"The World's Largest Sunflower Collection"

"The World's Largest Sunflower Collection" (tongue in cheek) is an eclectic mix of items that have a sunflower, The Kansas State Flower, in each items' design.
The collection, which started in 1988, is over 2,500 items large.  (At 50 items, I started calling it "The World's Largest...", and my wife, Marci, started calling it "The World's Onliest...." hence the tongue in cheek reference) 
It contains flags, a manhole cover, mugs, pins, paintings, plates, patches, an 1880s perfume card, mud-flaps, candles, state fair ribbons and medals.....You name it, if it has a Sunflower on it, it is a candidate for inclusion in the collection.
Contact me, Bill Nicks, at historykc@gmail.com  or 913-424-9228, to arrange for me to bring over 200 pieces of the collection to your event.
Learn about the collection and Kansas History at the same entertaining time.
Below are what I think are some interesting photos of 50+ items in the WLSFC.
Click photo to enlarge.

PowerPoint program entitled "A Kansas History
as told through the World's Largest Sunflower Collection"

Sunflower seeds from the 1960s

Haircut and a Shave?

Retired 3 foot Fish and Game sign

WOW!! 300 wrapped and unscratched Lottery Tickets!

Oh! Those Lottery Tickets?  They're not for re-sale.
If they were for re-sale, do you really think I'd have them?

Kansas State Poster from 1990.  Those K-State Students are irreverent!!!

Large Street banner from the 1980s

Antique tin, 50 lbs. of Salina Lard

Reward $ign

Governor Candidate Becker sign board that was affixed to his minivan as it toured Kansas.

6 foot flag

15 inch platter from the 1950s

Nice doorstop

Can't get more Kansas than Sunflowers and Dodge City!

66 degrees? Pretty cool Sunflower.

1942 License plate.  Did not make new ones in 1943 due to WWII.

Beautiful plate from a friend and painted bottle from a sister.

Barbie Doll with Korean MM type candy.

State Motto is almost as great as the State Flower!!
TO THE STARS, THROUGH DIFFICULTIES!!!

Hey Missouri, use your own State Flower on your magazines!!

Even Frank Sinatra likes Sunflowers--a 1949 hit.

MANKATO in North-Central Kansas

Dixie sheet music

The Elks of Wyandotte County went to Dallas in 1908.

Lions Club, another great service organization

Rotary is everywhere!!

Another 6 foot flag.  This one with fringe.

Out of Date 'State of KS' license plate.

Wine, Milk and Hutchinson

Very nice Wood-Carving.

Early billboard along I-35 in Lenexa Kansas.

Nice 7 inch vase

Political Pins; Dole, Carter, Landon, Perot, Clinton, Kerry and others.

1913 School Award

Bond issue poster for College.  Ben Craig, chairman.

A friend's retired license plate.

Whiskey decanter for the KS Centennial

Sunflowers on Display

Flag from City of Mission, KS

For all of you who know Astronomy, you will know this Minor Planet designation.
Many thanks to Larry Robinson, Olathe, for discovering it.

Poster-Topeka is having a Fair

Four Sunflower Santas and a pyramid of friends


A 5 Dinar currency bill from the Sudan, and an
Oscar Wilde perfume card from the 1880s.

A Model Train rail car.

A super thank-you note from a grateful
3rd grader.  Nice.

A well-used road sign and reclaimed Nebraska license plate art.
Nebraska?  They wish they had the well-known Sunflower as their State Flower.
By-the-Way, does anyone know what the State Flower of Nebraska is?.........see?  No one knows.
Late Golden Rod.

A ceramic fish from Cozumel, Mexico.

A VolksMarch award from a walk in Topeka, KS

Sunflower glasses.  The green one is from Milburn Golf Country Club

A beautiful framed watercolor.

A fun Sunflower Cow.

Two street signs.

A KANSAS mug from Starbucks with large colorful friend.
Pumpkin jumped in at the last moment.

A stained glass Sunflower celebrating
THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.