Category Archives: Preservation

Throwback Thursday: Crib of Sunbeams

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is too cute!

This week, we have a 6 1/2″ x 4″ black and white plate. Featured in this image are 11 infants in an iron-frame crib at the Nebraska Industrial School in Milford. In the 1915-1916 biennium, the babies were provided with two new large sun nurseries. 64 babies were born at the home during the biennium.

This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. This collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska, mainly libraries built with Carnegie grants. This collection also features items from the 1930s that are related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

If you like history, check out all the material featured on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: 1921 Freight Train Wreck – Benkelman, NE

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This 3 x 5 black and white photograph shows destroyed freight cars from a derailed freight train at the train station in Benkelman, Nebraska. The derailment resulted in total destruction of 3 freight cars and 13 others badly demolished.

This image is owned by the High Plains Historical Society and Museum. It is published by McCook Public Library. The High Plains Historical Society and Museum and the McCook Public Library worked together in partnership to digitize photographic images from the historical society’s collection. These images document early growth of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in McCook and the surrounding area. The collection spans from the early 1880s through the 1960s.

See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Court House Rock

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 5 1/2″ x 3 3/8″ black and white photographic postcard featuring two rock formations: Courthouse Rock on the right and Jail Rock on the left. These two formations are located south of Bridgeport and could be seen in the distance for several days by pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail.

This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. This collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska, mainly those built with Carnegie grants. Also included in this collection are items from the 1930s related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

Check out this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive!

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Bluffs of Niobrara River

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time for a #Throwback!

For this week’s #ThrowbackThursday, we’re featuring a color postcard of an artist’s rendering entitled “Bluff of Niobrara River, Valentine, Neb.”

The Niobrara River headwaters originate in Wyoming, 35 miles from the Nebraska border. The waters become swift and the channel drops nine feet every mile. East of Valentine, it passes through sandstone, clay and shale. Eventually, it passes through the last of the rock walls and by Norden is broad and shallow. It drains about 9,795 square miles, about 13 percent of the state of Nebraska.

This color postcard is owned and published to Nebraska Memories by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps dating from 1825 to 1922, as well as over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

If you like history, especially Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s full of materials related to Nebraska and its history.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: David City Memorial Park Entrance

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 5″ x 7″ nitrate negative of Memorial Park in David City, Nebraska. The entrance of this park is met with concrete markers commemorating World War II veterans on each side. The gravel driveway from Highway 15 makes its way toward the baseball and football fields.

This image was taken in 1940. It is owned by Thorpe Opera House Foundation and published as part of the Boston Studio Project. The collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska. Negatives and ledgers describing each photograph are stored at the Hruska Memorial Public Library in David City. Volunteers worked to digitize and describe over 1,000 images from this collection.

Interested in Nebraska history? Check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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

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Throwback Thursday: General Library

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

We’re celebrating #SchoolLibraryMonth by featuring some of the school libraries you can find on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have a black and white glass lantern slide of the General Library at Nebraska Wesleyan University. The General Library contained approximately 12,000 volumes, current magazines, and newspapers. It could seat about 120 people and served as a study room for all University departments.

This image is published and owned by Nebraska Wesleyan University. This collection holds several thousand photographs and various media.

If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive for more 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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Omaha High School Library

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

The month of April is #SchoolLibraryMonth and we’re celebrating by highlighting some school libraries featured on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have an early 1900’s black and white lantern slide of the library at Omaha High School, located at 20th and Dodge Streets.

This image is published and owned by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection feature early Omaha-related maps dating from the 1820s to the 1920s. It also showcases over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive!

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Studying in the Library

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

We’re celebrating #SchoolLibraryMonth by featuring some of the school libraries you can find on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have an 8″ x 10″ black and white acetate negative of students studying in the library of Windsor School, located in Omaha, Nebraska.

This image was taken by William Wentworth in 1937. It is published and owned by The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection features 4663 images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 to 1950. He worked as a freelance and commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in the city.

Check out the full William Wentworth Collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Library at Walnut Hill School

Happy #Throwback Thursday from Nebraska Memories!

April is #SchoolLibraryMonth and we’re celebrating by highlighting some school libraries featured on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have a black and white photograph of the library at Walnut Hill School.

Walnut Hill Elementary School is located at 44th and Hamilton Streets in Omaha, Nebraska. The library at Walnut Hill School was one of the first elementary school libraries in the city. The library’s first book was a copy of Peter Pan by James Barrie which was a gift from one of the local businesses.

This image is published and owned by Omaha Public Schools. Historical materials relating directly to the Omaha Public Schools have been located in various departments and school buildings. Many schools still maintain their own collections. In 2003, staff from the Educational Research Library/Library Services received a small grant to being collecting and organizing these materials in a central location. This group of pictures and their accompanying stories is but a tiny part of the District’s over 150 year history.

See more items in this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Flood Scene, March 30. 1912

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

110 years ago, water from the Platte and Elkhorn Rivers flooded into Valley, Nebraska. Flood waters covered the streets and extended to houses. Some areas were covered in over four feet of muddy water.

This image is owned and published by Valley Public Library. The Friends of the Valley Public Library, Valley, Nebraska, have digitized and described a collection of photographs depicting businesses and members of the local population between the late 1800s and 1900s in Valley. Several images show the severe flood Valley suffered in 1930. Established as a town in 1864, Valley lies northwest of Omaha.

If you’re someone who likes history, especially Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Syndicate Park, South Omaha, Neb.

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a color postcard of Syndicate Park, South Omaha, Nebraska. Originally laid out by the South Omaha land Company in 1884, the park contained 108 acres. Property disputes reduced the size to 36.8 acres in 1892. Syndicate Park was renamed Spring Lake Park.

