Online presence
Ongoing project offers online presence for photos, information
Oxford Historical Society volunteers are using a website map to share a growing collection of photos and pieces of historical information.
A small group of volunteers here has come up with a new way of sharing historical photos and information about their community.
The Oxford Historical Society has unveiled a new map of historical photos on its website at oxfordhistoricalsociety.com and president Alison Draper said the collection continues to grow.
“What we’re trying to do is capture photos and history,” she said. “We don’t have a physical presence, so we asked ourselves how can we best capture some of the many photos and pieces of information in the community before it gets lost or misplaced? Everybody tends to have a shoebox or book full of pictures at home.”
They started to gather things from people in the community, and created the website, as well as a social media presence. As things like photographs, documents, and newspaper clippings came in, they would add to the online collection.
They also decided to do something special in celebration of Canada 150 last year, and approached Matthew Aldred at the Oxford Riverside Gallery about a possible photo exhibit there.
“He said sure, and came up with some ideas,” said Draper. “He said, why don’t we create a map to do this on? So, we put in for funding, started it sometime after that, and have been picking away at it.”
The exhibit opened at the gallery on Canada Day last year, and remained open for the summer. The community was invited to not only attend, but also to bring their historical items forward, and these continue to trickle in.
So far there have been more contributions from people who are no longer living in the community but have family ties to Oxford.
The result is an ever-growing Google map on the website, marking various locations around the community with symbols for churches, schools, businesses, streetscapes, etc. Each features a historical photo from a different time period.
The newest version of the map went live on the website last week.
“The concept is that, as photos and historical tidbits are added to the map, visitors to the site will find more detailed info on the gallery pages,” said Draper. “It is hoped that, by bringing together the information and photos in one location, a clearer picture of the heritage of our community will evolve.
“We know from experience that there are pieces of this puzzle in drawers, albums and attics, and people are encouraged to share,” she added. “Every single photo offers a much-valued historical perspective.”
Those with anything they would like to contribute are invited to contact Alison Draper at historicaloxford@gmail.com.