Joseph Andrew Meisel, Jr.
1913 - 1988

Though the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair took place years before the birth of Joe Meisel, Jr., in 1913, he became one of its biggest fans. He began collection souvenirs in the early 1970's, when he was told that Sherwood Lake, where he'd built a house, had played a role in the Fair's water sports events. Whether true or not, the rumor led to Joe's fascination with Exposition objects, and, at the time of his death in 1988, he had accumulated more than 1,000 pieces.

Joe's roots were buried deep in the city. A fourth generation St. Louisan, he grew up here, even graduating in 1930 from the first class of University City High School at its present location. He attended Washington University, earning a business degree in 1934. A gifted athlete, he was a member of the Missouri Athletic Club's volleyball team in the 1930's. His grandfather, John Meisel, Jr., was co-founder of the Herket & Meisel Trunk Co., a downtown institution for nearly a century. Joe ran the family business for many years before selling it when he retired. He was also a lifelong Red Cross volunteer and helped develop the Water Babies program, teaching infants how to swim.

Joe and his wife, Helen, raised four children in St. Louis and spent their lives here. He had always hoped that someday his World's Fair collection would be preserved and shared with all of St. Louis, the city he had loved so much. Thanks to the generous donation by his daughter, Pat McBride, it can now be enjoyed by all who come to the DeMenil Mansion's third floor exhibit.