Bust of Singleton Palmer
St. Louis jazz musician Singleton Palmer began his musical career playing trumpet at Sumner High School. To increase his chances of getting a professional job, he also learned tuba and string bass, the...
View ArticleFleming Shoe-Stitching Machine
St. Louis was home to some of the world’s largest shoe manufacturers in the 20th century. When shoe-making switched over from skilled craftsmanship to factory labor in the late 19th century, New...
View ArticleBeaver Taxidermy Mount
For about 200 years, the thick, dark brown, waterproof coats of beavers meant big money. European hatmakers sheared hair from pelts, soaked it in mercury salts, then dyed, felted, and shaped it into...
View ArticleBanner Iron Works Gas Streetlight
The first St. Louis gas streetlight was lit in November 1847, causing a newspaper to proudly proclaim, “as the plume of flame waved in the wind, pleasure shone upon each countenance.” The citizenry had...
View ArticleHigh School Yearbook
“Where did you go to high school?”This yearbook reminds us of the unique importance that this question—and its answer—holds for St. Louisans. The custom of asking people where they went to high school...
View ArticleListerine Bottle
By the late 1800s, St. Louis would grow into one of the largest production centers in the United States. St. Louis’s giant industries, such as brewing, garment manufacture, and aircraft production, are...
View ArticleSagar Suitcase
Imagine if your entire life had to fit in a single suitcase. Dr. Satya Sagar emigrated from India to Toledo, Ohio, in 1963, carrying only what could fit in this bright orange suitcase. He came to St....
View ArticleMonopoly: Here & Now
When the makers of Monopoly wanted to update their game with iconic images of America, it wasn’t surprising to see the Gateway Arch front and center. It didn’t take long for the Arch to become much...
View ArticleCITY Sticker
Roxanne Krummenacher moved to St. Louis City from St. Louis County in 1994 and found herself defending the choice to eyebrow-raising friends and family. “I felt this stereotype from others that didn't...
View ArticleRomper Room
Romper bomper stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?Those words may sound like gibberish—that is, unless you grew up in the 1960s...
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