The Stauth Permanent Collection
“Around The World”
The Stauth Memorial Museum features the travel adventures of Claude and Donalda (Donnie) Stauth, long-time residents of southwest Kansas. The permanent exhibit “Around the World” highlights their collection of artifacts from their travels to 95 countries on 6 continents. On each trip the Stauths collected whatever appealed to them. Not just your everyday souvenirs, but indigenous art and musical instruments, costumes, animal statues, tribal hunting weapons, and so much more!
In all, Claude & Donnie’s travel adventures lasted almost 40 years. They took 23 international trips, of which two were around-the-world-tours (1958 & 1967). They traveled extensively in central Africa and Southeast Asia. With quality photographic equipment, and Donnie’s experience as a professional photographer before she met and married Claude, the Stauths took over 10,000 colorful slides of their travels. They photographed both famous sites and everyday life in the places they visited. These pictures are highlighted throughout their exhibit.
Claude and Donnie were generous with the results of their travels. They brought home gifts of handicrafts and art for friends and family. They shared their slides and souvenirs in travel programs for schools and civic groups. And most importantly, they bequeathed their estate as a museum for the people of Montezuma.
The items collected during their almost 40 years of travel are housed in a striking earth colored, copper-roofed structure worthy of any large city, but it is only in small town America that people such as Claude and Donnie would leave their entire collection and estate to “Their family” – the citizens of Montezuma and any who enter and wish to spend time in “their world.” It is because of these two people, and their generosity, that the Stauth Memorial Museum exists today.
Each year thousands of people visit the Stauth Memorial Museum and enjoy all the visual delights the museum has to offer. Although the museum is not supported by city, state or government funding, it has always remained free to the public. We are always on the lookout for adventurous people who are excited about the exhibitions and events we offer to Kansas, most of which you can find at no other place in the Midwest. If you would like to help the Stauth Memorial Museum continue to bring excellent, world-class experiences through traveling exhibitions, guest lecturers and workshops to the Stauth Memorial Museum, monetary donations, bequests or endowments are gratefully accepted! The Stauth Memorial Museum exists and grows – because of people like you!
Learn about the other great collections the Stauth Memorial Museum has to offer, like the Fry Wildlife Collection, and the Wall Western Collection. As always, we’ve got a great exhibit on display in our special exhibition gallery that you won’t want to miss out on your visit to the Stauth Memorial Museum.
