Lemberger Collection

The Lemberger Collection

In more than 50 years as as active photographer, Michael W. Lemberger has taken thousands of photographs. He has also assembled a collection of historic photos dating from glass negatives from the 1890s.

Mr. Lemberger's intention is to donate the collection -- both his own images and the ones he has acquired -- to the University of Iowa where they will be preserved and made available.

The first groups of images, including 50 years of Iowa politics and politicians, is now online at

The Iowa Digital Library

"Michael Lemberger is a remarkable photographer, and has had a remarkable, and remarkably long, career documenting Iowa people and Iowa events,” said Sid Huttner, Head of Special Collections & University Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries.

“Few journalists have covered such a range of personalities, fires, floods, barns, buildings, flowers, animals, picnics and Papal visits; and his tens of thousands of images are carefully organized and described. It is an enormous privilege for the University to take on the challenge of preserving and sharing this extraordinary treasure not only for its students and faculty but for the people of the state of Iowa, the rest of the nation, and the countless international visitors we expect will come to the digital site over the coming many years.”

Read the Iowan story about the collection