Category Archives: Collections and Library

Jimmy and Marty On the Town

Though the types of characters they portrayed were different, James Dean and Martin Landau became friends almost from first sight. Both the farm kid from Fairmont, Indiana, and the political cartoonist from New York City aspired to become serious actors in the city that could either spell fame or disappointment. Dean graduated from high school […]

Bringing Old Film, Images to Life

There’s a certain amount of nostalgia that can be provoked by a still image, that’s why so many people love browsing the Indiana Historical (IHS) digital image collections. But a historic moving image or film can augment that feeling of nostalgia. The combination of movement, sound (in some cases), and a range of expressions can […]

My Patron Saints of Summer

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 […]

My Favorite Things

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 […]

Thinking About a Donation to IHS? These Guidelines Will Help

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 […]

The Famous Bamboo Inn Restaurant: 1918-1961

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 […]

Exploring Civil War Sites

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 […]