About the Digitization and Cataloging Program
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The Denver Public Library
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Research Survey Respones Public response to the on-line collection has been outstanding. Between February 1999 and March 2003, there have been 925,996 visitors to the site. In late 2001, the Library posted a survey for users to provide feedback. Below are some unedited examples [anonymity assured]. It is a treasure. I find this web site very interesting!!!! A terrific site for serious research on historic photos. This website has been tremendously helpful in my research on Denver architecture in the Victorian era. I enjoy this website both for researching and for just browsing for enjoyment. This is a great website! thoroughly enjoyed it; have forwarded lots of pictures to our out of state clients. It's wonderful Great site - wonderful resource - easy to use - variety of search possibilities very helpful. Although most comments are very positive, we also receive helpful suggestions and a handful of complaints. These fall into several categories: 1.) Technical problems, such as the server being unavailable or response time being slow 2.) Criticisms about inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the catalog records. For example: Since the date a photo was taken is important to my (RR) research, I'm frustrated by confusing/conflicting dates. Have for example, found a photo taken by McClure dated several years after he died. Similarly, I've come across photos of the Denver, SouthPark & Pacific RR dated after it ceased to exist. It appears the date in these foototes is possibly the date the photo was contributed to your collection.Also, I've "searched" specific towns/cities & later, using other searches, stores or hotels for example, have found photos of stores & hotels in the later search which didn't turn up in the first one. Hypothetically and for illustrative purposes only; A search of "Buena Vista, 1875-85" turns up 80 photos. The a subsequent search for "Colo. hotels 1875-85" reveals a photo of a hotel in Buena Vista which didn't come up in the first search.Beyond that, a superb and extremely helpful collection. Thank You!! The photo you have of Limon, Lincoln County, Colorado is by Thomas Noal is not Limon. It is actually a picture of Main Street in Hugo Colorado, a small town 15 miles east of Limon. The street stillslooks the same today. The DPL is a fantastic photo resource, however it would be improved by better captioning of the photographs, and more logical key word selections. I often find that I have spend too much time playing games with the keyword search to call up the desired images. For example when I put in 'Pioneer Zephyr" I only called up one image, even though the DPL has more than a dozen phtographs of this train on line. Not many researchers might think to put in the key word 'CB&Q diesel no. 9900'. Some of the choices of words used to describe pictures are inconsistent. For example numbered streets are sometimes listed as the number and other times written out and on occasion listed as both number and written. The result is it is hard to find all the pictures desired for a keyword search. It would make the most sense to have both formats in all cases. 3.) Researchers who are frustrated with the search engine. In most cases, our search engine does accommodate the type of search requested, and we look for better ways to provide on-line help and instruction. Sample comments include: Great, great stuff. Only problem is searchingthrough the tons of photos. But definitely get them all up. Perhaps ifyou could add a date element to your searches. I, for example, am only interested in pre 1900 photos, but get all of them. I formerly viewed Otto Perry's Railroad photos, but now I can't find them in your files. You need a place where I can ask for Otto Perry and then the No. of the photo I want to see. I know the No's. difficult and cumbersome to search. needs to allow multiple word searches 4.) Researchers who would like access to higher resolution files. I have webtv and find it frustrating not to be able to see some of the sites very well. Like the atlas's. I cannot enlarge a photo, there are limitations, unfortunatly, for me. I have so far found the site interesting and will continue to browse through. Super web site.The images of locomotives should be scanned at a higer resolution in order to better allow determination of attributes and lettering It would be nice if we were able to download the higher resolution images. More comments: The site is very user friendly and interesting. The old photographs give me an opportunity to show my grandchildren just how tough things were in rural Colorado during the late 1800s early 1900s. Thanks for the site. [Provo, UT] I'm a librarian and use this site when patrons need historical photos. I also love browsing your site just for fun.