Capturing the day-to-day life of the German-American community of Hermann during the years from 1895 to 1920, Little Germany on the Missouri is an illuminating and fascinating look at Missouri's German heritage. Featuring more than a hundred images taken by Edward J. Kemper, a gifted horticulturist and viticulturist, the book depicts life in Hermann during the height of its cultural and economic achievements.

The images, along with supporting commentary by Anna Hesse and the contributing editors, explore the economic, cultural, and social life of the community, detailing Hermann's traditional German practices as well as the influences of developing American technologies. The contributors conclude that the Kemper photographs provide new evidence pertinent to the understanding of how immigrant groups preserved their culture and new data for reexamining the immigrant experience in the United States.