Highlights Newsletter

We've had a busy week here at the Montana History Portal. We have some new content loaded to collections, and we are kicking off a series of new digital exhibits constructed by educators from our 2024 Teacher Workshop. More on all those below.

And don't forget, our 2024 Montana Meme Contest is now live! We have already received quite a few entries, and we know a lot more are on the way. The contest is easy - just select a photo from the Montana History Portal, turn it into a meme, and submit it using the form link on our Contest Page. The contest closes May 15, and then we will have online voting to select winners. The contest is fun for all ages, and also educational: teachers, this is a great way to get your kids browsing historic photos and learning a bit about the great state of Montana. We look forward to seeing your entries!

The Chinese in Montana

We are excited to publish the first digital exhibit from our 2024 Teacher Workshop. This exhibit was developed by author and professor Mark T. Johnson, and details the experience of Chinese people in Montana in the 19th and 20th centuries. We hope you enjoy reading his exhibit, and we ask you to stay tuned for more exhibits from teachers in the near future. 

New Yellowstone Videos and Maps

We have been working with Yellowstone National Park Heritage and Research Center for many years, and we have a selection of new content from them this week. First, we have 62 new home videos from the 1990s "Landrigan Family Video Journal." And we also have a selection of new blueprints of buildings at Bridge Bay in the Yellowstone National Park Maps and Drawings collection.

UM Forestry Photos Collection

University of Montana Mansfield Library has been one of the steadiest contributors to the Montana History Portal. We recently split out a collection of over 800 of their images into a new collection: United States Forest Service, Region One Photographs. The images in this collection were used by USFS to illustrate policy decisions, record scientific experiments and document natural disasters like fire and earthquakes.

The Montana History Portal provides weekly updates on new content as well as tips on how to successfully navigate the site through this Highlights newsletter. You can find back issues on the "Highlights" newsletter section of our website. 

Library and museum staff members are encouraged to share these with patrons by linking our content and programs on your website and sharing through social media.