The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is an independently-funded nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving and sharing Harrison’s presidential legacy and largely hidden collection of more than 10,000 historical items. The collection is composed of original Harrison family artifacts and accessioned artifacts of national significance.
The Hett Art Gallery and Museum at historic Camp Chesterfield in Anderson, IN houses 127 years of historical documents and photographs related to the movement and religion of Spiritualism, as well as primary documents and artifacts dating back over a century to the original formation of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists (IAOS) in its museum archives.
Clothing is often a little studied area of American history, but what people wore, how it was made and who made it can offer important insights into a nation's social history. Though clothes do not the man make, they can tell you much about the men, women and children who wore them, and about the society in which they lived. Conner Prairie, an Interactive History Park located in Fishers, Indiana, holds a valuable and substantial collection of historic clothing and accessories. Heretofore, the fragile condition of many of the garments has limited their access to the public. Now, thanks to the partnership of IU Indianapolis University Library and Conner Prairie, these objects may be seen and studied the world over.
Conner Prairie preserves these textile legacies of the past for present and future generations of families to enjoy. The collection was founded in the 1940s by Ruth and Eli Lilly.
The preservation and continuation of traditional crafts and their skills are important to American culture. The Conner Prairie craft collection is usually limited to museum guests, scholars, and other specialized researchers. By digitizing the collection and making it widely accessible o the internet these historic artifacts and the important story they tell will be available to a mass audience, including teachers and students. This collection consists of Conner Prairie traditional crafts featuring pottery, armsmaking, and blacksmithing.
Transferware was an 18th-century English innovation in ceramic decoration in which copper-plate engravings were "transferred" to items via a "tissue." No longer was it necessary to laboriously hand-decorate ceramics like tableware, basins or tiles. This early form of mass production was an immediate success and demand grew over the early nineteenth century. Manufacturers like Spode and Wedgewood found eager markets for their deocorative, durable goods, particularly in the United States.
This digital collection celebrates the works of James Whitcomb Riley and is a valuable resource for students, teachers, and researchers in Indiana, throughout the country, and beyond. Livin' the life of Riley provides access to manuscripts, personal letters, photographs, early edition books, and artifacts that represent the Hoosier Poet. This is a collaborative effort between the Hancock Public Library, the Riley Old Home Society, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home, and IU Indianapolis University Library and was made possible by an LSTA grant.
This collection consists of various pieces of material culture collected from anthropology professor Paul Mullins and his archaeology field school participants. The items have been recovered from various locations in and around the IU Indianapolis campus, and depict an active and vibrant African-American community that once inhabited the area.
