Caring for Family Archival Collections

The key to good collection management is planning and perseverance. A thoughtfully considered plan of action may save dollars as well as your collection. First decide what is most important to preserve, then stabilize the storage environment.  Use archival quality materials for storage and display, make copies for backup and …

History Mystery: “Tacky Party”

Years ago, when KHS staff was traveling through the Ohio Valley to scan personal family items for our Ohio River Portrait Project, we were not prepared for the wonderfully fun items that would come our way. We’re used to the stoic studio portraits, and the pleasant landscapes/cityscapes, but catching a glimpse of …

Book Notes – A Pictorial History of Clark County Kentucky

A Pictorial History of Clark County Kentucky. By The Bluegrass Heritage Museum. (2010. Pp. 256. $49.95. Hardback. Morley: Acclaim Press. P.O. Box 238, Morley MO 63767. http://www.acclaimpress.com/) ISBN: 978-1-935001-55-3. This month, we are featuring a new acquisition to the KHS Library Collection. This title has been around for a few years, …

Book Notes – Ohio Photographers 1839-1900

Ohio Photographers 1839-1900. By Diane VanSkiver Gagel.  (2013.  Pp. 371.  $42.75. Paperback. Baltimore: Clearfield Company for Genealogical Publishing Company.  ISBN: 978-0-8063-5669-3.) www.genealogical.com Statewide resources on early photography are few and far between.  A brief check of OCLC’s WorldCat shows just six states with statewide directories, a clue to how difficult …

Say Cheese! Second Saturday Talks Photos and Preservation

For July’s Second Saturday, attendees were treated to a tag team presentation by a couple of great local experts. Bill Marshall, Author and Retired Director of Special Collections at the University of Kentucky, joined Jen Duplaga, our KHS Archivist, Special Collections & Digital Programs Administrator, for a two hour exploration …

History Mystery: Summer Picnic or Fair?

This month’s History Mystery takes us to a beautiful summer day of the past. On a grassy hillside, a group of finely dressed ladies and gentlemen are posed, looking relaxed and somewhat happy. As happy as a turn of the century photographer would allow them to look: “OK everyone! Keep …