Did you know that the Indiana Historical Society has over 1.7 million photographs in its collection? Instead of photos simply sitting in well-preserved, carefully cataloged boxes, the society is using these photos to instantly transport Hoosiers back in time through a series of exhibitions called “You Are There.”
“The idea is that we take a photograph from our collection and build the photograph three-dimensionally. So we basically recreate the scene that you see,” said Eloise Batic, director of exhibitions, research and development for the Indiana Historical Society.
You Are There scenes have ranged from a 1945 grocery store to a recreation of Robert F. Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis on the night Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The society has recently completed a new exhibit called You Are There 1939: Healing Bodies, Changing Minds.
This exhibit takes place on June 24, 1939 in the office of African-American physician Dr. Harvey Middleton located at 2101 Boulevard Place, for an open house to introduce family, friends, colleagues and the community to the latest in electrocardiographic technology.
At the exhibit, visitors will be able to be inside Middleton’s consulting room, look at a 1930s Cardiette machine, his physician’s license and check out his examining table and anatomical charts. People will not only get to “meet” Dr. Middleton, but will be able to “chat” with his sister Ollie Mae Middleton about what it is like to be a nurse as well as what it is like to live and work in Indianapolis during the Great Depression.
Exhibit-goers may get to meet Dr. Henry Hummons, a local physician who played a key role in the health of the Black community – including its ongoing problem with tuberculosis. Roselyn Richardson, newlywed wife of prominent lawyer Henry J. Richardson, may also share how she plans to become active in her new community.
Robert Davie, an interpreter playing Hummons said it took a while to truly learn about his character, but had somewhat of an advantage.
“I was raised during that time and on the Westside so I knew a little bit about Dr. Hummons and Dr. Middleton,” said Davie. “But the more research I did, the more excited I became. This man had done a lot of work in our community that isn’t really known to the Black community. We’re standing on broad shoulders.”
Batic said not only is You Are There a great way to learn and be a part of history, but for this exhibit, people will be able to learn about a piece of Indianapolis Black history.
“Everything is hands on so they can pick up, touch, explore and open doors to really be present in a space created out of history. Even more wonderful are opportunities to talk with the interpreters, learn about health care disparities of that time period or what’s going on in the community and learn about Dr. Harvey Middleton, a real person,” she said.
Batic said Middleton was one of the first African-American physicians to be hired in Indianapolis at City Hospital. After obtaining his medical license, he was invited to come to Indianapolis and practice medicine by the invitation of a white physician.
Due to his race, he was banned from practicing medicine at City Hospital. Instead he set up his own family practice and became a “Godsend” to the Black community making sure everyone had access to health care. Batic said he didn’t stop there and went on to pursue the newly developing field of electrocardiography, or EKG technology.
“He sort of makes himself indispensible. Because of that, he’s invited on a volunteer basis, to work in a clinic at City Hospital treating African-American patients using this technology that he sort of made himself an expert at,” said Batic. “He then works his way up in being included on the staff.”
Middleton cared about the health of Blacks, but he was also very active in the community championing equality within employment opportunities in the health care field and other civil rights issues along with being active in the old Senate Avenue YMCA and the Morgan Clinic at Flanner House.
Dr. Hummons was also important in the Black community. Davie said he started his practice in 1903 and had an office at 729½ West St. offering general care and a free tuberculosis clinic. He was also active in the local YMCA, Flanner House and rubbed elbows with influential people such as W.E.B. Dubois and Madam C.J. Walker. He was a member of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church.
“I recently met Dr. Hummons’ granddaughter,” said Davie. “Our research on these people is continuous because people come in and we talk to them – one thing leads to another and we learn more facts.”
Dr. Middleton’s office was specially chosen amongst millions of photos to recreate and all are welcome to step back in time and really see what it was like during that time.
“This reminds people that history matters. Even if you’ve seen the photo, think about the stories that space can tell, the stories of the people in the photograph and what we can all learn about our history and ourselves,” said Batic.
You Are There 1939: Healing Bodies, Changing Minds is the eighth exhibit in the You Are There series and runs throughout 2013. The cost to attend the exhibit is $7 for adults.
For more information, call (317) 232-1882 or visit Indianahistory.org.