This week’s throwback is owned and published by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps from 1825 to 1922, as well as over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area. The Omaha Postcard Collections show scenes of Omaha, spanning from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Check out the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Shrine Circus Trip

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

On March 29, 1946, Fairmont school students traveled over 60 miles in the back of these trucks to see the Shrine Circus and to visit the State Capitol building in Lincoln, NE.

This image is published and owned by Fairmont Public Library. In partnership with the Fillmore County Historical Society, the Fairmont Public Library digitized photographs from their collections depicting the history of Fillmore County. The photos in this collection feature local businesses, schools, churches, as well as the Fairmont Army Airfield, which was used during World War II.

If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: WPA Water Diversion Project

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week’s image documents the Works Progress Administration construction of the Keystone Diversion Dam and the Sutherland Canal and Reservoir in the mid-1930s. The Sutherland Reservoir and Keystone Diversion Dam are now managed by the Nebraska Public Power District as part of its hydro-power system.

This image is owned by Robin Clark and is published to the Nebraska Memories archive by the Nebraska Library Commission. The NLC’s collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska. It also includes items from the 1930s related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

If you’re interested in Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: 1937 David City High School Football Team

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have an 8″x10″ nitrate negative, full figure portrait photograph of the 1937 David City High School football team, David City, Nebraska. This team was coached by W. Irvin Schwartz and C. E. Dallam.

This image is part of the Boston Studio Project and is owned by the Thorpe Opera House Foundation. The collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska from 1893 to 1979. Harvey Boston, a professional photographer in David City, owned a portrait studio business from 1893 until his death in 1927. The business was later run by his daughter Edith Boston Proskovec and then by his son-in-law Audrey Hurlbert, before being sold to John and Fred McVay in 1973. Negatives and ledgers describing each photograph are stored at the Hruska Memorial Public Library in David City. Volunteers worked to digitize and describe just over 1,000 images from this collection for the Nebraska Memories project.

Check it out on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Boswell Observatory

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

The Boswell Observatory was built in 1883 and was named after Charles Boswell of Connecticut, whose stepson taught at Doane. Boswell donated $5,000 for the building and astronomy equipment which included an eight-inch equatorial telescope and a Greenwich Mean Time clock that was electronically connected to a time ball on top of Merrill Hall. The observatory was the second building on campus and is believed to be the first weather service headquarters in Nebraska. It has been altered several times, including following a fire in 1930. Now, the observatory serves as a mini-museum for historical equipment, as well as for sky viewing with the restored original telescope.

This image is owned and published by Doane University Library. Doane University Library is home to a vast archival collection containing a variety of items related to the history of Doane University. The items in this collection feature buildings, people an activities dating back to the founding of the school. Founded by Thomas Doane in 1872, Doane College became Doane University in May of 2016. It is the oldest private liberal and sciences college/university in the state of Nebraska.

Check out more in this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Love Songs

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you’re looking for a unique way to express your love to your special someone, this week’s #ThrowbackThursday can help!

We’re featuring a couple of Nebraska love songs that are perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Our first piece of music is titled “Love’s Faith”. It was written in 1923 by Edith Louise Neumann and Carleton Everett Knox of Wymore, Nebraska.

Our second piece of music featured this week is titled “If I Were a Rose”. It was written in 1899 by Edouard and Lena Hesselberg.

Both of these pieces of sheet music are owned and published by Polley Music Library. Over 250 pieces of Nebraska sheet music are available through the Nebraska Memories database, as well as concert programs, manuscripts, theatre programs, photographs, and other memorabilia. You can also listen to a dozen performances of selections from this collection performed by local musicians.

Check out more Nebraska memorabilia that features an element of music on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Mary Egging #1 Discovery Well

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ postcard featuring the first oil producing well in Cheyenne County. Oil companies had drilled since 1915 without luck until this Mary Egging #1.

This image is published and owned by the Cheyenne County Historical Society and Museum. Located in Sidney, Nebraska, the items featured in this collection represent the people and places of Sidney, Fort Sidney, Potter, Dalton, and other communities in the county. Images include photos showing business districts in the heart of these towns, troops stationed at the fort, and William Jennings Bryan speaking at the Cheyenne County Court House.

Check out more historical materials related to Nebraska on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Beatrice State Developmental Center

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 9.5″ x 6.5″ black and white photograph showing the grounds of the Beatrice State Developmental Center (BSDC).

This image from 1981 is owned and published by the Beatrice State Developmental Center. The BSDC has served Nebraskans with intellectual or developmental disabilities since 1887. This collection includes images of the Center and its previous incarnations as Beatrice State Home and the Nebraska Institute for the Feeble-Minded. The items in this collection span from the 1880s to the 1980s.

See more materials related to Nebraska on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Bird Hunt

It’s Thursday and that means…#THROWBACK!

This week, we have an early 1900’s black and white photograph on a postcard of a hunter with his dog shooting at pheasants.

This image was created by John Nelson and is published by History Nebraska. John Nelson was born in Harestad, Sweden in 1864. He came to Nebraska with his parents when he was seventeen years old. His photographs show life in small town Nebraska during the first decades of the twentieth century. His subjects include local businesses, community activities, and early automobiles.

See more of his work on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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Throwback Thursday: View Looking Toward Union Depot

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week’s image features a view looking through fog and steam toward the Union train depot as seen from the Pacific Bridge in Omaha, Nebraska. It was taken on January 12, 1912 and the recorded temperature was -27.

This black and white photograph is published and owned by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps dating from 1825 to 1922, as well as over 1,100 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

Check it out on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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. The Nebraska Memories archive 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.

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