Covid-19 Archives: Help us Preserve History

I can't stop thinking about the present, past, and future right now.  Maybe it's because things have slowed down and I have more quiet time on my hands?  A few weeks ago I wrote about the 1918 flu and the "ban" on social activity in Sandpoint.  Then I read about local citizens knitting socks during WWI, while Project 2000 was knitting masks for Covid-19.  It made me wonder what we will look back on in 10, 50, and 100 years to remember this unusual time.  What artifacts will define the experience of people in our county?  What photos will we show our great grandchildren when reminiscing about the pandemic of 2020?  

If the Museum were to have an exhibit on the 25th anniversay of the Covid-19 outbreak, what would be in it?  It is our responsibility to tell this story.  The museum has just launched a Covid-19 Archive Submission Form to allow you to easily upload photos, documents, and audio/video files.  You can do this on your own.  Maybe suggest it as a project to your history teacher. You can ask your friends and family to participate.

Self-portrait of family in isolation by Theresa Carlson (Courtesy of T. Carlson)

 
Need more of an idea how to do this?
People have been thinking about how to preserve our current history all around the country.  Lucky for us, some Bonner County community members have already had some great ideas. Theresa Carlson shares her experience capturing a self-portrait in isolation on our Young Explorers blog. The Daily Bee recently wrote about local photographer Kiersten Patterson and her personal project Sandpoint Speaks Hope.  As uneventful as things may feel, we are living in an important time in Bonner County history.  Here are some other ideas on how you can help create and collect artifacts for our archive:

• Take a self-portrait of your "Quarin-team" (Kiersten Patterson is offering a package to take porchraits for only $30 as a Museum fundraiser)
• Scan journal entries, poetry, or other personal records of your experience relating to Covid-19
• Record an oral history interview of a friend, neighbor or family member (Check out StoryCorps, they have a great system for doing Covid-19 interviews remotely.)
• Submit copies of posters, fliers, notices, or other public postings related to Covid-19 (if you have an actual artifact you would like to donate, contact the Museum to arrange drop off)
• Write an essay to capture a moment of your experience to share
• Share photos from your social media accounts that depict the types of things you are doing with your time at home
• Are there any artifacts that represent the time?  

What other ways can we help define and preserve this moment in history?  Share your ideas in the comments or #athomewithbchs.
​

Covid-19 Archive Submission Form

Porchraits