Browse Items (505 total)

Eugene Taylor sent this letter home to his mother, apologizing for joining the marines during WWII. The letter is in cursive on lined notebook paper.

A group photo of young men from Pekin, Illinois, before joining the military in WWII. Euguene Taylor is 4th from the left in the back row. Taylor would go on to serve in the Marines during WWII. The photo is part of Taylor's wartime collection.

This photo is a pre-fight photo of Roy Meyers (left) and Eugene Taylor (right). They boxed for the Marine Corps. Between the two boxers is Red Skelton, a famous performer of the era. Taylor would go on to win the fight. The announcement is the…

A satirical cartoon mocking the campaign of Gary A. Tumulty for Sangamon County Clerk as well has his previous campaigns. Tumulty is depicted as the main character in "Saturday Night Fever," a popular movie at the time but the title has been changed…

A red, white, and blue sign reminding people to vote on election day. The sign features the symbol for the Republican Party, the elephant, with the words, "Don't forget to vote...election day."

The contributor traveled to Colorado for a family vacation and visited the the restaurant this coaster came from. The coaster advertises the brewery.

1983 Jim Dunham Mayoral Campaign Sign, "DUNHAM, Mayor for all Springfield." Brother-in-law to Ossie Langfelder, James Dunham (D) ran for the office of Mayor of Springfield, IL in 1983 but lost in the general municipal election against J. Michael…

The commencement program for the Drummer Township High School's eleventh annual commencement ceremony. The Drummer Township High School was located in Gibson City, Illinois. The ceremony took place at the Chautauqua Pavilion on a Thursday evening,…

These are shoes worn by a student marching band. They are designed to be comfortable and plain so they match any uniform, and make marching easier.

The contributor used the box cutter to cut plastic in ice cream packages while working at Dreyer's Ice Cream (now Eddy's Ice Cream). The contributor worked as a merchandiser at minimum wage for $500 a week. He built and refilled displays at stores…