EDWARDSVILLE - A remarkable collection of photographs capturing life in Madison County from the 1890s through the 1930s is now accessible to the public, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville history students and staff from SIUE’s Louisa H. Bowen University Archives and Special Collections.
Students in the digital archives class with professor of history and Graduate Studies Director Jeff Manuel, PhD, worked collaboratively this fall to digitize and publish images from the Godfrey Photograph Collection, a collection of rare photographs previously held only in physical form by the SIUE Archive. The collection offers an extraordinary glimpse into the Metro East region during a transformative period in American history.
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“These beautiful black-and-white photographs are a portal to our region’s distant past,” said Manuel. “They reveal how world-changing events, like World War I or the invention of the automobile, affected everyday lives in southwest Illinois.”
The digitization project gave SIUE history students hands-on experience with archival preservation techniques, metadata creation, and digital curation—skills increasingly valuable in the modern information economy. The partnership between SIUE’s History Department and Lovejoy Library demonstrates the University's commitment to experiential learning while preserving the region's cultural heritage.
Marlee Graser, MLIS, Dean of SIUE’s Library and Information Services, noted, “It's inspiring to see students take such care in preserving the Godfrey photographs and the stories they hold. Their work not only safeguards local history but also helps make the past more visible and connected to our present community.”
Alice Knoebel, a student in the class, said, “I learned so much through this process and gained a new appreciation for the work that goes into digitization.”
Another student, Riley Van Buren, noted, “This experience helped me understand where older photographs I see online come from and made me realize the significant amount of work involved in making that happen."
The digitized photographs are now available for viewing online, where community members, researchers, and history enthusiasts can explore Madison County's past for free.
For more information about the collection or SIUE's digital archives program, contact Jeff Manuel, SIUE Department of History, jemanue@siue.edu.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high-quality education that powerfully transforms the lives of all individuals who seek something greater. A premier metropolitan university, SIUE is creating social and economic mobility for individuals while also powering the workforce of the future. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Home to a diverse student body, SIUE is situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis.?
Photograph of Eleanor Boeschenstein firing a cannon to begin Madison County's Centennial in September 1912; 1898 photograph of a boy, likely Edward West Hadley, riding a horse and the horse is wearing flowers as part of a flower parade. Edwardsville, Ill.; 1907 photograph of children standing for a school picture with a little girl in the front holding a chalkboard with "Carpenter School 1907" written on it. Carpenter, Ill.
