Honoring Grandparents

Every September, National Grandparents Day is celebrated on the Sunday after Labor Day. This holiday was created by Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade of West Virginia. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared it a national holiday. According to the National Grandparents Day website, the purpose of the day is “to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.” Nebraska Memories contains several images of children and their grandparents. The Boston Studio collection includes posed portraits of grandparents and grandchildren together. More informal examples of grandparents spending time with their grandkids can be found in this 1924 photograph of Fred Zeeck and his granddaughter Betty and in this image of a Sioux grandmother and granddaughter sitting together near a fire. This stereoscopic photograph titled “A Letter to Grandma” shows a young girl sitting at a desk, writing a letter to her grandmother. 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, Historical Services Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.