[Denver, CO] Thank you for providing this online gallery--this access will be very helpful for my research and writing. [Denver, CO] Keep up the good work. I love every picture! [Antioch, Tennesee] My Grandmother painted a picture of Green Lake on her honeymoon in 1887. Via the library, I found your site and also 3 photos of almost duplicate shots of her painting! [Seattle, WA] Hello, I was hoping to find an old photo of the old house that I have owned for the last 30 years, unfortunatly the demand is probably limited to myself, and whomever built it wasn't famous, and the Archetect wasn't of note, so I have to assume you dont have one. I did find other buildings that are still existing in the neighborhood. (one directly across the street) and buildings that are long gone. (If I'd lived here in the 1930s I could have walked to a miniture golf course!) In that photo the Alladin Theater was in the background. I would have thought it had more historical signifance than a miniture golf course. Perhaps I'm being selfish but I'd like to see a lot more photos of ordinary residental homes and streets. If my house was just a few more blocks north of Colfax, I wouldn't have found anything of inerest to me. Thank you my search was nontheless interesting. Jerry (Denver, Colo) It's great. I plan to visit the site often--I'm a senior interested in hunting (carefully) older picnic grounds and gathering places with my detector for older coins and artifacts(I'm careful,noone knows I've been there). Thanks! (Lakewood, Colo) I'm impressed with the whole website and I wish I could work in Denver. Lots of good research included, too. But I especially liked the technical pages about the digitalizing project, since I sometimes advise small groups of historically interested locals in my region. (The Netherlands) I visited Colorado last year on holiday, and was told about the photo collection. I look at the railroad pictures for personal interest, but I work cataloguing photographs so your MARC entries are a useful research tool as well. Some of your 520 descriptions are very detailed. [Wales] The photo descriptions are wonderful. the search engine is not intuitive to use, sometimes have to use several keywords, for example. to find everything one is looking for in one category. I either got the message that there were too many results for my search or that there were no results. i am looking for Weld County or Greeley Pictures. This was very frustrating. I could not get one result to come up. The Search Engine needs improvement for users to be able to access the photos. Greeley, Colorado. [A search on "Greeley" got 332 items the first try...!?!?!...RM] As a native of Denver living in Indiana, your website not only helps me with my research of a wonderful state, but fills a void of being home sick.. Please keep up the great work Greenwood, Indiana I am presently involved in the restoration of an early Chuck Wagon, I would like to find some kind of photo or illustrated archive of life on the range circa 1860-1895. I loved my visit to your site and plan to visit much, much more! Colbert, Washington Great, I wish more librarys would put their photos on the web. I can not afford to travel across the country. Love the old photos. Hugger's Landing, Alabama I love that you have made the photo archive so publicly accessible, nice work and keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Grand Island Nebraska) I would love to have more on the website that would further ancestry search. I came here looking for a way to connect myself to my family who were in Colorado in 1890's. I was VERY DISAPPOINTED no photos of Washington Park or South Denver. It was as if you went out of your way, to exclude this part of town! [A search on "Washington Park" got 271 items the first try..?!?!..RM] Your photo archive was a great find. I was looking at pictures of alamosa where my family is from and found a picture of my dad in the second grade (1941). Thanks (Nucla, Colorado) Thank you for providing this incredible service. I find it extremely interesting and am grateful that someone has taken the time to make this collection available to the public. (Denver, Colorado) The photo you have of Limon, Lincoln County, Colorado is by Thomas Noal is not Limon. It is actually a picture of Main Street in Hugo Colorado, a small town 15 miles east of Limon. The street stills looks the same today. Feel free to contact me at ****@*** (Limon, Colorado) I am seeking information about the 10th Mountain Division during WWII. Thank you for the excellent photographic tour. Ms. Debbie Gemar sent me an email that was very helpful. (Ringwood, Illinois) My wife is a railroad artist and I am a long-standing railfan. We share the wealth of photos available on your web site. Your's is the rare combination, able to teach, inform, entertain