Naptown Buzz

Your source for all things Indy™

IHS

IHS Releases Historic Indy 500 Images Online

by

BRETZMAN COLLECTION, INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Cropped)
BRETZMAN COLLECTION, INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Cropped)

The countdown is on to the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, and the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is marking the occasion with four historic panoramic images, now available to the public online at images.indianahistory.org (search “Indianapolis 500”).

The panoramic images date back to the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 30, 1911. Taken by Charles F. Bretzman, the race’s first official photographer, two of the surviving panoramic images feature the action on the track, including the starting lineup of 40 cars and drivers. Another of Bretzman’s black and white images captured the flavor of the day, focusing on some of the 80,000 spectators who were onhand to witness history.

“He ranked with the best of the best, and just got lost in the shuffle somehow, so it’s wonderful that this body of work is there for people to appreciate,” said Bretzman’s granddaughter Margaret Dexter. “I’m just thrilled that they’re being unearthed and being given their due as mother would say, ‘to really realize what a wonderful eye he had.'”

Bretzman went on to serve as race photographer for several more years, capturing balloon and automobile races through 1913. The Indianapolis-based photographer also made a name for himself in portrait photography, and his images of Carl G. Fisher, IMS co-founder, Paul V. McNutt, former Indiana governor, and Charles W. Fairbanks, former U.S. vice president under Theodore Roosevelt, are among those included in IHS’s digital image collections.

Researchers who want to view a selection of Bretzman’s work in person can do so at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The History Center’s William Henry Smith Memorial Library is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Researchers specifically interested in panoramic images will find IHS’s digital offerings have doubled since this time last year. In 2015, IHS received a grant that allowed the organization to scan 686 panoramic photos from its archives, and there are now more than 1,000 available online. Completed in April 2016, the project was supported by the the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered by the Indiana State Library. Project results will also be included in Indiana Memory and the Digital Public Library of America.

For more information about IHS’s panoramic digital offerings, or to learn how to donate items, call (317) 232-1882 or visit IHS at www.indianahistory.org.

SOURCE: Indiana Historical Society

Indiana Historical Society’s 2014 Concerts on the Canal Schedule

by

May 29 – The Woomblies (Popular Motown, soul and rock)

June 5 – The Flying Toasters (High-energy dance favorites)

June 12 – Hopkins and Miller (Jazz of the 1920s and 1930s)

June 19 – Seth Jenkins and the Tides featuring Michael Beck and Dane Dye (Eclectic music from the 1950s to today)

June 26 – Cynthia Layne (R&B and jazz)

July 3 – Carmel Brass (Patriotic tunes)

July 4 – Indianapolis Municipal Band (Patriotic tunes and marches, 5 to 6:15 p.m.) and King James and the Verses (Classic rock and blues, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.)

July 10 – The Cool City Band featuring Shannon Forsell and Laney Wilson (Music of the Lounge Era)

July 17 – Deb Mullins (Cabaret with a mix of standards, bluesy jazz and pop)

July 24 – David Mannell with Laura Hammer-Erhart and Becky Barton with special guest John Alvarado (Classic music of Spain and Latin America, standards of musical theater)

July 31 – Jessie Brown (Country, rock and soul)

IHS Announces 2014 Concerts on the Canal, Museum Nights on the Canal and Summer Sunday Hours

by

Indianapolis—There are plenty of ways to enjoy downtown Indianapolis in the summer, and the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is offering several—its time-honored favorite Concerts on the Canal, popular Museum Nights on the Canal programming and Sunday hours in June and July. The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, home of the IHS and the Indiana Experience, is located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis, along the picturesque, historic Central Canal.

On Thursday evenings this summer, the IHS will host some of the area’s best performers. The concert lineup includes a diverse selection of musical styles, from jazz, blues and classic rock to big band, swing and the Great American Songbook. Local and regional favorites like The Woomblies, The Flying Toasters, Cynthia Layne, The Cool City Band (featuring Shannon Forsell and Laney Wilson) and Jessie Brown are just a few of the acts on this season’s schedule.

Concerts take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays from May 29 to July 31, in addition to IHS’s annual Independence Day Bash on Friday, July 4, which will start at 5 p.m. with the Indianapolis Municipal Band and feature King James and the Verses.

Guests are welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to Concerts on the Canal, but food service is also provided in the History Center’s Stardust Terrace Café and at an outdoor grill, both operated by Hoaglin To Go. All alcohol must be purchased on-site, and a cash bar will be offered. No pets and no smoking are allowed on the Plaza. Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the History Center’s parking lot.

Seating can be purchased on the Kruse Family Stardust Terrace in tables of eight ($45/$40 IHS members) or four ($35/$30 IHS members), and single-seats at the community table ($10/$9 for IHS members). Free seating is available across the canal on the grassy knoll. The 2014 Concerts on the Canal series is presented by The Indiana Rail Road Company, in partnership with the IUPUI Department of Music and Arts Technology.

For concert dates in June and July, IHS’s Museum Nights on the Canal will offer free Indiana Experience admission, as well as hands-on activities and extra entertainment, from 4 to 8 p.m. Indiana Experience admission will also be free on July 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum Nights on the Canal is presented by Citizens Energy Group and The Glick Fund, a CICF Fund.

Guests are also invited to take advantage of Sunday hours in June and July, when the History Center will be open from noon to 5 p.m. and offer additional programming. IHS is also proud to be part of the Blue Star Museum Program and extends free year-round admission to members of the active military and their families.

To reserve a table in advance or more information, call the IHS at (317) 232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.

Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society has been Indiana’s Storyteller, connecting people to the past by collecting, preserving, interpreting and sharing the state’s history. A private, nonprofit membership organization, IHS maintains the nation’s premier research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest and presents a unique set of visitor exhibitions called the Indiana Experience. IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; produces and hosts art exhibitions, museum theater and outside performance groups; and provides youth, adult and family programming.