How to Use Grand Rapids History
You are invited to explore Grand Rapids history from the beginning of the nineteenth century, through the twentieth century, and into the twenty-first. Visit the past by exploring the Photo Essays. Use Search to access images and documents in the Online Archive which includes items depicting the past and those that will become the "history of the future." What will people of the next century find historically valuable when they look at the images of our time? Local families, organizations and institutions have generously allowed the Grand Rapids Historical Commission to copy their valuable items for the Online Archive.
Search
Click on the image to go to Search
The search engine allows you to perform basic searches as well advanced searches across all sections of our site. You have quick, easy access to run keyword searches which will return items from the image database, as well as the Photo Essays, Supplemental Essays, Subjects, and Publications.
Explore
Click on the image to go to Photo Essays.
The Photo Essays section introduces images related to a specific topic. They are intended as brief introductions and may not include every image relating to a topic. At the end of a Photo Essay you can select "Learn More" if you want to continue your exploration. There is a bibliography of books available at the Grand Rapids Public Library and related web sites.
Browse by Subject
Click on the image to go to Subjects.
The Browse by Subject section gives you access to the hundreds of historic images available on the site, arranged by the images subject. Jump to different categories using the links on the right, open and close lists of images by clicking on the subject name. The easiest way to follow a series of views listed for a subject, such as Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, is to click on the first in the series which will take you to the Full Record page. To see another image in the series, click on the same topic in the Subjects box on the Full Record page to return to the list rather than using your back arrow.
Classroom
Click on the image to go to Classroom
The Classroom section describes areas such as Primary Sources, Citation Styles, and Resources. As the site grows lesson plans and classroom activities connecting the images and Grand Rapids history will be included.
