SHSMO Kansas City Research Center

04/13/2026

Former Congressman William J. Randall speaks about the Kaysinger Bluff Dam and Reservoir, later to be renamed the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir.

This photograph comes from K0791 William J. Randall Collection.

03/20/2026

Happy Spring!!!🌈🍀

In Spring of 1961, former Congressman William J. Randall's daughter Mary Pat Randall was named cherry blossom princess, representing Missouri at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington.

This newspaper clipping is from K0791 William J. Randall Collection.

01/09/2026

Photograph of the 1977 Plaza Flood.

Found in the John C. Danforth Papers, C4532, folder 3773.

12/02/2025

Last week, the holiday lights on Kansas City's own Country Club Plaza came on for the 96th year in a row. These shots from 1947 and 1952 give us a glimpse into the hard work behind this dazzling display.

Both photographs from the J.C. Nichols Company Scrapbooks (K0054).

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween, Kansas City!

The Halloween Witch and some very brave trick-or-treaters in front of the Country Club Plaza Theater, 1937.

Photograph from J.C. Nichols Company Scrapbooks (K0054, volume 14)

09/09/2025

A photograph of the Kansas City skyline in 1958 taken by Missouri's first State Photographer, Gerald Massie.

The original caption written for the Missouri Ruralist reads, "Scenic beauty in the state is not limited to rural areas. Here is a striking picture of the Kansas City skyline, made just at dusk as lights in buildings begin to glow, but while the sky still is light."

From the Missouri Ruralist photograph collection, P0030

08/20/2025

Late Kansas City Star staff photographer Raymond Corey's striking photographs captured major social and political events in 1960s and 70s Kansas City. This year, Corey will be inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame!

We're continuing to celebrate Corey with our current exhibit, "Through the Lens: The Photography of Raymond Corey," which showcases a selection of his photographs for the Star. The exhibit is free to view at the Kansas City Research Center Tuesday-Friday, 8:30-4:30.

https://mopress.com/stories/missouri-photojournalism-hall-of-fame-inductees-announced,39436?

Five acclaimed photojournalists will expand the ranks of the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame during a Thursday, Nov. 13 induction ceremony at the State Historical Society of Missouri’s …

08/18/2025

Our newest exhibition at SHSMO-Kansas City! It's amazing how much Kansas City and Missouri history can be made accessible through projects like these. You can see a selection of the photos at our research center from 8:30am-4:30pm, Tuesdays-Fridays, or you can view the entire collection on our website under the digital collections page. 🙂

Link here: https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/CoreyPhotos1

Former Kansas City Star photographer Raymond Corey captured behind-the-scenes images and everyday rural life in the Midwest for decades. A new exhibition of his work highlights 50,000 negatives donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by his family.

08/04/2025

It's back to school season! These photos from the Raymond E. Corey Photograph Collection (K1311) show off "Back to School Fashion at Loose Park" from 1968. 2025 WISHES it was this chic!