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Museum of Dufferin requesting archive submissions from local community

October 3, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Area residents interested in sharing their family photos with the Museum of Dufferin’s archives and learning how to preserve historic documents will soon have the opportunity to do so.

The Museum of Dufferin will be hosting two archival-focused events at the museum over the upcoming weekends.

“I think of myself as a keeper of stories because I tell the stories that others safeguard with me. We have up to almost 20,000 images in our photograph collection of everywhere within Dufferin and we want to continue to hear all about your story,” said Laura Camilleri, archivist for the Museum of Dufferin.

The first archival event the museum took place on Sept. 28. Dufferin County residents are being asked to share their printed photos, particularly those taken in the last 70 years, with the local museum. The photo submissions will be accepted by the museum, who will then scan the photos to make digital copies of them and possibly use the images in future exhibits.

“There’s lots of gaps in our collection and not a lot of images in the collection after 1950 so we’re trying to collect some images for upcoming exhibits to do with children at play and celebrations that may be used in next year’s exhibit,” said Camilleri. “They’d also join the archives, so we’d be using them for research when it comes up and if people want to know about them.”

Those who are unable to attend the community scanning day are encouraged to reach out to the archival department at the MoD to book individual sessions.

The MoD will also be hosting a workshop, called Archiving At Home, at the museum on Oct. 5 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is a hands-on workshop that covers the basics of preserving historical records, such as old documents, photographs, videotapes and other family treasures, at home by sharing tips on storage, handling, cleaning and repair.

Camilleri noted that the workshop may be of interest in particular to cultural groups, churches and family historians, who have been collecting random items.

“These are tips and tricks that we don’t need to hold on to and we’re more than welcome to share them with the community,” said Camilleri.

Tickets for the Archiving At Home workshop are $15 each and can be purchased through the Museum of Dufferin website.

To learn more about the Museum of Dufferin archival services available to Dufferin County residents, visit www.dufferinmuseum.com.

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