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The Minneapolis Newspaper Photograph Collection: Where It All Began

In the 1930s, the Minneapolis Tribune library (or “morgue” as it is called in journalistic vernacular) was known to be one of the best newspaper libraries in the country. At the helm was Miss Leola E. Fernandez, Librarian extraordinaire, who managed the more than 500,000 clippings and photographs in the collection. Every week 1000 or more photos were added to the collection, and each day various editions of the newspapers were checked, clipped, and filed by subject, often cross-indexed. Miss Fernandez directed the newspaper library for 32 years, retiring in 1946.

Where are all those hundreds of thousands of clippings and photographs now? They’re in the Special Collections department of the Minneapolis Central Library! And the local photographs are being digitized! 30,000 photographs are already digitized and available in the HCL Digital Collections and more are added monthly. Each week, HCL volunteers sort and separate folders from the “Times Morgue Files.” Photos then get cataloged by library staff using a detailed metadata structure which includes date, publisher, title, description, Library of Congress subject headings, addresses, neighborhoods, and more. Each photo then gets cleaned and scanned and as a final step, the physical photo is preserved in an acid free enclosure. The digital photos and metadata are then uploaded online where they can be keyword searched, browsed, and download free of charge.

What fun photos have you discovered in the HCL Digital Collections?

Pictured above is Miss Leola E. Fernandez, August 27, 1939. Photo from the Minneapolis Newspaper Photographs Collection.