When recently researching Bethel A.M.E. Church, I came across a 32-page pamphlet that had long been in the Indiana Historical Society collection but had never been digitized. The Indianapolis Colored Directory and Year Book 1923 provides a great window into the African-American Community in Indianapolis. Labeled the “First Annual Edition,” it may well be one […]
This month, I am switching gears a little bit. I catalog maps on a somewhat regular basis, but not nearly as often as I catalog books and pamphlets. I have yet to blog about a map, and since I just cataloged an especially interesting one, I figure now is the perfect time! This is the […]
This month’s blog post is short, but sweet! I love a good, challenging puzzle. Therefore, I was instantly captivated by Mental Nuts: Can You Crack ‘Em?, a tiny pamphlet published in 1897, compliments of Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, South Bend, Indiana. The title page describes it as “a book of old time catch or trick […]
Backlogs are inevitable, especially in institutions like ours. Materials come in at a quick pace, which makes it difficult for library staff members to process and/or catalog everything in a timely fashion. We do our best, but sometimes it takes years – even decades – for items to reach the front of the line. Just […]
If you work in the Indiana Historical Society Library & Archives, and you are from Indiana, sometimes you come across your own family in the collection. This week I had the pleasure of digitizing materials in the Covered Bridges collection. Although many of Indiana’s covered bridges have been lost, their history has been well preserved […]
“[I] am determined to keep a Journal but have never had the courage to begin before, for it is a great undertaking…I think I’ll call it ‘The Log of the Hoosier Adrift.’ Because a log is a good thing to have when any one is adrift.” In 1878, a clever and verbose Indianapolis native named […]
Do you know what a “thrift barn” is? Do you even want to know? If so, all the evidence you’ll need is here in the Indiana Historical Society’s new library case exhibitEat + Drink. Among thousands of menus collected by Hoosier restauranteur Reid Duffy, the Rabbit Patch restaurant in Speedway stands out as the only […]
After spending time fighting the Civil War with Capt. David Enoch Beem, I have returned to working on the Larry Foster Collection. Reading a group of Civil War letters can be emotional and can leave a person feeling cold, tired, a little frightened and even a bit breathless at times. Beem generally wrote on stationery, […]
Every once in a while, I find surprises tucked inside books and pamphlets. In catalog records, they are referred to as “accompanying material.” Examples include bookmarks, letters, photographs, tickets, receipts and stamps. Sometimes, the material pertains to the item in hand, such as an errata slip listing corrections made to the text after publication. Other […]
Several pocket guides came my way recently, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. As we enjoy the spring seasonand eagerly await summer, we are surrounded by the beauty of nature. New growth and new life abound, so if you are interested in learning more about your natural environment, the following books are for […]
