You know how people have #relationshipgoals or #squadgoals? Well, I have #summergoals, and all my ideal summer dreams are thanks to the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Family and their dreamy compound in Windermere, Muskoka, Canada. Clear blue waters, piney trees, cooler temperatures, picturesque homes, boating around Lake Rosseau on a wooden Runabout, and meals al fresco. It is […]
Through my years of service in the library, archival and museum profession, I’ve fielded a plethora of questions from visitors, researchers and the media. Invariably, among the most frequent of queries asked of curators and collection managers by audiences focused on superlatives—oldest, biggest, best—is: “What is your favorite thing in the collection?” The prompting of […]
Before the building closed in March, I cataloged a very unique printed item: Fashions of the Hour, by Janaléne, Inc. I hate to admit it, but this album sat on a shelf in my office for quite some time. It required original cataloging, and because it was so different from anything I had cataloged before, […]
Many have been taking greater advantage of opportunities recently presented at home to sift through cupboards, closets, attic storage spaces and other nooks and crannies to uncover what is there. Assessing memorabilia and the cumulative legacies of material boxed up, stuffed into corners and drawers, or placed on shelves for safekeeping is not a simple […]
Our online digital photo collections always serve as inspiration for research pursuits of all sorts, including blog posts. While researching trivia question ideas in our W.H. Bass Photo Company collection, I came across a photo from 1926 of a group of people standing in front of the Circle Theatre building (now known as the Hilbert […]
One of the best parts of my job at IHS is that I get to do a lot of reference work helping folks access the behemoth that is the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Family Collection. Mostly, I spend a lot of time with J. Irwin and Xenia Miller’s papers and with Cummins Engine Co. items that relate to […]
When I was younger, I was lucky to go on vacations with my family which many times included stops at historic sites. As an adult, I have continued that tradition. My husband’s love of the Civil War often leads us to sites related to that topic. Using a sample of the Civil War collections at […]
During this time of social distancing, isolation and solitude, I find myself fantasizing about magical creatures and far off places. So, I’ve returned to watch the Harry Potter series for what is probably the millionth time. My means of escape continues to bring me to my work with researching everyday people, the wealth of information […]
When IHS began the collecting initiative, Telling Your Story: Documenting COVID-19 in Indiana, our hope was to capture the experiences of Hoosiers during this historic time so their stories would be documented and preserved for future generations. Within the first week of collecting material, the response has been incredible as people from all over the […]
Until about six months ago, the walls of the west freight elevator at the Indiana Historical Society were depressingly blank. Then a photo of a puppy appeared on the wall. Soon, each of the sides were dotted with a parade of staff pets: dogs, cats and even the occasional fluffy white rabbit, each accompanied by […]
