Indiana can be proud of the role it played in making America what it is today - the Hoosier state turned out legendary musicians, daring space explorers and sports superstars. The continual surge to explore new vistas of the imagination and human achievement led to incredible advancements - in technology, medicine, and human relationships.
The century, ushered in by horse and buggy, exists at supersonic speed. Indiana's daily newspapers have served as the chroniclers of ongoing history. The vast array of images from The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News printed within this volume produces a grand portrait of a people and the land they inhabit - a marvelous mosaic of life in Indiana in the 20th century.
Geographically and culturally, Indiana is in the midst of America's heartland. It's a land of middle-class values and laborers with a strong work ethic. The land itself is a geographic mix of farmland and criss-crossing interstate highways. Communities vary in size from tiny villages to Indianapolis, a bustling city that burst from its cocoon into national prominence.
The collection of images in Hoosier Century celebrates both the ordinary and the extraordinary people and events that touched the lives of Hoosiers throughout the 1900s. The more than 370 images in this book vary strikingly - from pastoral countryside settings to breaking news events that grabbed national headlines.
Newspaper photographers early in the century had primitive equipment with which to work - unlike today's photojournalists, who are equipped with the latest in technological wizardry. Despite these differences, newspaper photographers spanning the years between 1899 and 2000 had one thing in common - the ability to transport readers to places they might not ordinarily go and to see things they would not ordinarliy see.
Beautiful scenics, humerous moments and fascinating historic photos from the early years of auto racing are just some of the photographic treasures that delight even casual observers of the human condition. The visual treasury recording the life and times of Hoosiers in the 1900s will become a valued keepsake for future generations.
