Very Best of Old Peoria: American Photograph Series

This is a publication of over 160 of the very best photographs of early Peoria, gleaned by Jerry Klein from thousands of images in the archives of the Peoria Public Library and the Peoria Historical Society. Large, high-resolution reproductions are utilized to ensure that this photographic history is not only casually "looked at" but thoroughly "read" as well. Each photo is a story; a short caption explains the facts, but reading the photo generates many questions beyond these facts. In reading a photo, it is important to place the image in the context of the times. Peoria was a much different city six, seven, eight decades ago; it looked different and even smelled different. The people, too, were different and while we are sharing their lives momentarily through these photos, they are not necessarily early versions of ourselves. Street scenes, lifestyles, and group ensembles need to be examined for detail - sometimes even with a magnifying glass - to reveal a more accurate tale of life in early Peoria.