and easy to use. We can't thank you enough for providing this incredible service. Thank you so much! David and Leslie (Ogden UT) Denver Public Library's Western History dept is one of my favorite places on earth. (From Vashon, WA) Am a Denver/Golden native. I love the web site. My whole family, both sides, were Coloradans. Thanks for letting us all in. I am a researcher who relies on the new accessable past that has opened up on websites like yours. I have witnessed whole languages die in front of me here in Montana. The long hidden images on your site give me new hope. Are you interested in the open debates and background information on your images? Billy Maxwell I would like to thank-you...Preserving history is so important. We tend to overlook things in our daily lives, thinking they will always be that way...Then 30 years later we realize that the corner drug store where we used to buy candy is a super Wal-Mart! It's so wonderful to be able to see these images of the past. I have a better understanding of the people who were here before me, and can truly appreciate the more "rustic" aspects of my home in Manitou Springs, because it can be spotted in photos circa 1880. I hope with the help of a few more aware individuals(that, now, know that we SHOULD take a picture of something as simple as a corner drug store) that you will be able to continue to provide an account of the "old days" for coming generations. And the fact that you offer high resolution prints of these moments for a reasonable fee is remarkable!Thank-you again for making these photos available to us. Primarily interested in the Otto Perry collection. Excellent website and easy to use. Thanks a lot. Wonderful site. Thanks Actually I was trying to find a photo of Princess Winona a Sharpshooter in the Buffalo Bill Show. Enjoyed the David Barry biographical page.One of these days we'll get to Denver. Would be great to view your collection. Thank you for posting this site; it is beautiful and organized. A great historical web site............. Having the DPL online is a blessing to me since I retired. I am now using the library much more than ever before and enjoying it more. Being able to search records, have books and videos reserved and available at my local library is a fine service. Earl It would be nice if we were able to download the higher resolution images. Greetings: I very much enjoyed seeing the photos which you have of Lawrence C. Phipps. I am Director of the Phipps Conference Center and have lived in the Phipps Mansion for almost 25 years. In reference to photo X-26871 which is identified as part of the Phipps Mansion, I am certain that the room is not in that building. I note that the photo has Glendale California written at some place. Senator Phipps had a home on Rockingham Avenue in the Brentwood area of Los Angles - that home was sold around 1960 after his death in 1958. Phyllis Diller has that home now and I visited there around 8 years ago. The photo looks very much like the livingroom of that home. Tom Williams I formerly viewed Otto Perry's Railroad photos, but now I can't find them in your files. You need a place where I can ask for Otto Perry and then the No. of the photo I want to see. I know the No's.
I located the building I live in and can provide more specific information, if you're interested. Call number CHS-B195 is titled "Unidentified apartment house," and dated "between 1890 and 1900." It was built in 1901, and was rehabilitated in 1999-2000 as "The Marquette," with 20 1-bedroom and studio condos between the three buildings. There are several alterations: only the first floor balconies remain; the buildings are painted white; the spires at the corners of the roof are gone. Also, the house next door (obscured by the Marquette, to the right) is also still there, as rental apartments. The web site is a lot of fun. My project is on the historical preservation of the central library and I was able to learn a lot about the site at 14th and Broadway, and Civic Center in general. Thank you! Super web site. The images of locomotives should be scanned at a higher resolution in order to better allow determination of attributes and lettering. What a lovely site. It give me much pleasure to wander about in it and I never know what I might find. As I am in my 60s, it is a trip back in time for me. Thank you. JL - VT I was born in Denver in 1955. My family has been Denver residents since early 1900's. Of particular interest to me is old neighborhoods that I grew up in and how they have changed over the years. Since the passing of my Grandfather in 1998, my family has obtained many, many photographs of early Denver. We also have original negative of many of our photgraphs. Would your archive department be interested in reviewing our collection? Please advise me at - from Honolulu
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