GSR photograph index drawers and cards – each card represents one or more images
This is the second post in a six-part series exploring the different types of historic materials that you can find on our new website, History in the Making. To read the other posts in this series, please click here. In this post, we will be looking in more detail at our collection of historic photographs and postcards.
Here, in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History, we have a vast collection of photographs and postcards that capture the rich history of Kitchener and the surrounding areas. From photographs and postcards of buildings or other well-known locations to family portraits and school photographs, our collection encompasses not only the milestone moments that shaped our city but also daily life in Waterloo Region.
These photographs and postcards date from the late 19th century to the present day and can provide us with an invaluable, visual insight into the past. They capture significant events like the departure of local soldiers during the world wars, and the arrival of hydroelectric power in Berlin, as well as, opening ceremonies for area buildings, heritage plaque unveilings, and reunions for regional schools and societies.
In addition, the photographs in our collection capture more everyday moments such as people working on farms or in factories and streetscapes showing how much Kitchener has changed over the last hundred years. We also have a large number of studio photographs of local men, women and children that can help us to humanise our ancestors by showing us what they looked like, how they dressed or styled their hair and even what props they chose to be photographed with.
Our postcard collection, on the other hand, features notable locations in the area like Victoria Park, King Street or City Hall. There are even a number which show Kitchener Public Library over the years! While many of our late 19th and early 20th century photographs are in black-and-white, the postcards dating from this same era have often been coloured and can help us more clearly visualise the city as it would have looked back then.
We have already digitized and uploaded approximately 1,000 of these photographs and postcards to HITM but we have thousands more in the GSR that we will be uploading in the future! If you are looking for an image of a person, place or event in Kitchener or Waterloo Region but can’t find it online, why not visit us in person to check out our photo index?
Quick Tips
- Looking for images of a relative or other person? Make sure to search for them by their last name. You could also try searching for group photographs taken by schools, churches, employers or even societies and clubs that they were associated with.
- Looking for images of a building or other location? Try searching our database for the names of previous owners, businesses associated with the address or the street name. You could even try looking for other nearby businesses or landmarks.
- Do you want a copy of a photo in our collection? We offer high-quality digital or physical reproductions for personal use or research purposes for $10.00 + HST per image!
Questions?
If you have any questions or just want to learn more about our photograph collection, please feel free to send us an email at gsr@kpl.org, give us a call at 519-743-0271 ext. 212 or visit us in person the next time you are in the library! Check back next week to learn more about our archival collections!
Chiara Fallone, Senior Library Assistant, Grace Schmidt Room