GCHS sells T-shirts to raise funds
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Garland County Historical Society is now selling a colorful History + Art T-shirt to promote Hot Springs pride and help lessen the financial impact the nonprofit has experienced.
“We thought this would be a good time to offer people something colorful,” GCHS Executive Director Liz Robbins said. “This is something that can pump people up and make them feel good about Hot Springs even though Hot Springs has been going through a difficult time … and also we thought it could be a fundraiser for the society during these challenging times.”
Robbins said the proceeds will be used to help with the society’s operating expenses.
“Like every other nonprofit, it has hurt us,” she said. “Donations, membership dues and book sales have really gone down during this time.”
The History + Art T-shirts are available for $30 in medium, large, extra-large and extra-extra-large sizes. They can be purchased at http://garlandcountyhistoricalsociety.com, or by calling the society at 321-2159 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The white T-shirts are decorated with an abstract illustration of downtown Hot Springs by local artist Tansill Stough Anthony, and are printed by local print shop “The Gear Factory.”
“Tansill’s colorful washed-abstract of downtown Hot Springs — featuring the Arlington Hotel, Bathhouse Row, the former Army and Navy Hospital and Hot Springs Mountain Tower — depicts our town’s evolving life and resiliency,” GCHS President Clyde Covington said in a news release. “We hope everyone will want to wear Tansill’s salute to Hot Springs’ vibrant history.”
Anthony noted in the release that each shirt may be different as
the screen-printed colors blend together “just as the elements of Hot Springs’ unique history ‘blend’ together.”
“The Garland County Historical Society became 60 years old this past February, and in all those years never worked in tandem with an artist on a project like this,” GCHS Board Member Bitty Martin said in the release. “Now for the first time ever, the society has a highly collectible item to offer the community through Tansill’s talents, generosity, and deep roots in Hot Springs.”
Robbins said Martin was the driving force behind the project.
“She got together with Tansill and we’re very grateful for both of them,” she said. “… We are so grateful to (Tansill) for donating artwork to us and for creating such a beautiful image.”
Being the natural history buff she is, Robbins gave a brief history of the elements featured in the shirt’s artwork.
“The History + Art shirt shows iconic landmarks on Hot Springs’ downtown skyline, starting with the Arlington Hotel,” Robbins said in an email.
She said the Arlington’s twin towers have overlooked Central Avenue since the 11-story hotel’s construction in 1924.
“Since then, the hotel has hosted Al Capone, Rudolf Valentino, Eleanor Roosevelt, and thousands of other people during their visits to Hot Springs,” Robbins said. “It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.”
“Next,” she continued, “people will recognize the shapes of the seven bath houses — Superior, Hale, Maurice, Fordyce, Quapaw, Ozark, Buckstaff and Lamar — that make up Bathhouse Row.”
Robbins said downtown’s current bath houses, which replaced earlier Victorian bath houses, date from the first two decades of the 20th century.
“The ‘Row’ ranks as one of the foremost architectural and historical treasures in the United States,” she said. “Bathhouse Row was added to the National Register in 1974 and designated a National Landmark in 1987.”
The large structure that “bookends” the landmarks, Robbins said, is the Arkansas Career Institute building.
“From its construction in 1933 until 1960, when the property was turned over to the state of Arkansas, it was the Army and Navy General Hospital main building,” she said. “Thousands of US military personnel, including General John J. Pershing and Senator (former U.S. Army Captain and future President) Harry S. Truman, were treated in this Mission-Spanish Revival style building that towers over downtown Hot Springs. The building was added to the National Register in 2007.”
Overlooking downtown is the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.
“Hot Springs Mountain has been home to three observation towers over the last 130 years,” Robbins said. “The third Hot Springs Mountain Tower opened for visitors in 1983. From its 216-foot observatory, four high-powered telescopes offer panoramic views to a distance of 70 miles and beyond.”
Due to COVID-19, the historical society’s office is currently closed to the public, but Robbins said they are continuing to serve the community.
“People can see historical articles and photos, order books and T-shirts, make donations and join the society, on our website, and they can interact on our popular Facebook page, which has frequent posts of historic photos and interesting information,” she said. “We also are here during normal office hours Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to take phone and email research requests.”