Online Database Houses Over 1,000 Images from Elmhurst Historical Museum Collection

Submitted by the Elmhurst Historical Museum. Photo: Elmhurst High School students at Glos Hall (May 1912)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a database of more than 1,000 images is a trove that captures countless moments in history. The Elmhurst Historical Museum is pleased to announce the availability of 1,000+ historical images in a searchable online digital collection that may now be accessed by the public.

According to Nancy Wilson, Elmhurst Historical Museum’s curator of collections, the digitization of the Museum’s photographs, manuscripts, and objects is an ongoing project that has been years in the making. “Museums today want to share their collections as much as possible via the internet,” said Wilson, a veteran staff member who managed the digitization project since its inception. “It is a way to bring our collection to the public instead of keeping photos and artifacts hidden away in storage. Our online image database is an exciting, new connection that enables us to share our diverse collection with our patrons, whether they live here in Elmhurst or across an ocean.”

The Elmhurst Historical Museum, which is located at 120 E. Park Ave. in Elmhurst, surpassed the significant goal of digitizing 1,000 images in August, and Wilson has plans for the online collection to continue to grow over time. “It’s a very time-consuming project, but one that has become a priority for the Elmhurst Historical Museum. We were able to achieve our goals with help from a dedicated group of volunteers who spent hours scanning items from the collection and uploading them to the database. This simply would not have happened without the assistance of our great volunteers. It was a real team effort to reach this milestone.”

Wilson points researchers and history fans to the online database as an ideal place to start. “I suggest to those interested in looking at our photo archives to start online first, because often the image they are looking for is already scanned and available. We have over 10,000 photos in our archives, so only a fraction of them are currently online. But we often receive requests for the same photos again and again, so we started by scanning the most requested items to make them easily accessible.”

Wilson added that she receives research inquiries from around the world, whether it’s an author doing research for a book or a student working on a thesis. “We can be much more efficient and improve our customer service with this tool. People are often surprised to hear that we field inquiries from different time zones. So the database will provide a 24/7 opportunity for our customers to find what they need at their convenience, and I appreciate that efficiency.”

To access the database, go to the Elmhurst Historical Museum’s home page at elmhursthistory.org. Click on the “Search Collection Highlights” button on the bottom left side of the page, and users will be transported to the EHM’s E-Hive collection database. On the right side, locate the box “Search Elmhurst Historical Museum Collection” and type a name or place of interest – or simply explore the entire online collection in the “View All” section.

Wilson hopes that the online image database will become a valuable resource used by many patrons in the years to come. “Our goal is to provide the best possible service to our research patrons and make it easier to do business with the Museum,” stated Wilson. “We’ve put a lot of effort into opening up our collection to more people, and I look forward to seeing this resource continue to grow over time.”

For more information, go to elmhursthistory.org or contact the Museum staff at630-833-1457.