The Library has released a new photography archive that now allows the community to access over 10,000 images of pivotal St. Joseph County moments during the second half of the 20th century. The archive can be found at MichianaMemory.sjcpl.org.
The images are a gift from the South Bend Tribune, which has donated as many as 1 million photographs taken by Tribune photographers during that period.
Local & Family History librarians curated a selection of over 10,000 photographs of local dignitaries, major building projects, iconic businesses and key events.
The project was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Indiana State Library, which provided the means necessary to digitize the photographs.
“Making the South Bend Tribune Photograph Collection accessible to the community has been our goal throughout this project,” said Ellen Anderson, Local & Family History Librarian. “We hope the images it contains will inspire families to share their stories and memories of St. Joseph County with each other.” The project includes photos that represent places and people in St. Joseph County from the 1950s to the 1990s, with an emphasis on historical buildings, natural places, businesses, community celebrations, and underrepresented groups.
When the South Bend Tribune was sold in 2019, there was not enough space to keep the massive collection of archived negatives in the Tribune’s new home. The St. Joseph County Public Library Local & Family History department was excited to be chosen as the recipient to keep the collection and make the resource available to the public.
