Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines .... Hagley Museum and Library has invited you to buckle up for pure 1970s adrenaline and the countdown is ON.
On August 20th, the Library will be offering a screening of three rare automotive documentaries on the big screen. Freewheelin' plunges you into the 1975 Van-In in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a counterculture carnival of custom vans, wild events, and live music from the JTS Band. Penned by Brock Yates, the screenwriter behind Cannonball Run, this film takes you inside the most outrageous rigs of the era to hear their stories from the vanners themselves.
Then, shift gears to watch The Mint 400 Desert Race! Follow a dune buggy team as they battle heat, terrain, and each other for glory during the 1978 run of America’s most grueling off-road race. Filmed in the scorching desert outside Reno, Nevada, this film captures the realities of the Mint 400 as made legendary by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Both films were sponsored by B.F. Goodrich and offer a window into the golden age of American cars and the art of industrial and sponsored filmmaking.
Before the screening, Chief Curator of Library Collections Kevin Martin will introduce the films and discuss Hagley's ongoing mission to preserve this kind of cinematic history. Come early or stick around afterward to explore a pop-up exhibit from the Z. Taylor Vinson collection of transportation ephemera featuring promotional materials about Hollywood's most famous automobiles.
For further details and registration, visit the events page in our calendar.