Capturing the present – to preserve the past

CAPTURING THE PRESENT –
TO PRESERVE THE PAST
Creating Contemporary Photos to Document Your Town’s History

Presented by
Kay C. Schlueter
Lead Cataloger & Past Perfect Administrator
Northfield Historical Society

Capturing the Present – To Preserve the Past

• What, exactly, is “the past?”
Dictionary definitions:
time gone by
having existed or taken place in a period before the present

• When you think of “historical photos,” what comes to mind?

VHS League of Local Historical Societies and Museums

November 1, 2013

2


• When you think of “historical photos,” what comes to mind?

2010
2013


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• Do you find that most people, when they want historical
information about your town, usually ask if you have any
pictures/photos of what they are seeking?
• Have you ever wished someone had taken a photo of
persons, events, buildings, places from your town’s past?
• Do you have time gaps in your society’s photo collection? If
so, why?


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• Even with the proliferation of ready media 24/7, that does not
mean that people, events, buildings, and places in your town
are being recorded, saved and cataloged for future
generations.
• By systematically and with a purpose of mind, it is important
to take the pro-active initiative to document the who, what,
where, when, why and how for those who are curious to see
what town life was like 5, 25, 50, or 100 years hence.


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• Our lives today will be just as important (and funny) to people
many years from now in the way we physically looked,
dressed, played, and lived – just as we, today, view with
humor, wonder and curiosity the lives of those who lived in
our past.


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This session will provide suggestions for:
1. Involving your society in capturing the present in photos,
including recruiting assistants, society members, and other
volunteers
2. Planning & prioritizing what you will document, including
reviewing what you already have and developing a collection
policy for current photos
3. Managing your time and setting realistic goals
4. Organizing the photos you create
5. Cataloging and storing those newly-created photos


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1. Involving your society in capturing the present in photos,
including recruiting assistants, society members, and
other volunteers:
a. Make the “pitch” – find out if there is interest.
b. Survey your membership – anyone a
photography buff or with expertise?
c. Check with your local schools; there may be
some students who would be interested in
volunteering.
d. Find out if there are photos already available,
that can be donated or copied, especially for the
time
periods you are lacking.

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2.

Planning & prioritizing what you will document, including reviewing
what you already have and developing a collection policy for
contemporary photos:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

Procure a camera (and maybe a tripod) and become proficient.
Procure a computer to edit & store the photos.
Procure a scanner for photos on loan.
Assign a society member to be the Photo Manager/Coordinator.
Inventory your photo collection – any gaps?
Based on your inventory, decide what you want to photograph first.
Develop and stick to a schedule for taking photos of “static” subjects
(such as buildings, streets, other landscape-type subjects).
Assign volunteer photographers to attend events to take pictures, or, if the
event already has a photographer, ask for select photos to be donated to
the society.


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3.

Managing your time and setting realistic goals:

a.
b.

Start s-l-o-w!
Take the time to learn the camera and its software – practice taking pictures – start
with static subjects first, such as buildings, street scenes.
Take the time to pick and learn photo editing software and/or a web-based photo
service, such as Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/help/faq/) or Google+
(http://www.google.com/+/photos).
If an event is upcoming and you are still learning the camera, get out there and
shoot it anyway – bring along another who may be more knowledgeable than you
to assist – each with your own camera, if possible.
Determine prior to shooting what is important about your subject – even our
camera-wielding ancestors couldn’t capture everything!
However, that said, digital memory is cheap, so don’t be stingy if you do have the
time to capture many photos.
Don’t feel you have to save every photo you take – be discriminating in what you
save.
Make sure to set aside time for: selecting, cropping & cataloging your photos.

c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.


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4. Organizing your contemporary photos and developing a
collection policy/cataloging manual:
a.
b.

Create lists of subjects you want to photograph.
Decide what digital format is to be used (tiff, jpg, both).
http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/filetypes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_file_formats

c.
d.

Document how they will be cataloged/labeled & edited.*
Determine where & how they will be stored (printed, as digital
files only, or both; back-up storage, such as CD-ROMs, flash drives,
and/or external hard drives, or “in the cloud”).
e. Determine and document who will have access and how the photos
will be used.
f. “Many hands make light work,” but too many hands can result
in confusion; assign select volunteers to be the photo catalogers
for consistency in cataloging.
*Most computers come with some sort of photo viewer/editor. There are also free & fee-based software packages and web-based
services, such as Flickr, Tumblr to edit, store, share, and retrieve digital photos. Unfortunately this session cannot fully address
this aspect of managing photos, but a Google search using the term “photo cataloging software” or similar search terms brings up
a vast amount of information which is worth a look.


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5. Cataloging and storing those newly-created photos:

a. Do you have a numbering system already in place for your photos?
b. If so, try to use the same system for continuity.
c. If not, or the current system cannot be easily applied, create a new system
– for example, use the year the photo was taken first, followed by
consecutive numbers.
Example: 2013.1
2013.2
2013.3, etc.
d.

