Digital Collections @ MPL

Welcome to the digital collections blog!

This blog will follow updates and developments to the Milwaukee Public Library's digital collections. MPL now has a number of different digital collections. Some of those collections are ongoing projects, and some are finished.

Digital Collections @ MPL will keep you apprised of what is happening with the ongoing projects, when new projects are unveiled, as well as other information relating to the digital collections.

The four collections that are currently available are:
Remember When
Shipshape
Milwaukee Historic Photos
Milwaukee Waterways

While MPL's digital collections continue to grow, the majority of the photos that will be included in these collections still only exist in physical form.

At this date, the photos in the Milwaukee Historic Photos digital collection number somewhere around 950 images. Currently, the estimated size of the Historic Photo Archives is closer to 50,000 images, so the Historic Photos digital collection represents a very small percentage of the photos available.

The remaining, non-digitized portion of the collection is available for viewing. The Historic Photo Collection Subject Index is arranged by subject headings and sub-headings. The sub-headings break down the major subject headings and give a specific idea of what is held in the collection. Each sub-heading refers to a specific folder or area of one of the many collections included in the Historic Photo Archives.

Each folder may contain one to a few hundred images.

The subject heading index can be found with the rest of the Finding Tools for MPL's special collections and unique resources.

For more questions about the Historic Photo Archives, call the Humanities Department at (414) 286-3061. Questions can also be addressed through MPL's Ask?Away email service.