Happy Winter Break! Do you have any plans? In years past, I would always plan a trip for all of my winter breaks. Road-trips or flights to Europe for a week, I’ve always found a way to go exploring during the break.
This year, we can’t really go anywhere. I am supposed to be going to Hawaii on my honeymoon, but that trip has been delayed again, so I decided to go through our digital materials and see some of the cool places photographed in our collections from the comfort of my home.
We’ll start our small digital tour in Malta. This is a photo of the Auberge de Castille in Valletta, Malta. The original auberge (inn, or buildings where travelers can seek lodging) was built in the 1570’s but was rebuilt in the 1740’s in the Spanish Baroque style. Today, the Prime Minister’s office is housed in this building. This photograph is a part of the Alice Welford WW1 Photograph Album collection and was taken in 1916 or 1917.
The second is entitled “Entrance gate to ruins of Roman coliseum and lion arena in Triers, Germany. This photo is in our WW1 Photographs, 1918-1935 (2001-073) collection. This coliseum was erected in 2nd century A.D. and was used for gladiator events and animal shows. Below the arena is a cellar where animals were stored and prisoners were sentenced to death.
This is an awesome photograph of the Eiffel Tower. Taken in 1919, this photo is a part of our Bert Hebbes WW1 letters collection (2007-017). I’ve stood where this photo was taken! I think that it’s so cool tower doesn’t look any different now, a hundred years later. This collection also has another cool photograph of the Trocadero Palace. The vantage point actually looks like it was taken from the Eiffel Tower, but I could be wrong. The palace was demolished in the 1930’s, so it is unfortunately not one that we could go and visit when we can go travel again.
Do any of you recognize this last photograph? It was taken right here in Tulsa! This is an undated photograph of the Philbrook gardens from our Tulsa area Historical Slides collection (100-152). If you’re in Tulsa for the break, you can throw on your coat and go visit this exact gazebo (though the gardens do look a little bit different now)! Just because we are grounded does not mean that we can’t find ways to explore closer to home.
You can see so many more cool photos in our Digital Materials from the comfort and safety of your own home. We will be closed for winter break starting on December 21, so if you have any questions or need anything from us, we will be back and happy to help you in 2021! We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.
