The Mad River Valley Planning District’s (MRVPD) Rural Resource Commission will be sourcing and digitizing residents’ photographs in order to preserve Mad River Valley history.
At the commission’s December 5 meeting, MRVPD community planner Sam Robinson said that he imagined collecting photographs from anyone who is interested in submitting them. The commission said they could ask people to bring their photos to the General Wait House in Waitsfield and digitize them there, or have commissioners travel to meet participants wherever is convenient for them.
Commissioner Larissa Ursprung said that instead of scanning photos, staff could digitize them using an iPhone with a high-quality camera. They could also collect audio recordings of photograph owners sharing stories and providing context.
Images would be uploaded to an online platform – whether an existing website or a new site built by the MRVPD. The commission plans to host a public event to exhibit the project when it’s finished.
The commission worked to delineate the historical narrative they hoped to convey with the project, creating a list of local individuals, families and businesses who might be interested in participating by providing photos. One idea was to collect photos of certain neighborhoods and places in order to show how they have changed through time.
But Robinson said that the photographs people provide will ultimately drive the historical account that unfolds. He said that the goals of the project are to identify and promote The Valley’s historic and cultural heritage while engaging the community in the process.
