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Gene Stratton-Porter a Fashionista?

9/25/2016

 
By Terri Gorney

Gene Stratton-Porter was in the forefront of the conservation movement. She was an author photographer, illustrator and movie producer at a time when women did not aspire to have careers.

In 1920, the 19 th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Women’s fashions were drastically changing at this time. Little has been written about Gene’s fashion sense, but it appears that she was a trend setter with her fashion.

Knickerbockers, called knickers for short, became a popular men and boys’ garment in the early 20 th century. By 1920, they were on display in all the smart shops on Fifth Avenue in New York City for women. But many women were wary of wearing them. They saw them as too masculine and a little too radical.

Knickers were advertised as a garment that when worn with accessories can create a “jaunty” look and make the woman who wears them feel young.

One woman who was not afraid to wear knickers was Gene Stratton-Porter. It was reported that in 1922 she wore them for an interview. She thought it was just a matter of time and they would be in vogue. Gene stated, “Among a world of other tardy realizations the world has come to realize that every woman has two legs and that these legs in all probability are proportioned to the remainder of her frame. There is no longer any curiosity concerning legs; they are absolutely prevalent-- -as common as arms or heads. And the world has consented that she may cover them with skirts, breeches, or Turkish trousers, as she pleases.”

With Gene’s nationwide popularity, one can imagine that she helped sell the wearing of knickers to a number of ladies across the country.

Take a Hike, Limberlost Style!

9/19/2016

 
By Adrienne Provenzano

“To me the Limberlost is a word with which to conjure; a spot to wherein to revel.” - Gene Stratton-Porter, Moths of the Limberlost.

If you are looking for an opportunity to celebrate Indiana's Bicentennial in the great outdoors, consider signing up for a special upcoming Autumn event at the Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve which connects nature and literature to Indiana's 200th Birthday. On October 8th , Indiana Humanities is sponsoring a Next Indiana Campfires event at the Limberlost State Historic Site. The event includes a 90 minute easy hike through the Loblolly Marsh Nature Preserve with Dr. Rachel Blumenthal, an assistant professor of English at Indiana University Kokomo, and Limberlost State Historic Site naturalist Curt Burnette. The hike will be followed by a campfire dinner including Upland Beer for those over 21. As of September 13, there were 20 spots remaining. The cost is $10 and includes food and beverage. The event lasts from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. and is geared towards those aged 12 and older. There is also an option of a tour of the Limberlost Cabin at 2 p.m. for an additional $10. To register, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/next-indiana-campfires-limberlost-state-historic-site-geneva-tickets-24091929610?aff=es2

Participants are asked to bring a filled, reusable water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray and wear hiking boots or tennis shoes. In case of inclement weather, participants will be notified 2 hours in advance and have the opportunity to apply their fee to a future Next Indiana Campfires event.

For more opportunities to read, learn, discover and talk, go to IndianaHumanities.org/Campfires and sign up to receive a FREE “Trek and Talk Toolkit”in the mail! This creative resource kit includes a guide with text by Scott Russell Sanders, discussion questions and a map of Indiana with literary quotes about natural landscapes. Also in the toolkit are an UGo Bar to snack on while hiking, a patch, a “Gone Trekking” sign, and a card deck including quotes, environmental facts and conversation starters.

Next Indiana Campfires events have been taking place around the state since May, 2016 and you can find more information about past and upcoming adventures at INHumanities#ttrekandtalk on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The program has received support from the Efroymson Family Fund, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and Pulitzer Prizes Centennial Campfires. Additional support for this event comes from the Friends of the Limberlost. Indiana Humanities is supported by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A Heron in Outer Space!?!

9/7/2016

 
By Adrienne Provenzano

On the evening of September 8, 2016, weather permitting – and all systems go – the OSIRIS-REx mission will be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida into outer space to play a cosmic game of tag with an asteroid named Bennu to collect a minimum of 60 grams (2 ounces) and up to 4.4 pounds of material, and return a capsule filled with what Carl Sagan might have referred to as “star stuff,” to the Utah desert in 2023. The samples will then be delivered to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and some sent to JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency. Some of the samples will be studied in the first two years after return, but most will be preserved for study by future generations. So, in a mere nine years, this unique mission will help scientists in their efforts to solve more mysteries of the universe – and likely lead to more questions as well.

Bennu is a Near Earth Object (NEO) with a 500 meter diameter, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. OSIRIS-REx is an SUV sized spacecraft. Bennu was selected to be visited because it is accessible and has a convenient orbit for a sample return mission to Earth, is a useful size for study, and is also rich in carbon, so there is a greater chance for the discovery of organic materials and water-rich materials, such as clay. In other words, the building blocks of life on Earth may be discovered on Bennu!

So, what has this to do with herons, a favorite bird of Gene Stratton-Porter? Several years ago a contest was held to name the asteroid, formerly known as 1999R236. Among the 8000 or so entries was one from a third grader who felt the spacecraft resembled a heron in flight, when its long collection arm is outstretched. Bennu was an ancient Egyptian diety connected with the sun, creation, and rebirth – and often depicted as a heron, so the student felt the ancient name appropriate. The mission itself, OSIRIS- REx includes the name of another Eqyptian figure, Osiris, said to have brought knowledge of agriculture – and hence life, to the Nile Delta region. Just in case you're wondering, the acronym OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer! OSIRIS-REx carries an impressive suite of scientific instruments – cameras, spectrometers, and an altimeter – to collect images, study the chemical composition of Bennu, and search for pre- biotic and biotic material. The mission is part of NASA's New Frontiers Initiative, which includes the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Juno mission to Jupiter.

Objectives of OSIRIS-REx include understanding the formation and working of our solar system, and also a better understanding of Near Earth Objects and their hazards. The Yarkovsky Effect – in which solar energy is absorbed and released by asteroids, effecting their orbits – will also be studied as part of the mission. Scientists estimate there's a 1 in 2700 chance of Bennu impacting Earth...in the 22 nd century. So don't worry! But consider following the mission!

For more information, go to asteroidmission.org. You can watch the launch on NASA TV at NASA.gov! For more information on the Great Blue Heron of Indiana, check out Alexandra Forsythe's 7/18/2016 posting on this blog.

Adrienne Provenzano is a member of the Friends of the Limberlost and the Indiana Astronomical Society and is also a NASA Solar System Ambassador - a program of NASA JPL-CalTech.

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