A collection of Kentucky Derby glasses are on display at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center.
According to KYGMC Special Exhibits Curator Marla Toncray, there are 75 glasses, beginning with the year 1949 and continuing to May 2020. The glasses are from the Fred Hester collection.
“They run all the way up to the Derby that was supposed to run in May of this year and will now run on Labor Day weekend,” she said. “They’re all very colorful and there are four that are not dated.”
According to Toncray, there is also a glass for the diamond jubilee and one that shows the golden cup that can be won and another that talks about Churchill Downs, where the Derby is held each year.
“It’s quite pretty,” she said. “It’s interesting to see how they’ve transformed from a frosted glass with gold or green designs to these very colorful glasses. They started making them more colorful in the 1960s. It’s an interesting view of how they went from being very subtle to bright and vivid and the graphics being used.”
Along with the glasses, is a poster of Churchill Downs and information on winning horses throughout the years. There is also information about Arthur Pickens, who won the 1908 Derby and retired in Maysville.
“He is buried in the Maysville cemetery,” she said. “There is a spiral bound book about him. We have also incorporated mint julep cups, because you can’t have a Derby story without mint juleps.”
There are also other books about the Derby on display.
Toncray said the exhibit will be on display through September.
“We’re putting it up now, because the Derby will run Labor Day weekend, so come on down and see it,” she said. “It’s beautiful and festive. Run for the Roses.”
The exhibit is located in the glass cases just outside the Jean Calvert changing gallery.
KYGMC is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All visitors are asked to wear a facial covering while in the building.
