Happy New Year! I started my work in 2019 by cataloging a unique item, unlike anything that has ever come across my desk: a nurseryman’s sample book from the late 1880s. It belonged to Henry C. Eickhoff, a well-known nurseryman from Indianapolis. A book like this was used by salesmen to show potential customers images […]
Dec. 11 was the 202nd anniversary of Indiana’s Statehood. On that day, we usually send out a “Happy Birthday” message. These posts on social media are lighthearted ways to recognize the day. One popular image in Statehood day posts is this 1819 map of Indiana. This map, prepared by John Melish, was originally published in […]
I have been making a conscious effort to catalog more maps recently. I hate to admit it, but I sometimes neglect my duties when it comes to printed materials that aren’t books or pamphlets. For the most part, it is a simple case of “out of sight, out of mind.” Maps waiting to be cataloged […]
Here at the Indiana Historical Society, We Do History. That may seem like a blanket statement, but it’s necessary in order to describe the wide range of things we do here every day to make the past relevant for our visitors and patrons. In the library reference department, for example, we respond to more than […]
In honor of this month, here is a selection of some of Indiana history’s most spectacular mustaches. Enjoy!
Yesterday, I had the immense pleasure to meet one of the people featured in our exhibit Be Heard: Latino Experiences in Indiana, open through Saturday, Nov. 3. We rarely get the opportunity to meet with the subjects of an exhibit but the Be Heard series, which has grown out of our special collecting initiatives – LGBT, Latino and […]
We’ve highlighted some of our favorite mid-century modern designs from our collections in previous Design Month posts, but how did MCM become so successful? One word: suburbanization. Suburbanization can be loosely defined as rapid housing development which causes a population shift away from city centers. So why did housing developments increase in the middle of […]
The J. Irwin and Xenia Miller House, located at 2760 Highland Way in Columbus, Indiana is the product of a Mid-Century Modern design dream team of architect Eero Saarinen, landscape architect Dan Kiley, and interiors by Alexander Girard. The home was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2000, while both Irwin and Xenia were […]
Something exciting has been happening for the IHS Press and the IHS Library. We’re doing a couple of new digitization projects that will bring out an amazing trove of primary sources. The first of these projects is being finished as I write this. William Henry Harrison is often looked upon as a curiosity – son […]
This month, I am taking a slightly different approach to my post. Instead of highlighting one recently cataloged printed item, I am offering a small selection of spooky titles from the collection just in time for Halloween. I have tried my best to include a variety of themes and locales in this list. In other […]
