As we gear up for the 103rd Indianapolis 500 race this weekend, what kind of traditions do you have with your family? A longstanding reference patron brought me a 1914 drinking cup passed down in his family. His family has gone to the race each year since it began in 1911! These metal cups were […]
Mayday. Mayday. You never want to hear that international distress signal. But when you do, you want to have a plan already in place and have experience putting the plan into action. This morning, our Archives and Library staff took part in the MAYDAY initiative begun by the Society of American Archivists and Heritage Preservation […]
May 7, 2019 marks a centennial some people may not observe. Indianapolis hosted Welcome Home Day for returning WWI soldiers on this date in 1919. The day-long celebration included a huge parade, boxed lunches served by the Salvation Army and Eastern Star and many tearful reunions with family members. They had every reason to celebrate, […]
History Matters is a blog series where we’ll be talking about the things you’re not supposed to discuss at the dinner table – things that may make some people uncomfortable. These pieces of our history are there if you look but might not be top of mind or in a textbook. We often think of history on a larger scale, […]
Most of the time I try to stay focused on my assigned topics for digitization projects, but I know when to follow an unexpected and interesting story when it presents itself. Recently, I was researching the Brant and Helen McKay Steele Collection for a project on women’s history and came across a folder of photographs […]
Lawyer Calvin Fletcher arrived in Indianapolis almost penniless in 1821. The new city offered boundless opportunities for those who got in on the ground floor, and Fletcher’s resume grew steadily. In addition to his legal work, he fashioned himself into a banker, farmer, husband, father, landowner, philanthropist, politician, abolitionist, public education advocate, and all-around fancy […]
As a former teacher, I always get excited when school materials come my way. I recently cataloged several Indiana history and government workbooks from the 1930s. Like most, I was required to take courses on both topics during my career as a student. I like to think my knowledge is above average – after all, […]
I recently cataloged numerous issues of Bandwagon, a publication of the Circus Historical Society. The organization was formed in 1939, and its mission is to “preserve, promote and share through education, the history and cultural significance of the circus and allied arts, past and present.” The first issue of their journal was published in 1940 […]
In preparation for our Mapping Indianapolis panel this Saturday, I thought it was timely to highlight one of my favorite new resources available in the library – the H.B. Fatout Co., Herbert Bloemker Co., and Ernest R. Hamilton Co. Surveying Books collection. The collection includes more than 50 sketchbooks surveying Marion County, beginning in the 1880s. […]
This blog is the inaugural in a series we’re calling History Matters. We’ll be talking about the things you’re not supposed to discuss at the dinner table – things that may make some people uncomfortable. These pieces of our history are there if you look but might not be top of mind or in a […]
