The Chamber Blog

Hoosier Storytellers – Through the Lens: Jim Ostler’s Frankfort 1960–1964

A Hoosier Storytellers program titled “Through the Lens: Jim Ostler’s Frankfort 1960–1964” will be held in the Frankfort Community Public Library’s Skanta Theatre on Thursday, October 17 at 6 p.m. Ostler’s slides will be shown on the theatre screen as Dennis Hoffman, Flossie Swearingen, and Bill Miller share their input and expertise on each image. Audience participation is encouraged to help identify the people and places in the photos. This program is free and open to the public.

 

James Ostler, a Frankfort mail carrier and amateur photographer, began taking photographs for the Farmers Bank in 1950 to show on a rotating display for bank patrons. The bank gave him free rein to decide what photographs he took, so today’s collection encompasses a broad spectrum, including school events and games, club meetings, political affairs, businesses, and organizations.

 

The collection spans from 1950 to 2007 with around 45,000 slides. For more than seven years, the genealogy staff at the Frankfort Library has been digitizing the slides for preservation. View the collection at myfcpl.org/ostlerslides.

 

Hoosier Storytellers is an ongoing series where host Michael Clossin interviews guests of local interest as they discuss their unique experiences. The presentations usually last an hour, followed by questions from the audience. The Library will stream this session live on YouTube as well as archive the video at myfcpl.org/online/podcasts/hoosier_storytellers.