to Arkansas as a child.  Marrying and starting a family, she also continued to write, which had been a passion since she was younger.  When her husband died, leaving her with five children, she starting writing for money. She published several temperance novels and later wrote for the Arkansas Democrat.  She also published a magazine and a poetry anthology.

In 1927, after professional curmudgeon H. L. Mencken wrote derisively of Arkansas, she decided to start a museum. The Museum of Natural History and Antiquities was first located in a Main Street storefront.  In 1929, she “gave the City of Little Rock a Christmas present” by giving the museum to the city.  She was associated with the museum until her retirement in 1953.  She moved to Petit Jean Mountain and wrote and painted. After her death in June 1962, she was buried at Oakland Cemetery.

This is her poem “The Sun-Caressed Prairies of Arkansas” which is found in the 1906 book Pictures and Poems Of Arkansas which she co-edited with O. C. Ludwig.

The Sun-Caressed Prairies of Arkansas

From a line on the east
To a line on the west,
Where the green of the field
Meets the blue of the sky,
Stretching boundless and free
As the breast of the sea
The sun-caressed prairies
Of Arkansas lie.

Here acre bounds acre
In rich store of treasure;
Here the grain and the grass
In luxuriance vie;
Here the billowing rice,
For man’s toil pays the price
Where the sun-caressed prairies
Of Arkansas lie.

The meadow lark’s song
And the spring blossom’s grace
Make a poem delighting
The ear and the eye;
But this poem’s meaning
Proves best in the gleaning—
Where the sun-caressed prairies
Of Arkansas lie.

LR Cultural Touchstone: Bernie Babcock

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BabcockBernie_fLittle Rock’s rich cultural history has been influenced by many outstanding men and women.  This October, during Arts & Humanities Month 2014, the Culture Vulture is looking at 31 outstanding women who have shaped cultural life in Little Rock…and beyond.

Julia Burnelle “Bernie” Smade Babcock was an author and museum founder.  Born in April 1868 in Ohio, she moved with her family to Arkansas as a child.  Marrying and starting a family, she also continued to write, which had been a passion since she was younger.  When her husband died, leaving her with five children, she starting writing for money. She published several temperance novels and later wrote for the Arkansas Democrat.  She also published a magazine and a poetry anthology.  She later became recognized as an expert on Abraham Lincoln and wrote several books about him, as well as other historical figures.

In 1927, after professional curmudgeon H. L. Mencken wrote derisively of Arkansas, she decided to start a museum. The Museum of Natural History and Antiquities was first located in a Main Street storefront.  In 1929, she “gave the City of Little Rock a Christmas present” by giving the museum to the city.  It was relocated to the unfinished third floor of City Hall, with her as its employee.  In 1933, as New Deal programs were ramping up, the space was needed for WPA offices, and the museum was shuttered. Many of the museum’s artifacts were lost during this time.    She became folklore editor for the Federal Writers’ Project in 1935.

In 1941, she and businessman Fred Allsopp convinced the City of Little Rock to reopen the museum (then known as the Museum of Natural History) by locating it in the old Arsenal Building in City Park.  She lived in the basement of the building.  She was involved in the efforts to rename City Park in honor of Douglas MacArthur (who had been born there) and welcomed him when he came to Little Rock in 1952.  Retiring from the museum in 1953, she donated some items and billed the City $800 for others. That money was her retirement pension at age 85.

Moving to Petit Jean Mountain, she wrote, painted and published poetry.  She died in June 1962 at age 94.  She is buried in Little Rock’s Oakland Cemetery.

After more name changes and a relocation, her museum is now known as the Museum of Discovery and is an anchor in the River Market district.

Arts & Humanities Month: Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery, which has its roots as Little Rock’s oldest museum, is currently closed for renovations.  First founded in the 1920s by Bernie Babcock in a streetfront store, it later was housed in Little Rock City Hall and for many years called the old Arsenal building in MacArthur Park its home. In the 1990s, it moved to the burgeoning River Market district as an anchor tenant in the Museum Center building.

In April 2011, the museum closed for a reimagination of its space in the building.  Once it reopens to the public in early 2012, the Museum of Discovery will, for the first time in 85 years have a streetfront entrance.  Once inside, visitors will experience Arkansas’ premier science center with exhibits geared to all ages from pre-school up to adulthood.  This expansion and renovation was made possible through the support of the hundreds of donors, the tireless efforts of a Board of Directors, the generosity of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, support of the City of Little Rock and the vision and leadership of Nan Selz, the museum’s executive director.

While the museum is closed, its camps, traveling exhibits and participation in the Arkansas Discovery Network has continued.  Special events such as Dino Dash and Uncorked have continued as well.  Tonight, the 2011 edition of Uncorked takes place.  With the theme “Mad Scientist Mash” it takes place at the Clinton Presidential Center, just down the street from the Museum’s location.