Doug Smith's obsession with history started with Matchbox cars.
Doug Smith shows off vintage bottles on top of a shelf that holds sorted paperwork, brochures and pamphlets in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Smith runs a Facebook page "Davenport Iowa History," which features local historical gems that he finds while researching his collection.Â
Katelyn MetzgerPeople are also reading…
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Doug Smith poses in his record room in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Meticulously sorted, the room holds about 140,000 records.Â
Katelyn Metzger
Band Wagon, one of the earlier pinball machines, was made in 1937. The pinball machine predates flippers under the glass, which are now a popular feature.Â
Katelyn Metzger
A "Candy & Popcorn" sign hangs in Doug Smith's basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. The original sign was found in the Capitol Theatre's storage during its most recent renovation.Â
Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith shows off vintage bottles on top of a shelf that holds sorted paperwork, brochures and pamphlets in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Smith runs a Facebook page "Davenport Iowa History," which features local historical gems that he finds while researching his collection.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Photos: A look inside local historian Doug Smith's collection
Take a look inside local historian Doug Smith's collection. The 67-year-old Bettendorf resident's obsession with history started with matchbox cars.Â
Doug Smith shows off vintage bottles on top of a shelf that holds sorted paperwork, brochures and pamphlets in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Smith runs a Facebook page "Davenport Iowa History," which features local historical gems that he finds while researching his collection.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith talks about his collection at his home in Bettendorf on Friday, April 3. He started collecting Matchbox cars when he was three or four.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith shows off his yearbook collection in his living room. He has accumulated about 4,000 yearbooks.
- Katelyn Metzger
A look at Doug Smith's Rock Island High School yearbook collection. Most of the yearbooks are from local schools.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith shows off his June Haver posers on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Haver was a Rock Island native, who was later featured in several major 1940s Technicolor musicals.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith's collection consist of several gramophones and phonographs.
- Katelyn Metzger
Band Wagon, one of the earlier pinball machines, was made in 1937. The pinball machine predates flippers under the glass, which are now a popular feature.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith owns several jukeboxes, which he regularly changes out the records to listen to in his basement.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
A "Candy & Popcorn" sign hangs in Doug Smith's basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. The original sign was found in the Capitol Theatre's storage during its most recent renovation.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith flips through a Davenport city directory from 1919 on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf.
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith poses in his record room in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Meticulously sorted, the room holds about 140,000 records.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Old black and white prints can be found on the walls amongst local memorabilia in Doug Smith's basement.
- Katelyn Metzger
An original signature belonging to Antoine Le Claire, founder of Davenport, is framed along with his portrait in Doug Smith's home.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith's basement is filled with vintage jukeboxes, posters, records and pinball machines – each with a story to tell.
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith poses near a part of his collection in his basement on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf.
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith talks about his collection at his home in Bettendorf on Friday, April 3. He started collecting Matchbox cars when he was three or four.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith shows off his yearbook collection in his living room. He has accumulated about 4,000 yearbooks.
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith shows off his June Haver posers on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf. Haver was a Rock Island native, who was later featured in several major 1940s Technicolor musicals.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith's collection consist of several gramophones and phonographs.
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith owns several jukeboxes, which he regularly changes out the records to listen to in his basement.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
Doug Smith flips through a Davenport city directory from 1919 on Friday, April 3, in Bettendorf.
- Katelyn Metzger
Old black and white prints can be found on the walls amongst local memorabilia in Doug Smith's basement.
- Katelyn Metzger
An original signature belonging to Antoine Le Claire, founder of Davenport, is framed along with his portrait in Doug Smith's home.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
A look at Doug Smith's Rock Island High School yearbook collection. Most of the yearbooks are from local schools.Â
- Katelyn Metzger
CJ Parker leads students in singing "We Shall Not Be Moved" during Quad City Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Day at the Adler Theatre on Thursday, March 5, in Davenport.
Cesar Toscano
