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Chaplain, both who presided at the funeral. More items to note are
a copy of the script read by his granddaughters at the funeral, the
presidential seal on the funeral train, and the Union Pacific uniform
worn by the train’s engineer, June Nobles.
Footage from George H.W. Bush – His Final Journey, from the
Union Pacific West Lake Facility near Houston to A&M University
in College Station is on display. It includes footage of the arrival of
the 4141 train, the Aggie War Hymn requested by George H.W.
Bush that was played and the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets who
lined the last leg of the motorcade’s journey. It features the military
honors given, including the “Missing Man Formation” at the George
H.W. Bush Presidential Library, the three volleys over the grave, a
21-gun salute, and the final presentation of the United States flag to
President Bush’s daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch.
One of the most recent additions to the exhibit is a pair of gray
socks patterned with fighter planes in formation belonging to the late The museum’s most recent exhibit History of Mourning
George H. W. Bush. The socks are identical to the pair he was laid Photography features an eerie guessing game where visitors can spec-
to rest in at his College Station grave site in 2018.
ulate whether people in a photo are dead or alive. You can even take
More Exhibits of a selfie in a chair used to prop up corpses for family photos. In fact,
the museum’s various “selfie spots” encourage doing so.
Passing Next year, the museum will present a certified copy of the Shroud
As a former funeral of Turin, an ancient cloth that bears the image of a crucified man,
director certified in cre- which many believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. As of May, the museum
mation and em-balm- started offering virtual tours, which Keeney hopes will draw new
ing, Keeney’s favorite curious visitors.
exhibit is The History of
Cremation which she The National Museum of Funeral History is located at 415 Barren
helped to curate after it Springs Dr., Houston, Texas, and is open Monday- Friday from 10
was popularly requested a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday from 12-5
by guests. The exhibit, p.m. Call first to confirm. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and
which dives into the veterans; $7 for children 6-11 years old; and free for children age 5 and
history of cremation and misconceptions about the industry, is younger. For more information, visit www.nmfh.org.
contained inside a replica of the first crematorium built in America.

“Antiques Peek” continued from page 33

A wooden nickel given out by the Many funeral homes also commissioned the creation of other types of
Preston-Pruitt Funeral Home in advertising products, such as calendars and metal storage
Danville, KY, promoting their boxes. What items were produced changed with the times. For
funeral and ambulance services – example, between approximately the 1950s and 1980s, ashtrays and
and a free cup of coffee! Selling on paperweights that promoted funeral homes were among the most
eBay for $3.95 common items.
There were also plenty of funeral home owners in the 1900s who
If you want to collect
other funeral parlor advertis- chose to create more unique advertising products. Therefore, it is
ing products, you have no possible today to find unusual one-off advertising products like
shortage of options. Popular vintage potholders or antique fly swatters to add to your collection.
antique and vintage options Since such individualized products
range from hand brooms to were usually made in smaller
sewing and darning tools. Post- quantities, they are often
1900, egg separators were also among the most prized by
commonly used to advertise funeral today’s collectors.
homes, as were any other items people tended to use on a daily basis.

Funeral Collection Sold for $150 in 2021 at
Potter and Potter
Includes: 19th century remembrance cards, late
19th century American undertaker
business cards, snapshots of early
hearse snapshots, funeral service
blotters, memorial cabinet cards,
funeral invoices, a 19th century
engraving of a Memento mori
watch presented by Mary Queen of
Scots (foxed), an early memorial
scrapbook with newspaper
clippings and tribute letters,
funeral hand fans, a metal
casket handle, a brass hand,
a picture of a deceased baby
in casket, and several items
with funeral advertisements.
October 2022 35