The February Unseen STL History Talks focused on the often-overlooked work of archivists and conservationists who dedicate themselves to uncovering and maintaining the city's rich historical record. The evening featured three speakers with diverse expertise, ranging from genealogy research and archival discoveries to the documentation of St. Louis' punk rock history. While each presentation covered unique topics, they all shared a common thread: the importance of preserving stories, materials, and cultural memory for future generations.
Emma Prince, an archivist and genealogist, discussed her work with historical records that shed light on family histories and overlooked aspects of St. Louis' past. Noah Smutz shared some of his work restoring old books and maps, including family Bibles and 1904 World's Fair materials, explaining many of the challenges and processes to ensure these materials have a longer lifespan. And Greg Kessler explored the evolution of St. Louis' punk rock scene through his personal and community-driven archival efforts, demonstrating the significance of grassroots historical preservation.
Emma and Greg’s presentations are below, and their talks are included in the recording. Noah Smutz requested that his talk not be included in this recap out of respect to his clients’ privacy.
Unseen STL History in March and April
Be sure to check out our upcoming Unseen STL History talks. On March 20, we will celebrate opening day with a talk featuring the history of baseball in St. Louis with Adam Kloppe and James Crossley. And on April 17, we will be looking back to the time of Mayor Raymond Tucker with author Andy Theising and Tucker’s grandson Tim Tucker. Our talks are on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM (doors 6:00 PM) so be sure to mark your calendars!
How to find more Unseen St. Louis history
Be sure to subscribe to Unseen St. Louis for the latest articles about local history and information about the monthly talks.
For even more history, be sure to follow the Unseen St. Louis page on Facebook. We also have a group on Facebook called STL History & Preservation.
And if you haven’t joined us yet, be sure to sign up for Unseen STL History Adventures on Meetup.
Support Unseen St. Louis
I love sharing Unseen St. Louis history and am committed to keeping this Substack free and accessible to everyone. However, it does take a considerable amount of time every month. If you’d like to help sustain this labor of love and its ongoing success, consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
Whether you engage with Unseen St. Louis on Substack, attend the talks, follow along on Facebook, or join the meetups, your support means everything to me. It’s an honor to share tales of St. Louis's history and hear how much they mean to the community. Thank you for being a part of this journey.
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