200 North Main St | Bloomington, Illinois | 309-827-0428
200 North Main St | Bloomington, Illinois | 309-827-0428
Little is known about this photograph from the Museum archives except the date—March 7, 1931. A check of local newspaper microfilm at Bloomington Public Library tells us that in fact there was a major snowstorm at this time. “Winter's Worst Storm Grips State—Relief Today, Is Prediction" was the March 8, 1931 front page headline in The Pantagraph.
This photo of C.U. Williams and Son Co., 207 E. Washington St., Bloomington, dates to 1914. It was part of a Williams advertisement appearing in a souvenir program for a December 7-8, 1914 minstrel show staged by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Bloomington Lodge 281, at the Chatterton Opera House on E. Market St.
Museum Librarian Bill Kemp stumbled across this photograph while perusing a collection of recently donated photographs. Bill knew that the smartly dressed figure in the middle was Don Munson, the now-retired on-air WJBC AM 1230 morning radio personality. Without knowing the context of this curious find, Bill decided to email Don Munson, who still lives in Bloomington-Normal and hosts a delightful Thursday evening jazz program on WGLT FM 89.1, Illinois State University's Public Radio affiliate.
This is the inaugural “Photo of the Week" from the Archive collections of the Museum.