April certainly begins with a bang, all the tricksters and jokesters pulling out all the stops for April Fools’ Day. You could also think of the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”… My point is, April has a lot going for it. In fact, it includes two days centered on the celebration of two distinct […]
In 1996 the American Welding Society designated April National Welding Month. This honors the trade and the skilled laborers who perform it. Many of the buildings we live and work in contain welds within their structures. Besides these, we encounter welded products throughout the day whether we realize it or not. So, let’s focus on […]
Greetings! My name is Rachel Lewchanin. I interned at IHS for the month of January. I am currently a senior history major (with a concentration in public history) at Taylor University. Before arriving at IHS, my main experience related to public history has been working at my university’s archives and special collections. [Public History describes […]
I LOVE peanut butter, I like peanuts. I grew up a typical 80s/90s kid consuming peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and marshmallow fluff (fluffernutter) sandwiches regularly. I always took enjoying peanuts for granted until my nephew was born with a severe peanut allergy which also became an allergy for my sister. While I […]
I am in the process of digitizing and cataloging a collection of nearly 100 historic Junior League of Indianapolis (JLI) member portraits, which my coworker Matt Holdzkom wrote about in his blog Haunting and Elegant last year. As Matt noted, the photographs are a “rare visual record of these women” at the center of the […]
Sometimes you acquire a collection for one reason and then are pleasantly surprised at the unrelated richness of the material. Let me explain. In 2016 we received donations from the daughter of Mercer Mance and Kathalyn Stuart Mance. This was a collection of things acquired by our dear departed friend and colleague Wilma Gibbs Moore. […]
When examining European immigration to the United States and in Indiana in the first half of the 20th century, you hear about Germans, Poles, Italians, Irish and more. One such population that often goes statistically unnoticed are the Españoles or Spaniards. Their early 20th century migration period to the United States has been referred to […]
This last month of winter is arguably the most romantic month of all, no doubt because of that cloying holiday we call Valentine’s Day. February 14th is, of course, devoted to all things that communicate love, from Hallmark cards and heart-shaped chocolate boxes to freshly cut roses. But romance and symbolism aside, Valentine’s Day is […]
I started my embroidering journey in elementary school. To be honest, I was really upset with my mom that she first started teaching me some of the more intricate stitches, French knots, satin stitch, stem stitch and more over the more common cross stitch, which she was teaching to my friend. She noted that cross […]
The start of the year tends to be quite chilly, thus it should come as no surprise that January celebrates national hat day. To me, January 15th calls to mind images of warm hats donned on a snowy day. But aside from serving to keep its wearers warm and comfortable, hats for many years were […]
