University of Illinois Springfield students photographed and scanned items from local residents’ personal history on Saturday for inclusion in an online digital archive and exhibit. The initiative is called “History Harvest.” This year’s theme, “The Great Road Trip.”
The theme was influenced by an increased appreciation for the value of travel and tourism gained while dealing with isolation and restrictions during the height of the pandemic. It represents the desire to get back on the road and to see new things. The theme is also an acknowledgment of how important travel and tourism is to Springfield’s identity and economy.
Students from UIS Associate Professor of History Devin Hunter’s undergraduate public history class and UIS Associate Professor of History Kenneth Owen’s graduate history and digital media class lead the effort to digitize items for the online digital exhibit.
UIS held its inaugural History Harvest in 2016, with a theme centered on political and elections history. The second UIS History Harvest, in 2018, used the theme of “Being Illinoisan,” in honor of the state’s bicentennial.
For more information on this year’s History Harvest and to view the digital archives from past years, visit uis.edu/history-harvest.