Month: December 2020

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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:

color photograph of vehicles with balloons driving around a cul-de-sac to celebrate a birthday during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Birthday Drive-bys, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by J Crin. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
black and white photos of protesters during a Black Lives Matter Rally in 2020.
Black Lives Matter Rally, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by Zach Adams. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color photo of a poster sign for Park activities in Oak Park during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Park Do’s and Don’ts, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by A. Jordan-Baker. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color artwork, mixed media, depicting a stressed person.
“Crazy In Quarantine” , 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Art by Ellie Baldwin. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color photo of a zoo penguin standing in front of dolphins in an enclosure at Shedd Aquarium.
Penguin Field Trips at the Shedd, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by Shedd Aquarium. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color photo of an outside advertising board with a CDC public service announcement about social distancing for COVID 19.
Public Service Announcement, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by M. Wilhelmi. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color artwork of a blue woman sitting alone holding a red balloon with a glass of wine and empty wine bottle in front of her.
Birthday Blues, 2020. Illinois State Museum. Illinois Stories- Covid 19. Photograph by S. Carolan. Courtesy of Illinois State Museum.
color photo of two women sitting outside in camping chairs on a wooden deck with a lot of distance between them.
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 [now deprecated] on the Illinois State Museum’s website has the information you need.

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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:

black and white photos in an aged paper of the 1920 members of the Independent Order Odd Fellows lodge.
Bensenville Lodge No. 181, Independent Order Odd Fellows, 1920. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
black and white photo, headshot of a man and woman for their 50th anniversary.
Walter and Alice 50th anniversary, 1967. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
black and white photo of women posed in front of a fire truck, the women in front row sitting and the women in the back row standing.
Wives of Bensenville firemen, 1969. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
sepia-toned photo of a man and woman sitting in a horse-drawn buggy.
Fred Warnecke and woman sitting in a buggy, c. 1900. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.
black and white photo of a large family photo posed outside a house with a wrap-around porch.
Dierking home family group portrait, 1917. Bensenville Historical Collection. Bensenville Community Public Library.

Visit the IDHH to see the full collection of over 1,200 images.

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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:

black and white postcard of the Illinois central bridge, with a train traveling over the railroad tracks.
Illinois Central Railroad Bridge, c. 1910.  LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
black and white photo of horse-drawn wagons carrying snow to clear the street.
Snow Removal on First Street, c. 1910.  LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
black and white photo of a man standing on a bank looking down into a canal.
Illinois and Michigan Canal, LaSalle,  c. 1910 LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
black and white photo of a building alongside a canal.
LaSalle Carbon Coal Company, c. 1910 LaSalle Public Library. Illinois Valley Local History Collection. Image courtesy of the LaSalle Public Library.
sepia-toned black and white photo of farm machinery standing along the side of road in front of buildings.
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.