The University of Illinois Springfield History Department is hosting another History Harvest. The focus is “The Great Road Trip.”
Members of the public are invited to bring their photos, souvenirs and memorabilia from their travels to the event. UIS students will photograph or scan the items for inclusion in an online digital archive and exhibit.
The event is Saturday Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Illinois State Museum at 502 S. Spring St. It’s free to attend.
Organizers say the event was influenced by an increased appreciation for the value of travel and tourism gained during the pandemic, which restricted some of that activity. It represents the desire to get back on the road and to see new things. The theme is also an acknowledgment of how important travel and tourism is to Springfield’s identity and economy.
Students from UIS Associate Professor of History Devin Hunter’s undergraduate public history class and UIS Associate Professor of History Kenneth Owen’s graduate history and digital media class will lead the effort to digitize items for the online digital exhibit.
UIS held its inaugural History Harvest in 2016, with a theme centered on political and elections history. The second UIS History Harvest, in 2018, used the theme of “Being Illinoisan,” in honor of the state's bicentennial.
For more information on this year’s History Harvest and to view the digital archives from past years, visit uis.edu/history-harvest. Questions about the event can be directed to Devin Hunter at 217-206-7432 or dhunte2@uis.edu.
