EXHIBITS
Current Exhibits
The Big Shake – How the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes Rocked the Ohio River Valley
On view September 24, 2011 – May 31, 2012
Midwestern residents are accustomed to natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and blizzards, but what about earthquakes? The region is in proximity to several active faults, particularly the location of the greatest known seismic hazard east of the Rocky Mountains, the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). From December of 1811 through May of 1812, the greatest series of earthquakes in United States history took place in the NMSZ centered in Missouri. Although the earthquakes affected much of the Midwest, most people living in the area today have no knowledge of this event or its impact on our region.
With recent catastrophic earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, and Japan, awareness of seismic hazards is at an all time high. As the 200th anniversary of the New Madrid earthquakes approaches, the 207-year old Betts House, a survivor of that historic event, will offer the public an opportunity discover the seismic history of our region and explore the ways earthquakes affect buildings.
Using period letters, newspaper articles, and accounts from amateur scientists, The Big Shake tells the story of what individuals experienced during the New Madrid earthquakes. Unique and family-friendly features of the exhibit, such as a model seismograph, shake-table demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and a topographical map of Cincinnati, will illustrate the geological and engineering concepts discussed.
The exhibit and its related programs are supported, in part, by grants from The John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust at PNC Bank, the Ohio Humanities Council, the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, and the American Association for State and Local History. Sponsorship support has been received from The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio, Bahl & Gaynor Investment Counsel, GOP Limited Structural Engineers, THP Limited Inc., The Wyant Family Foundation, members of the Betts House Board of Trustees, and individual donors.
Media about The Big Shake:
Cincinnati Enquirer
WNKU
WVXU - Cincinnati Edition
WVXU - News
Interested in school programs about The Big Shake? Visit our Outreach page.
The Big Shake Public Programs:
March 8, Susan Hough lecture at The Mercantile Library
May 12, Cincinnati Geology Tour - Earthquakes & Landslides
Media about The Big Shake:
Cincinnati Enquirer
WNKU
WVXU - Cincinnati Edition
WVXU - News
Interested in school programs about The Big Shake? Visit our Outreach page.
The Big Shake Public Programs:
March 8, Susan Hough lecture at The Mercantile Library
May 12, Cincinnati Geology Tour - Earthquakes & Landslides
Permanent Exhibit
History at Home: The Story of the Betts Family, the West End, and Cincinnati, explains how the once-country home of the Betts family is now nestled among other nineteenth and twentieth century dwellings in the Betts Longworth Historic District, just a few blocks from busy downtown Cincinnati. History at Home was made possible through a generous anonymous donation.
Future Exhibits
Soul of the City - August 11 - September 22, 2012, opening reception, August 10
Green Building, part of the Green Energy Tour - September 25 - October 9, 2012
Urban Landscapes, part of FotoFocus, October 13 - November 29, 2012, opening reception, October 12
Traveling Exhibits
Soul of the City - August 11 - September 22, 2012, opening reception, August 10
Green Building, part of the Green Energy Tour - September 25 - October 9, 2012
Urban Landscapes, part of FotoFocus, October 13 - November 29, 2012, opening reception, October 12
Traveling Exhibits
The Betts House makes its past exhibits available for loan to museums, historic sites, libraries, community centers, cultural centers, and other venues. For information, please contact Julie Carpenter at 513-651-0734.
From Tenements to Townhouses: Multi-Family Housing in Cincinnati (Available for loan)
Endangered Cincinnati: Can These Buildings Be Saved (Available for loan)
Lost Cincinnati: Why Buildings Die (Available for loan)
Endangered Cincinnati: Can These Buildings Be Saved (Available for loan)
Lost Cincinnati: Why Buildings Die (Available for loan)
Great Cincinnati Families at Home (Available for loan)
More Great Cincinnati Families at Home (Available for loan)
Online Exhibits
Past Exhibits
Created by The Betts House
From Tenements to Townhouses: Multi-Family Housing in Cincinnati, April 17 – September 30, 2010
More Great Cincinnati Families at Home, April 25 through September 30, 2009
Great Cincinnati Families at Home, May 16 through October 31, 2008
Endangered Cincinnati, 2006
Lost Cincinnati, 2005
The Changing Cultural Landscape of the West End, 2004
Windows of Change, 2000
The Comforts of Home? Fireplaces in the 19th Century House, 1999
Cincinnati’s Decorative Iron age: Defining Space, 1998
A Permanent Bond: Bricks in Cincinnati before 1840, 1997
Urban Archaeology at Betts-Longworth, 1996Recent Paintings by Marcia Alscher, November 27, 2010 – January 6, 2011
Hosted at The Betts House
Cincinnati Modernism, August 13 - September 15, 2011
Style & Whimsy - an exhibit of student work from St. Ursula Academy, July 8 - August 4, 2011
The Art of Alan Grizzell: Over the Rhine, May 7 – June 30, 2011
Vanishing Cincinnati, February 12 – April 23, 2011
Picturing a Healthy Girl, January 29 - February 10, 2011
From Queen City to Porkopolis: Prints of Cincinnati, 1860 – 1890, October 2 – November 18, 2010
HOME WORK: An Exhibit of New Work by VisuaLingual, February 20 – April 8, 2010
Exploring Cincinnati, October 3 – November 19, 2009
Cincinnati: A Glimpse from the Past, January 6 – March 31, 2009
George Washington: Architect, 2003
More Great Cincinnati Families at Home, April 25 through September 30, 2009
Great Cincinnati Families at Home, May 16 through October 31, 2008
Endangered Cincinnati, 2006
Lost Cincinnati, 2005
The Changing Cultural Landscape of the West End, 2004
Windows of Change, 2000
The Comforts of Home? Fireplaces in the 19th Century House, 1999
Cincinnati’s Decorative Iron age: Defining Space, 1998
A Permanent Bond: Bricks in Cincinnati before 1840, 1997
Urban Archaeology at Betts-Longworth, 1996Recent Paintings by Marcia Alscher, November 27, 2010 – January 6, 2011
Hosted at The Betts House
Cincinnati Modernism, August 13 - September 15, 2011
Style & Whimsy - an exhibit of student work from St. Ursula Academy, July 8 - August 4, 2011
The Art of Alan Grizzell: Over the Rhine, May 7 – June 30, 2011
Vanishing Cincinnati, February 12 – April 23, 2011
Picturing a Healthy Girl, January 29 - February 10, 2011
From Queen City to Porkopolis: Prints of Cincinnati, 1860 – 1890, October 2 – November 18, 2010
HOME WORK: An Exhibit of New Work by VisuaLingual, February 20 – April 8, 2010
Exploring Cincinnati, October 3 – November 19, 2009
Cincinnati: A Glimpse from the Past, January 6 – March 31, 2009
George Washington: Architect, 2003