Irving Archives & Museum

Documenting History during the Pandemic

Across the globe, people are living through an unprecedented moment in history. The COVID-19 global pandemic is radically transforming the world. Nearly every aspect of life has changed in a very short period of time.

The Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) is committed to preserving the history of the city and its residents, and the IAM is seeking help to fulfill its mission during this challenging moment. The IAM is launching a collecting initiative to document the experiences of Irving residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The objective is to build a collection that reflects daily life in Irving during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Your experiences, photographs, videos and other items are critical in building this collection, and will help the IAM tell the story of this event to future generations. Much of what is known about the human experience during previous pandemics and significant historical moments comes from archival documents, such as journals, letters, photographs and physical objects.

The collection created will be a resource for future historians and residents. It will help them understand how Irvingites dealt with the new reality that so quickly altered "normal" life. Donated material will be permanently housed in the Irving Archives and available for researchers. Some submissions may be used on the Archives website, in exhibitions, and on social media, with the donor’s permission.

BEGIN THE DONATION PROCESS

BEGIN THE DONATION PROCESS. Answer the questions as fully as possible.

These items are suitable for donating to the IAM for this project:

Images and photographs
Short videos
Journals or writings reflecting personal experiences. Residents are encouraged to start a journal. Spend a few moments each day reflecting on your experiences and what life is like during the pandemic. Record memories of your last "normal" day; home-schooling experiences; examples of neighbors helping each other; and how friends and family are staying in touch.
Objects and artifacts directly connected to the pandemic: Signs from car parades; new products/inventions created; items that reflect life under quarantine and social distancing measures; business signs communicating closures or modified operations; community projects; etc.

When donating journals, objects or artifacts, make a note on your donation form and upload a photograph if possible. A staff member will be in contact about donation arrangements when it is safe to submit.

Questions about the initiative or donations should be emailed to us.

Email Us