University of Illinois

Building a Nation - Indiana Limestone Photograph Collection

A previously unknown collection of over 25,000 black and white architectural photographs were discovered in a dilapidated house owned by the Indiana Limestone Company in Bedford, Indiana. These images of residences, churches, universities, museums, businesses, and public and municipal buildings, many of which were designed by prominent architects, document the use of Indiana limestone throughout the United States from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Remarkably holistic in scope, these photographs and their accompanying metadata can be studied across major disciplines such as American history, architectural history, history of technology, urban studies, history of photography, historic preservation, labor history, and the history of geology. The Indiana Geological Survey, the custodian of the Indiana Limestone Photograph Collection, in partnership with the Indiana University Libraries has been cataloging, digitizing, archiving, and publishing online a growing subset of the photographs thanks to funding provided by Indiana University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research and an LSTA grant awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Indiana State Library.