Use the above numbering system for the file name on your computer,
except use an underscore instead of a “dot” when renaming the files:
2013_1, 2013_2, etc.


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5. Cataloging and storing those newly-created photos, con’t.:
d.

Break up the photo files into manageable folders on the computer.
Examples:
By catalog number: Photos 2013.1-2013.100 are in a computer file
folder labeled “2013_1-100”
By broad topic: Houses, Businesses, Schools, People, Streets, etc.

d.

Using your photo editing software, assign captions/titles and subject/tag
terms (aka keywords) to each photo.*

*Each photo editing/cataloging software will

have its own set of instructions. Be sure to read and experiment

with the software to learn how to best use it.


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5. Cataloging and storing those newly-created photos, con’t.:
d.

e.
•

Try to be consistent in assigning subject/tag terms – keep a list of terms
used which becomes your “authority” list of terms; this allows you to be
consistent.
Two free resources for consistent subject headings/search terms:
Library of Congress Authority Database

http://authorities.loc.gov/
• Getty Research Institute Art & Architecture Thesaurus
http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/aat/


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Using Microsoft as a No-Cost Picture Cataloging Tool
1.
2.

Most PC’s use Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
To create a searchable catalog of the photos you shoot:
Create a folder within the Pictures category for storing the photos.
Transfer (load) your photos onto your computer into the above folder.


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Using Microsoft as a NoCost Picture Cataloging
Tool
c. Right-click on your selected photo
and then scroll down to click on
Properties . A pop-up window
appear.


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Click on the Details tab.
Click to the right of Title.

VHS League of Local Historical
Societies and Museums

Text box opens – add a title. Do
the same with Subject, Tags and
Comments.

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Scroll down to see more details about the
photo.


To change the filename, click on General,
and then click in the text box and re-type
the filename.

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1.
2.

Most PC’s use Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
To create a searchable catalog of the photos you shoot:
a.
Create a folder within the Pictures category for storing the photos.
b.
Transfer (load) your photos onto your computer into the above folder.
c.
Open an individual photo using either the Windows Photo Viewer – or –
Microsoft Office (which will open the photo file into a photo editor).
d.
Right-click on the photo; when a small window pops up, scroll down and select
Properties.
e.
Click on the Details tab.
f.
Click to the right of Title (under Description).
g.
Text box opens – type in the title of your photo.
h. Click (or tab down) to the right of Subject and add your subject term (remember
to create an authority list for consistency).
i.
Click to the right of Tags and add your general terms – these can be general
words that you think you might need to search by – hit the tab key to create
several tag terms.
j.
Continue to tab down to fill in other information you feel is important, especially
the Date of the photo if not already there.
k. When finished, click on Apply.
l.
Need to re-edit? Click in the text box and add/delete/edit info.


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•
•

To search for photos you have cataloged, go into your Pictures library on the computer.
Locate the Search Pictures text box.


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•
•
•

Type in your search terms (subjects, tags, folder name, filename) you assigned to your photos.
The pictures containing the term(s) will automatically appear.
Notice that the number of pictures with that search term will also be displayed.


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Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet to Create a
Searchable and Sortable Catalog Index for Your Photos


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The Falls General Store
o Cross Block built in 1892.
o Operated continuously as a store and for a time as a post office
and dance/drama/recreation hall.
o Closed in 2010, and then purchased by the current owners soon
after.
o Extensive structural renovations and remodeling have been ongoing for the past three years.
o It was to re-open in May of 2013 but has been delayed until May
of 2014.
o Will continue as an upscale store and café, as well as a yoga
studio in the former upstairs dance hall.

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The Falls
General Store
http://fallsstore.com



The new owners posted a website
of their progress, which included
history & photos.



The Society initiated contact with
the new owners through their
website to offer them additional
historical information and share
early photos they did not have.
Research on past stores in the
Falls (with photos) and an
interview with the new owners was
recently published in the Dog
River Crier, the NHS’s newsletter.






The new owners were willing to
freely share additional photos of
the renovation with our Society.

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Northfield’s Economy Store
o
o
o
o

Opened by Karl G. Grupe on Sept. 8, 1934.
He owned and operated the store until his death in 1960.
His wife, Dorothy, assisted until her death in 1968.
From 1960 forward, owned and operated by Karl’s son, Karl A.
& daughter-in-law, Alice.
o Alice continued running the store after her husband died and
until her death in 2010.
o 76 year history of continuous operation by the same family.


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Northfield’s Economy Store –
Shortly After Alice Died in 2010


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Northfield’s Economy
Storefront, 2013
Northfield News –
Before & After





The storefront next door used to be
the office of the Northfield News –
photo recently provided by the former
owner-publisher, dated 1983.



The News was sold in 2004 and
offices moved; the building was sold
in 2010.




We had no photos of the Economy
Store’s front before it closed, so we
took this photo in 2013 which shows
the sign.

The former News building was totally
gutted and remodeled into
Northfield’s very own Irish pub, The
Knotty Shamrock, which opened in
2011.

