By: Haley Suby, Digital Archivist
Over the past eleven months, the Kansas Historical Society has been working hard to bring you digitized images that represent the past, present and future of Kansas and Kansans. Featured in this post are highlights from each month, different collections and counties. Read further to see what we have found to digitize for you.
January:
One of the first items to be digitized in 2018 comes from the home town of the Society's new Acquisitions Archivist. Gracing us from Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas, this booklet uses black and white photographs with accompanying captions to represent street scenes, churches, businesses, aerial views and residences. The Acquisitions Archivist may not have been in Pittsburg in 1902 but some of the buildings may still be around for your delight today.
February:
February was the cold month the current Digital Archivist joined the team. This 360-degree photograph of a container from the Shawnee Methodist Mission in Johnson County, Kansas, was shot by the Society's photographer. Through shooting the container thirty-six times incrementally by ten degrees around the container, a full 360-degree view is achieved giving the viewer a better perspective of a 3D object.
March:
March brought more cold weather to Kansas, but it also brought this digitized map of the Kansas Territory. Today we have more convenient modern technology to help us stay warm while outside working compared to when the land was surveyed for this map. George N. Propper surveyed the land to create this map to identify county boundaries, Indian boundaries, rail roads, emigrant routes and many more.
April:
The Kansas History Museum is constantly surprising us with exhibits and interpretations of collections, but if you haven't made it to the Museum they are bringing their collections to you. This digitized cartoon brought Christmas to April for some. A Christmas list is written on the cartoon, does your wish list look similar?
May:
In May the weather was beginning to warm up in Kansas and the bitterly cold winds were staying away. This set of photographs shows the welcome arch to the Neosho Falls Fair Grounds in Woodson County, Kansas. Summer farmer's markets and fairs are just beginning to open for the season and this arch would certainly make someone excited to attend.
June:
From Miller, South Dakota, Nelson Antrim Crawford (1888-1963) made his name as an educator and journalist in Topeka, Kansas. He is best known for his publication “Your Child Faces War” which provided guidelines for parents to educate their children on peace and international affairs. His house stands near Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. These drawings were digitized in June to show interior and exterior details and designs of this journalist’s home.
July:
This year our archeology training program traveled to Council Grove in Morris County, Kansas, to work on the Last Chance Store. While the archeologists were excavating the Last Chance Store the Archives held a Scan and Share event. Local residents brought historic materials to be digitized for publication on Kansas Memory. One of the items brought during the visit is the only known portrait to exist of the Indian Agent Seth Hays (1811-1873). Hays traveled to Council Grove, Kansas, by the Santa Fe Trail in the spring of 1847 where he chose to stay to open and operate a trading post.
August:
Taken in Riley County, this photograph shows the shift from taking a casual swim to taking in the sun to get the highly desired tanned look. On the left, Miss 1880 is modeling a traditional wool bathing costume outfitted with full pants and dress to accommodate the wearing of a corset underneath to maintain her figure. Beauty pageant contestants are sporting vogue rayon swimsuits which were becoming popular for young ladies. Many more United States women were pushing the limits of bathing suit laws with fitted and sleeveless suits popularized by Australian Annette Kellerman in 1907.
September:
The Goddard Woman's Club in Sedgewick County and the Kansas Historical Society worked together to digitize the Club's scrapbooks. This scrapbook highlights the Club's community service to provide educational programs about the Shell Oil Company that at the time had forty-five producing wells and 60,000 acres of land in and around Wichita, Kansas.
October:
This Depression-era letter from progressive journalist William Allen White to Dorothea Gufler demonstrates the high unemployment rate in the United States. In his response to Dorothea Gufler's letter on behalf of her friend Mr. Brayshaw, White’s sarcastic tone makes it evident that he has received many of these requests the past four years.
November:
Hailing from South Dakota, which is most likely colder than we are here in Kansas, is the Society's newest Government Records Archivist. During his work, he transcribed a written statement by John Brown, abolitionist, on the Battle of Osawatomie where he gained notoriety on the national stage for his skill at guerilla warfare. Brown’s chilling account of the battle highlights the difficulties men and women may have encountered settling in Kansas at this time.
Returning in 2019, the Kansas Historical Society will be working hard to bring you more items to you to view at your own convenience.