Missouri Life June 2023

THE RALPH FOSTER MUSEUM Point Lookout

Head to the Branson ’burbs to find the truck that nouveau riche hillbilly Jed Clampett used when he loaded up Granny, Jethro, and Elly May and moved to Beverly … Hills that is. The Clampett’s 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 Roadster

is permanently parked in a museum on the campus of the College of the Ozarks. The Ralph Foster Museum, named for a radio pioneer, is a three-floor facility devoted to Ozarks history. The museum collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits the natural history, a century of antiques, and the firearms from the region, in addition to showcasing the original Beverly Hillbillies truck used in the television series. The museum also displays the Thomas Hart Benton painting, Departure of the Joads , which was used as the frontispiece in the John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath . Complementing the permanent collection are rotating, themed exhibits in the Edwards Art Gallery. Star School, a one-room schoolhouse originally from Barry County, is situated next door to the museum. RFosterMuseum.com

NATIONAL COOKIE CUTTER HISTORICAL MUSEUM Joplin Not all museums are alike, but this one-of-a-kind museum is totally “cookie cutter.” The National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum can be found within the Joplin History and Mineral Museum at 504 South Schifferdecker Avenue. Part of the collection sponsored by the Joplin Historical Society, the museum showcases collections that include advertising, tinsmith-made cutters, and European cutters. There are special groupings of annual, club-specific cutters to commemorate Cookie Cutter Week and those created exclusively for cookie cutter collectors’ club conventions and regional meetings. From early gingerbread-man molds from the 16th century to modern plastic designs, the evolution of this particular art coincides with the culture and history of civilization. Early cutter shapes reflected what was important to people at the time of their creation; farm animals and playing card suits were common. With time, cookie cutters were formed in the shape of company logos and became an advertising vehicle. The advent of plastic cutters made it possible to add detailed impressions into the shaped dough. Today’s state of the art 3-D designs may have revolutionized the process, but shaping dough continues to be a sweet tradition for generations who gather in the kitchen to bake cookies. The National Cookie Cutter Historical Museum is a favorite destination for school field trips, Scout troops, and cookie lovers of all ages. The attraction gives visitors a plastic cutter souvenir, contributed by Cookie Cutter Collector Club members nationwide. Joplin-Museum.org

TWA MUSEUM Kansas City The airline originally formed as Transcontinental and Western Air in the 1930s was owned by billionaire financier and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1939 until the 1960s. Yet, TWA is perhaps best

remembered by Baby Boomers for bestowing brass junior pilot and hostess wings to boy and girl passengers in the ’60s and ’70s. The TWA Museum at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport at its original terminal headquarters at Kansas City features memorabilia from the heyday of well-dressed passenger air travel. The museum emphasizes the story, history, and importance of the role Trans World Airlines played in pioneering commercial aviation. From the birth of airmail to the inception of passenger air travel, to the post-WWII era of global route expansion, TWA led the way for 75 years. Exhibits chronicle the impact the airline had on the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC) and Kansas City. Dedicated to the legacy of TWA’s leadership in commercial aviation, the museum provides a permanent, expanding, and professionally curated collection of artifacts that brings the story of TWA to life. Come for a tour, or don vintage WWII military or 1940s attire and swing by for the annual USO Hangar Dance in April. TWAMuseum.org

ANNETTE J. SAIN, JOHN MAYS, VISIT JOPLIN

51 / JUNE 2023