It’s nice when different projects we work on at the Library Commission come together in some way. In this case some biennial reports that we have scanned from our state documents collection are related to a new Nebraska Memories participant.
The
Nebraska Children’s Home Society has a long history of caring for children who have been orphaned or become wards of the state. The Society recently contributed images of some of their
historical photographs to Nebraska Memories.
Dr. Elmer P. Quivey founded the Nebraska Children’s Home Society in 1893 and was the State Superintendent from 1893 to 1920. The Society offered support and assistance to parents committed to keeping their family together, and provided foster and adoptive homes for children who could not stay with their families. It also worked to find homes for children admitted to the state
Home for the Friendless. The
1904 Biennial Report of the Home for the Friendless provides a wealth of information about the education, nutrition, health and placement of children who lived there.
In 1923 the Nebraska Children’s Home Society constructed a building at 3549 Fontenelle Boulevard in Omaha. It was a residence for children awaiting adoption as well as the Society headquarters. In this photo a
badminton game is being played on the lawn by two boys, while other children watch. I love the bloomer style pants one of the players is wearing! Additions were made to the building in 1948 and 1965.
These fellows are obviously having a great time as
toymakers in training. Were the toys being made for younger children at the home, for them to play with, or perhaps to sell to support the Home? They were gaining skills in the shop that would have been helpful for future employment.
These girls were gaining other skills – in the domestic arts – while
baking a cake. Do you think the boys ever got to help with the cooking or the girls ever got to work in the shop?
Visit
Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact
Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or
Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.
