Minneapolis, Minnesota 1940s Photos



MN-lady on stageIt is so great to discover a treasure, in this case hundreds of photos / negatives of people, places and events in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 1940s. The family of photographer John Glanton found a treasure trove of images from the Twin Cities of the late 1940s, particularly the African-American community and other people and events (such as parades and jazz festivals).  MN-couple

Glanton was an engineer by trade. His brother Wayne Glanton, now in his 90s, tells that John raised money to pay for his education by working as a photographer for the Minneapolis Spokesman, a newspaper serving the city’s black community in the 1940s.

The family donated these photos to the Hennepin County Library in Minneapolis. They converted the negatives to digital images as well as the photo prints. They divided the collection into four major collections #1-4 each with hundreds of photos. No labeling of names or places on the photos but someone just might recognize an event or a person from Minneapolis, Minnesota during that era. MN-parade

Even if you don’t recognize anyone, it is great to look over this bit of history of Minneapolis from 75 years ago, especially if you had ancestors in that area at the time.MN-family

If you recognize anyone in this slideshow, the library’s special collections director Ted Hathaway would like to hear from you at:   [email protected]  or   612-543-8203.

Photos: Lady on stage; a couple; a parade; a family and a group of men. 

MN-group of men

Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blogs:

Minnesota History

States Censuses

Places to Look for Photos

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