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Northfield Savings Bank

o Founded in Northfield in 1867 by Norwich University professor
and one-time president, Rev. Edward Bourns.
o Headquarters has always been in Northfield.
o In October 2013, plans were announced to move its headquarters
to Berlin, with occupancy scheduled for early 2015.
o The current home will be renovated and will provide full banking
services.
o The move was cited as necessary due to lack of adequate space
and parking.


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Northfield Savings Bank – Over Time

Late 19th-Early 20th century

Circa 1950’s

1960’s-1970’s

1970’s-1980’s


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Northfield Savings Bank 2013


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Landscape Change Program – University of Vermont
http://www.uvm.edu/landscape/
“The Landscape Change Program, at the University of Vermont, is a virtual
collection of images that documents 200 years of Vermont’s changing face. We
have thousands of views of Vermont as it was and as it is, online and free to
everyone.”

o
o
o
o
o

It’s FREE!
It’s searchable.
You can submit photos using their posted criteria.
Provides a good example of photo cataloging technique
By looking at what you already have in your society’s photo collection,
you can update those views today, for viewing by future generations


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Your Own “Landscape Change” Program
o Review your historical photos for landscape/street scenes.
o Decide which scenes would benefit from an updated photo.
o Try to shoot the new photos from the same angle, so any changes can
be easily identified & appreciated.
o Catalog and/or house the early and contemporary photos together, if
possible.
o Be “anticipatory,” meaning if you know of a change that is going to
take place, try to capture the before & after (especially the before).


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Landscape Change in Northfield
Northfield photographer Reuben McIntosh’s
photograph of Northfield’s bridges and log dam, circa
after 1860.


Same view taken Oct. 31, 2013

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Landscape Change in Northfield

N. Main Street home built before 1858; photo dated
1967. Most recent owner was Norwich University.
The house was dismantled in 2005 to build a…


… parking lot in 2013, behind the berm the house
used to sit on.

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Soon to be Landscape Change – “Before”

o Northfield’s Water Street, 1927 and 2013.
o Flooded by Irene, 2011 (also flooded in 1927) – how the street looks in 2013.
o Some houses historic – built by Northfield native Christopher Dole in the mid-19th century.
o Due to their location on the Dog River floodplain, no longer habitable and will be razed,
disappearing forever.
o Land will be turned into a recreation area.
o Requesting 2011 flood photos from residents would add to the historical value of these recent
shots.


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Soon to be Landscape Change – “Before”


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More Landscape Change

o
o
o

Northfield’s North Main Street, which crosses the Dog River.
Cetrangelo’s Granite Finishing Shed – established 1955 (photo circa 1970’s).
Closed in the late 1980’s or 1990’s. (Further research in the Northfield News would help
pinpoint the exact date.)

o Complex torn down and 3 acre lot empty for a number of years – privately owned.
o Dollar General now there, opened in 2013.


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Other Contemporary Photos You May Want to Consider:
o Portraits (with permission), especially if doing oral histories.
o Building construction and/or renovations (if private homes, obtain
permission) .
o Interiors.
o Special events, such as fairs, farmers’ markets, town celebrations, library
events, yard sales, fund-raising bazaars, etc.
o Groups of people (with their permission, of course), such as the
selectboard, town employees, business owners, local sports teams, social
clubs, volunteer organizations.
o Farms, fields, hills and dales, waterways, bridges, walking trails, even the
recycling center!
o Your own historical society membership, officers, managing board.


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Before posting any photos on social media where individuals can be
identified – especially children –

GET PERMISSION!


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Other Sources for Adding to Your
Society’s General Collection
o
o
o
o
o

eBay and other (reputable) antique/collectible Internet sites.
Yard/Garage/Tag sales.
Auctions.
Postcard collections & fairs.
Encouraging donations/loans from town residents and your own society
membership.
o Local newspapers, especially for photographs.
o Used book shops, antique shops, and rare/collectible book fairs.
o Getting the word out that your society is interested in viewing items that
might otherwise be discarded.


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To Sum Up:
o Think ahead – anticipate what you think will be of interest to future
generations and history researchers.
o What are people asking for now? That could be a good indicator of what future
interest might be.
o Photos do not have to be “Vermont Life” quality! However, do take care to
take the best shots you can when time allows.
o Get the word out! Let your residents and society members know you are on the
prowl for old and new photos, particularly if it helps fill the gap in your
collection for years that are lacking.
o Even “artsy” shots are of interest. Not all photos have to be “practical.”
o Are there contemporary postcards of your town available? Buy them and add
to your collection.
o Carry your camera! You just never know when a really good opportunity to
capture the present to preserve the past will pop up.
o Organize and catalog your new photos for ease of finding and using.
Unorganized photos, like that old drawer full of family snapshots, is of little
use to anyone if you can’t find what you are looking for!


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T H A N K Y O U F O R Y O U R AT T E N T I O N !
Kay C. Schlueter

Northfield Historical Society

485-6942

PO Box 422

nkcs802@hotmail.com

75 S. Main St.

Northfield, VT 05663
485-4792
nhscurator@gmail.com

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