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Museum seeks to document pandemic as history in the making

Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Ketter-Franklin
/
The Buffalo History Museum

The coronavirus pandemic is a historic event, so it's only natural The Buffalo History Museum has started an initiative to document and archive the shared experiences of those living through it. 

The museum is now collecting community stories about life during the pandemic. Communications and Content Coordinator Cheyenne Ketter-Franklin said it is important to capture history in the making.

“History is not just something people read in textbooks; it’s happening all around them every single day. During a pandemic like this, it’s very important to capture that, so we’re very thankful for the community and anyone willing to participate in this initiative,” Ketter-Franklin said.

Community members can participate in the effort by completing an online survey, sending in photos and postcards, or sharing perspectives of life in the pandemic through journal entries.

Ketter-Franklin said the museum is also open to collecting work outside of these parameters such as artwork or other forms of expression created in light of the pandemic. The information collected will be stored in the museum’s archives and will act as evidence for future research, projects, and exhibits.

“Doing and organizing this outreach to the community is important to us because we are all a part of this major historical event. We all have a story to tell and a perspective to share that is invaluable for future generations to understanding why Western New York is the way that it is 50 or 60 years from now. We know that there is going to be a lasting impact on society that we probably can’t even foresee yet,” Ketter-Franklin said.

To participate in the initiative, all physical materials can be mailed directly to the museum and virtual materials can be sent via email.