Everyone has a drawer full of old photos. Each photo has its own importance. The photographer used precious film to take the photo and paid to have them developed. They were kept because they were an important store of memory. But the memory has disappeared into the past. We gaze at the photos today, reluctant to dispose of them yet for us many of these images are meaningless. … [Read more...] about Citizen Curators Unlock the Past
Storage of Historical Material
Significant Historic Australian Education Collections – Deakin University, Geelong
While working on the Teaching Reading in Australia project I had the opportunity to work in some of the best archives in Australia for the history of education. These archives are significant repositories of Australian history. Some don't get the attention they deserve, others are well recognised but their education collections are little known. In this, the first of a … [Read more...] about Significant Historic Australian Education Collections – Deakin University, Geelong
Women and Archival Silences
Archives are not neutral. We can't keep everything so choices have to be made and those choices reflect the values of the people making the decisions about what to keep and what to discard. In the past people such as women, non-Europeans, Aborigines, the poor etc were not considered important contributors to our history so their stories are often not portrayed in archival … [Read more...] about Women and Archival Silences
When Family History is All That is Left
I sat on the edge of my seat with my cup of tea in suburban Sydney listening to the elderly man recount a scene in the city of Shiraz in Iran. It was 1955 when he saw the mob tearing down a house with their bare hands. Fearing that another historically significant building (pictured above) would be torn down, Mr Noorgostar guarded it for three months. Why were these … [Read more...] about When Family History is All That is Left
Of Recalcitrant Staples, Paper Clips and Mould Mould Mould!
While the goals of a historian and those working on family history at times are quite different there is a considerable overlap. I have found family historians very helpful while I have been researching the history of teaching reading. Over the last few days I was reminded again about how complementary the two pursuits are. I'm sorting through the archives of a local … [Read more...] about Of Recalcitrant Staples, Paper Clips and Mould Mould Mould!