Missouri Historical Society Library & Research Center

🏛️ Stay connected to the Library & Research Center!

🔍 Follow our Missouri History Museum page to stay up-to-date on all of the upcoming programs, events and services provided by the Library & Research Center: https://bit.ly/40eGOmL

📚 And don't forget to follow the LRC over on Instagram for exclusive behind-the-scenes content featuring our collections as well as info on events like our Saturday Speaker Series, workshops and pop-up displays: https://bit.ly/4ctA8IW

🔍 Be in-the-know for all of the upcoming programs, events and services provided by the Library & Research Center by following our Missouri History Museum page: https://bit.ly/40eGOmL

📚 While you’re at it, head on over to Instagram and follow the LRC to get more info on events like our Saturday Speaker Series, workshops and pop-up displays:
https://bit.ly/4ctA8IW

The Library and Research Center will be closed on Tuesday, January 27 to allow road crews time and space to work.

We hope everyone is staying safe and warm and look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Due to inclement weather, the Library & Research Center will be closing early today, January 24 at 3:00pm.

Stay safe and warm out there!

The Library and Research Center will be closed Thursday, January 1.

We will be open the next day, Friday, January 2, though! Be one of the first to see our new pop-up collections display, "Mexican History in St. Louis."

The Library and Research Center will be closed on Thursday, December 25.

We’ll be open Friday, December 26 and ready to welcome you!

Come by and check out our pop-up exhibit, "Missouri History, Missouri Horses" that celebrates the beauty and significance of horses in Missouri's past before it closes at the end of the month.

Photography was still a novelty in the mid-1800s, and most people who stepped in front of a camera did so dressed in their finest—hair perfectly curled, beards freshly trimmed, determined to present their very best selves to the world.

But December's featured collection tells a very different story. These portraits are some of the most striking images in early American photography, revealing humanity not polished but unguarded, unprepared, and utterly real.

Find the collection here: https://highlights.mhs.yourcultureconnect.com/e/curated-collections/Rogues

The Library and Research Center will be closed on Thursday, November 27 through December 1.

We’ll be back open Tuesday, December 2 and ready to welcome you! Come by and check out our newest pop-up exhibit, "Missouri History, Missouri Horses" that celebrates the beauty and significance of horses in Missouri's past.

Louis E. Alewel was born in St. Louis to German parents. He was known for his devotion to humanitarian work, which was much needed after World War 2. At the end of the war, Germany had been decimated by heavy Allied bombing, and its economy was in shambles. Louis Alewel was one of the many citizens who sent care packages to German citizens who were struggling to survive.

From translating German letters in our collections housed at the Library and Research Center, it became clear that the people Alewel helped were desperate. One author wrote… “ a fearful time, no money to buy something to eat”. Some letters in the collection are of historical significance; others are more personal, but they all share a story about the war. Read more Louis E. Alewel and his legacy: https://mohistory.org/blog/louis-alewel

Step into the history of Jefferson Barracks through the eyes of someone who grew up there!

Author Pam Vaccaro, who lived at Jefferson Barracks from 1948–1956, will share childhood stories of exploring the former mess hall, the POW prison, and even the tunnel that once ran from the commandant’s house to the Mississippi River.

You’ll also get a rare look at personal items from her family collection, including photos, postcards, sports memorabilia from the JB Boys & Girls Club, a St. Bernadette Ladies’ Club cookbook, and even a piece of flooring from a barracks apartment.

🗓️ Saturday, November 22 at 9:30am
📍 Library and Research Center

Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3JK4ZoC

Our Library and Research Center has tons of unique collections that you might have never heard of, including our William Russell Land Records Collection.

William Russell became one of the largest landowners in Missouri and Arkansas. He was interested in land formally known as the St. Louis Common Fields, which is a part of the modern-day Soulard neighborhood. Russell used that land to build his orchard – Crystal Spring Farm. His orchard was his pride, and ultimately, Russell's orchard and mansion were passed down to his daughter. Throughout the years, his farm became known as Union Park and was used for various social gatherings such as concerts and plays.

Although Russell's original house was destroyed in the mid-1920's some of his block still stands, which happens to be the Orange Smile Syrup Company building at 2001 S.
9th Street, formerly Bohemian Hall. Read more about William Russell and the transformation of his orchard: https://mohistory.org/blog/soulard-land

It's Spooky season, and the Missouri Historical Society has some cooky objects in our collections that might pique your interest or give you the creeps.

To name a few, we have:
• A glass lachrymatory bottle: used to hold tears for those who were mourning
• The death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte: death masks were used to create busts of the deceased
• A frozen Charlotte Doll: named after the American folk ballad “Fair Charlotte," which was based on a poem about a young girl who froze to death
• A 1870s hair wreath: creating hair wreaths was considered an act of love, honor, memorialization, and remembrance.

Whether these objects excite you or have you scratching your head, you can learn more about them here: https://mohistory.org/blog/creepy-collections