Month: December 2020

Posted on

Illinois Stories-COVID 19 from Illinois State Museum

This year has no doubt been marked by the coronavirus pandemic. The Illinois State Museum has started a collection documenting Illinoisans experiences of the initial days shelter-in place and the summer’s movement for justice following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville through art, personal essays, and photographs. The collection is on-going, but here are a few already in the collection:

Birthday Drive-bys, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by J Crin. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Black Lives Matter Rally, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by Zach Adams. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Park Do’s and Don’ts, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by A. Jordan-Baker. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
“Crazy In Quarantine” , 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Art by Ellie Baldwin. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Penguin Field Trips at the Shedd, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by Shedd Aquarium. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Public Service Announcement, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by M. Wilhelmi. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Birthday Blues, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by S. Carolan. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
Social Distancing with Friends, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by B. Malany. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.

For the rest of the collection and to read the reflections of people who have contributed their images and stories, please visit the IDHH or the Illinois State Library. If you’re interested in sharing your Covid-19 story, this page on the Illinois State Museum’s website has the information you need.

Posted on

Welcome Bensenville Community Public Library

We’ve been lucky to have so many new collections this fall. Bensenville Community Public Library recently joined us and has contributed images from their Bensenville Historical Collection to the IDHH.

Here’s a few I love:

Bensenville Lodge No. 181, Independent Order Odd Fellows, 1920. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
Walter and Alice 50th anniversary, 1967. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
Wives of Bensenville firemen, 1969. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
Fred Warnecke and woman sitting in a buggy, c. 1900. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
Dierking home family group portrait, 1917. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.

To see the full collection of over 1,200 images, click here to visit the IDHH.

Posted on

Welcome LaSalle Public Library and Illinois Valley Local History Collection

Hi Readers, we’re delighted that the IDHH is continuing to grow. We’re welcoming LaSalle Public Library and the Illinois Valley Local History Collection.

The Illinois Valley Local History Collection is a gem. It includes over 80 photographs from the earliest parts of the 20th century, including images of city life as the city was being built, the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the coal industry in North Central Illinois.

Here are a few choice images from the full collection:

Illinois Central Railroad Bridge, c. 1910.  LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
Snow Removal on First Street, c. 1910.  LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
Illinois and Michigan Canal, LaSalle,  c. 1910 LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
LaSalle Carbon Coal Company, c. 1910 LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
Castendyke Brothers Farm Machinery, c. 1910 LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.

To browse the full collection, please visit the IDHH here.