The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield and the UIS Diversity Center will host a presentation entitled "Memories of State Government: Springfield’s Doc Helm and his Photo Collection 1941 – 1992" by Illinois State Archives Director Dr. David Joens and Archival Program Administrator Cathy Popovitch.

Eddie Winfred "Doc" Helm worked as the official state photographer of Illinois for over fifty years. He left behind a collection of over 45,000 photo negatives, documenting the political, social, and cultural life of Springfield and Illinois. David Joens and Catheryne Popovitch of the Illinois State Archives will discuss Doc’s legacy and the task of making his work accessible to a broader audience.

This event is free and open to the public.

Presenters:

David Joens is the Director of the Illinois State Archives, the state agency that is responsible for the preservation of historic Illinois state and local government records. A fifth-generation resident of Illinois, Joens received his Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, two Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a doctorate in Illinois history from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He is the author of three books on Illinois history and government, including “From Slave to State Legislator: John W. E. Thomas, Illinois’ First African American Lawmaker,” published by SIU Press.

Cathy Popovitch is an Archival Program Administrator at the Illinois State Archives. She currently oversees the Operations and Publications Sections of the State Archives and serves as the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board’s Deputy Coordinator. She is an active member of the Council of State Archivists and serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society. A sixth-generation resident of Illinois, she has a bachelor’s degree in history from Millikin University and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois.