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Madison Historical Society Wants to Gather Residents’ Experiences During Pandemic

Most people are aware that the coronavirus pandemic is a historical event, something that will be remembered by generations to come. The Madison Historical Society (MHS), though, in partnership with the Charlotte Evarts Memorial Archive, is going a step further, and asking people to take that awareness and help them as they gather documents, firsthand accounts, keepsakes, art, and other ephemera related to the pandemic for a special archive.

“Our hope is that...it will be so poignant for scholars and historians to look back 100 years from now, and say, ‘This is what they did, they did Zoom calling—that was how they tried to stay connected,’” MHS Director Jenny Simpson said.

As it begins scouting for certain types of objects—masks, home-made games, and diaries being a few examples—MHS is also asking residents to directly contribute their individual experiences during the pandemic through a separate system, allowing people can record voice memos, submit photographs, or offer written reflections through the MHS website that Simpson said will one day offer insight into how the town experienced the historical crisis.

“It’s an avenue for people, an outlet for them to say, ‘Hey, I took this picture of a heart showing support for frontline medical workers, and I want to share it with you.’ So great, here’s a place to put it,” Simpson said.

Both Simpson and MHS Vice President Doe Boyle emphasized that this online archive is somewhat separate from what they are always doing: searching for objects, accounts, or other journalistic materials related to all different kinds of historical events.

But knowing that the coronavirus pandemic is a massive, unique, and world-spanning crisis, MHS is making these and other special efforts to document exactly what the world is like during this difficult time, and how Madison residents are coping, thinking, and feeling about it.

“This virus is finding everyone, and threatens everyone and has turned our lives upside down in virtually every single way,” Boyle said.

Often, people don’t realize the historical significance of things like letters or memorabilia until decades after the events in question, according to Simpson, when they are cleaning out an attic or going through a deceased relatives’ belongings.

But MHS is seeking to be aware of these things now, knowing that much will be lost to time, and keeping that historical perspective even during a time of crisis.

“Honestly, we have been working so thoroughly on this,” Boyle said. “Like really trying to throw together in the most responsible and careful way, everything we can at once.”

There really isn’t an analog between the current crisis and any other recent historic event, Simpson said, with how widespread and deeply personal it is.

Simpson pointed out that often when looking at these sorts of upheavals or crisis, the kind of records that are most valuable to historians are those things that give insight into everyday people’s everyday lives, whether this is a photograph of a grocery store, a diary entry, or a letter.

Simpson said she has herself been taking pictures of everything from signs at supermarkets requiring social distancing to sidewalk chalk art thanking first responders around town.

Though everything that MHS is collecting should have a “tangible Madison connection,” according to Simpson, one of the unique things about this event is how universal it is, how many people in differing geographic areas are experiencing the same fears and using the same coping mechanisms.

Boyle said that one thing for which locals will be grateful, and will likely shine out in the historical record, is how privileged the town is to have space and natural resources.

“I think that maybe the outcome for Madison as we reflect is that we may actually just be especially appreciative of the natural access to the land and the sea and the shore and the forests,” she said.

Looking at the kind of stories that MHS has documented from other world-spanning events, like the Spanish flu to the Great Depression and World War II, Boyle said she hopes future generations looking back will see similar displays of bravery, kinship, and pride by Madison residents during this current crisis.

“How to have courage, how to collaborate, how to cooperate—those are going to be invaluable lessons” from this time, Boyle said.

To directly contribute to the MHS public record with writing, voice memos, or photos, visit www.madisonhistory.org. For more information or other inquiries, email director@madisonhistory.org.