As HistoryIT celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2021, we want to take the time to share how amazing our team of history savers is. In this blog series, you’ll get to know each member of our organization who makes HistoryIT’s history-saving work possible. We’d like to introduce you to Judy Netherland. [Read more…] about Meet a History Saver: Judy Netherland
Hidden History: Stacia Hookom Gollihar
One of the most fulfilling parts of our jobs at HistoryIT is sparking the curiosity in someone to go explore a piece of history previously unfamiliar to them. The accessibility and searchability of the digital museums we build for our clients provide entry points for users to learn about any number of items, ranging from traditional events to biographies to the history of snowboarding. It only takes one little nugget of information to start someone off on their own personal journey of historical research.
Making Muhammad Ali’s Legacy Accessible
“Bigger than boxing. Larger than life.”
Those are the words announcing the September 19th premiere of the new Ken Burns documentary on PBS about Muhammad Ali. As the PBS website notes, “Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.” [Read more…] about Making Muhammad Ali’s Legacy Accessible
Hidden History: Cleora Clark Wheeler
Today, roughly 1.1 million businesses in the United States are owned by women — making up just 19.9% of companies in the country. HistoryIT is proud to be one of them. We are keenly aware that many female entrepreneurs throughout history have paved the way by pushing boundaries and defying their era’s gender roles. Most of us have heard of and been inspired by the stories of Madam C.J. Walker, Kate Gleason and the like, but today we’d like to introduce you to the hidden history of Cleora Clark Wheeler, an alumnae of our partner Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Alpha Phi’s Digital Museum Receives Industry Award
Every year the Fraternity Communications Association (FCA) presents awards to fraternities and sororities for excellence in communication ranging from best alumni/alumnae engagement to social media engagement, annual report and so on. We are pleased to share that this year, Alpha Phi sorority received an award for their digital museum — the result of their partnership with HistoryIT.
[Read more…] about Alpha Phi’s Digital Museum Receives Industry Award
Past Masters: Preserving LGBTQ+ History
Past Masters is HistoryIT’s new vlog series created to offer a more visual and personal account of our history saving journeys. From the beginning, we wanted HistoryIT to be an organization that helped bridge the gap between past and present, by telling not just facts, but stories. Through our digital museums, we’ve been able to tap into the emotions of history, uncovering hidden moments that make for compelling narratives. Join us throughout the year for our behind-the-scenes look into historic preservation.
Importance of Preserving LGBTQ+ History
“Who controls the past controls the future.
Who controls the present controls the past.”
This quote, from George Orwell’s 1984, refers to the concept that past events continue to exist only through two means: human memories and written (or digital) records. In the book, the protagonist’s job is to revise historical records to make the past conform to what the government wants it to be.
Hidden History: Baseball, Beer & Fire
One of the joys of studying history is stumbling across surprising stories. The tangents we go off on and the rabbit holes we fall down are what feed our curious minds. As the person who manages our social media, I’m delighted to be able to dive into these new discoveries on a regular basis.
Future-Proofing Your Composites
Composites are a defining feature of Greek life. Each year young men and women have their photos taken to be collectively displayed in chapter houses, to have prints made for their parents or to save as a personal keepsake. For members of fraternal communities, composites are an annual tradition, a fond memory and a spark for nostalgia among alumni. For HistoryIT, they’re incredibly helpful research tools that visually communicate the history of these organizations through a unique lens.
How to Preserve Your Pandemic Experience
In my recent vlog on “Preserving the Year We’d Rather Forget,” I talked about the importance of taking a moment to pause and reflect on the last twelve months. As more people become vaccinated and begin resuming portions of their pre-pandemic lives, memories will fade. It’s vital that we take the time to document the highlights and lowlights for future generations — before we no longer remember the details.