Museum Debuts Online Video About Junior Johnson

History and high tech hit the ground running in a brand-new streamed video presentation series offered by the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. To see the premiere episode about the life of legendary NASCAR driver and owner Robert “Junior” Johnson, access the museum’s Web site at http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/THJHA/THJHA_TalkAbout.html. The 15-minute video features a recent interview with Johnson, plenty of archival photos and video footage, and much more.

Junior Johnson Photo credit: N.C. Museum of History

The streamed video series, called Tar Heel Talk About, is produced by the museum for the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association (THJHA), a museum-sponsored statewide organization for North Carolina students. However, you don't have to be a THJHA member to log on and watch the video presentations. Just go to the museum's Web site, click on "Junior Historians," and then "Tar Heel Talk About."

"Tar Heel Talk About is just one example of how the museum is using technology to reach a broader audience outside the museum walls," says Suzanne Mewborn, the THJHA program coordinator. "We are able to share the state's history with junior historians who cannot travel to Raleigh. We want students in THJHA clubs to feel connected to the museum, and Tar Heel Talk About helps us accomplish that."

Upcoming programs will focus on the 2006 THJHA Annual Convention, behind-the-scenes museum tours, artifacts, and activities in THJHA clubs across the state. Club members can communicate with each other and Mewborn by posting program suggestions, questions and comments on the Talkin’ Spot, an online bulletin board.

Among the highlights of the Johnson video is footage from the day he brought his 1963 Chevrolet Impala #3 to the museum for exhibit. Johnson raced the stock car during the 1963 NASCAR season and on many other occasions. He is loaning the car to the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame, and it will be on exhibit for an extended period.

Mewborn's interview with Johnson incorporates questions from junior historians, such as "How much money did you make by winning your first race?" and "Did you really make moonshine before you began racing?" The answers may surprise you.

Check the museum's Web site in May for information about the next episode of Tar Heel Talk About. Look for more programs this fall.

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