In 1965, Richard and Colleen Wilson moved into 68 North Ritter Avenue. Under the basement stairs the couple discovered a soap crate filled with several hundred historic glass negatives. The family kept the artifacts for years and then donated the collection to the Irvington Historical Society in 2012.
After receiving a grant, members of the Irvington Historical Society scanned all 338 images. Director, Steve Barnett, determined that the photos belonged to Osbert Sumner, who lived at the Ritter Avenue home from 1904 until his death in 1932. Over the next decade researchers thoroughly examined each photograph. A major breakthrough occurred in 2022, when local researcher Deedee Davis discovered a Sumner family diary at the Oakville, Ontario Historical Society. Osbert Sumner originally lived in that town before moving to Indianapolis. The diary provided key entries that helped unlock many of the mysteries of the collection.
Mr. Sumner's photographs contains incredible documentation of life in Canada and Indianapolis from 1899 to 1903. His subjects included family members and friends, canoe outings, parades, a convention, and even the funeral of President Benjamin Harrison. Some of the photos had been developed, but many will now be seen for the first time in over 125 years.
To see these incredible photos in person, visit the Bona Thompson Center at 5350 University Avenue in Indianapolis. The collection will be on display from May 31 until November 16, 2025. We are open on the weekends from 1-4PM. I have included a small sample below.
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| Osbert Sumner photographed an unidentified girl on the steps leading to the Benton Home at 312 South Downey Avenue in Irvington. He most likely took the photo on July 4, 1901. He attended a celebration there. |
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| George Sumner, the father of Osbert Sumner, kept a diary. From one of his entries, we know that this photo was likely taken on October 10, 1900 in downtown Indianapolis. The elder Sumner, who lived in Oakville, Ontario, was visiting his family here. The city hosted a "Fall Carnival" complete with temporary ornamental arches leading into Monument Circle. |
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| Osbert Sumner captured a fallen cyclist in the Morton Place neighborhood of Indianapolis near the intersection of East 19th and North Delaware Streets. Note the beautiful esplanade that used to be in the middle of the street c1900. |
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| Osbert Sumner (1872-1932) received a camera as a gift from his fellow co-workers in 1898. For the next several years, he documented life in Indianapolis and back in his hometown of Oakville, Ontario. He loved the outdoors and many of his photos show excursions in canoes on various waterways in central Indiana. |
