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OPENING AT THE OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER MUSEUM
Faces of the Mother Road:
The Lost Portraits of S. J. Tyler
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The Oklahoma History Center Museum will present Faces of the Mother Road: The Lost Portraits of S. J. Tyler, an exhibition of photographs by an Afton photographer whose glass-plate negatives were rediscovered in 2023.
Tyler operated a photography studio in Afton beginning in 1913, more than a decade before Route 66 was established. For nearly forty years, he photographed the people who lived, worked, and traveled through the northeastern Oklahoma town. Tyler’s portraits, created between 1913 and 1950, are a time capsule of everyday lives and the extraordinary diversity that flourished along Route 66.
Photo historian Adam Forgash developed Faces of the Mother Road after rediscovering Tyler’s negatives. The exhibition features portraits printed from the original glass-plate negatives and brings these forgotten faces back to Oklahoma.
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See the documentary Crossroads of America!
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Crossroads of America: Oklahoma’s Route 66 reveals why Oklahoma is the heart of the Mother Road, weaving together the rich history of America’s most iconic highway with the inspiring stories of the people who continue to live, dream, and shape Route 66’s next 100 years. Learn more at crossroadsok66.com.
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Kilgen Theatre Organ performance featuring the silent film My Best Girl (1927) with Clark Wilson |
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On Monday, November 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a Kilgen Theatre Organ performance will be held in the Devon Great Hall at the Oklahoma History Center, featuring organist Clark Wilson accompanying the silent film My Best Girl (1927).
Tickets are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for the general public. They can be purchased by calling 405-522-0765.
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Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program |
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The Oklahoma Historical Society will open optional draft applications for the 2027 Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
The annual grant program provides awards ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 to support projects that collect, preserve, and share Oklahoma history in communities across the state. Funding is available for projects involving collections, exhibits, educational programming, and organizational capacity building.
Organizations considering applying are encouraged to take advantage of the optional draft application period. Drafts allow potential applicants to receive feedback from OHS grant staff before submitting a final application.
Draft applications are optional and are not required to submit a final application.
For complete eligibility requirements, program resources, and application information, visit okhistory.org/about/heritage-grants.
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Celebrate Filipino American History Month!
Join us on Saturday, October 24, 2026, starting at 1 p.m., to learn and appreciate the Spanish Colonial era Rigodon de Honor, a dance of heritage, unity, and purpose, coordinated by Hope Philippines in partnership with the Oklahoma Historical Society Multicultural Office. Attendees may visit the Oklahoma History Center Museum galleries on the day of the event at a special group rate.
October is Filipino American History Month, to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental United States on October 18, 1587, when the “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza at what is now Morro Bay, California.
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Archaeology Day at Spiro Mounds |
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Celebrate Archaeology Day at Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center. This family-oriented event will take place on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants can learn about artifact sorting, atlatl throwing, and archaeological flotation demonstrations. The flotation demonstrations will use simple equipment to show how archaeologists extract plant material and other items from the soil. Free refreshments will be served. The cost of the event is included with admission. For more information, call (918) 962-2062.
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“Washington Irving and the Mounted Rangers” program |
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BOOKS, POSTERS, PUZZLES, MAPS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS
Annual Research Center Book Sale, October 21–24
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The Oklahoma Historical Society’s (OHS) John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center will host its 2026 annual book sale from Wednesday, October 21, through Saturday, October 24, at the Oklahoma History Center, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. The sale is open from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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All episodes from legendary University of Oklahoma head football coach Barry Switzer’s show The Spirit of Champions are now available on one of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s YouTube channels. Seven episodes include interviews with Nadia Comăneci, Bart Conner, Burt Reynolds, Troy Aikman, Cathy Rigby, Arnold Palmer, Caitlyn Jenner (then known publicly as Bruce Jenner), Tommy Lasorda, O. J. Simpson, Gary Busey, and Nolan Ryan. In addition to the original program, each episode includes a newly recorded special introduction from Switzer about the interviews. Watch all seven episodes now at okhistory.org/switzer.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Wednesday, November 11, in Tulsa
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Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about our events and programs at OHS museums and historic sites across the state! Our calendar constantly changes with the latest programs and activities, from seasonal events to celebrations, exhibits, films, educational classes, and workshops. |
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Connect with the Oklahoma Historical Society on social media—where you can learn more about Oklahoma history and get up-to-date information about events and exhibits across the state!
Masthead image:
A young boy, dressed in period clothing, crouches on the ground in Checotah to watch the Battle of Honey Springs Reenactment (Staff photo by Trait Thompson).
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