In Spring 2023, Kenneth Spencer Research Library hosted the traveling exhibit Photographic Treasures of Historic Leavenworth, Kansas. It was developed by the Leavenworth County Historical Society to “reveal a notable segment of American history in surprising detail and reframe the rich legacy of Leavenworth in a new light.” The exhibit showcased seventeen enlarged reproductions of historical photographs from the post-Civil War era, with interpretive captions. The images included downtown and city panoramas, studio portraits, and close-ups of downtown businesses as well as photos of the old Fort bridge, a steamboat, and the first train depot. The traveling exhibit also included fifty additional photographs that were displayed using the library’s projector and three panels of contextual information about the Historical Society’s Everhard Glass Plate Negative Collection.
In conjunction with the traveling exhibition, Spencer Research Library showcased a selection of collection materials – including original books, documents, maps, and photographs – related to Leavenworth’s history between 1865 and 1900. These are the materials reproduced here, with their exhibit labels.
This is an online version of a physical exhibit that was on display in Kenneth Spencer Research Library, February through June 2023. The exhibit was created by Caitlin Donnelly Klepper and Kathy Lafferty, Public Services. Contact Caitlin or Kathy with questions.
