Last week, I got to experience something I haven’t before—I got to sift through a pile of uncurated documents and photos.
‘Uncurated?” Some of you might be asking. “What does that even mean?”
Well, uncurated is the opposite of curated. Curated documents and photos are ones which have been “selected, organized and presented using professional or expert knowledge.” (According to the Oxford Languages dictionary.) In other words, documents and photos in a museum or historical society or research library are generally culled through before being made available for perusal. They might discard (or at least archive and not list) some of the more mundane pieces of information. Such as, for example, a grocery list.
But you know what? I find those “mundane” things quite fascinating and revelatory. And that’s why I was so excited to get to do this research. The photos and documents I looked through are simply the remains of a woman’s life kept together by her long-time friend and employee since she had no direct descendants.
That friend and employee was my friend’s dad.
I got to spend several hours sifting through handwriting pages, old photos, even old evening purses and kid gloves! Everything was fragile. Some of it worth treasuring. Some of it purely mundane (like old bank books!). But none of it had been deemed unworthy by an expert. It was all just there. The important and the unimportant jumbled together.
While I sifted, my friend sat at her computer and Googled people or events or places we didn’t know anything about. Some of those questions were answered quickly—like the significance of Port Arthur (not the one in Texas, the one that sits between China and Korea and has been fought over by the Chinese, Japanese, and Russians). Others will require more research to bring clear (hopefully) conclusions.
This experience excited me for several reasons.
- I just like old stuff and the insight it gives into life in other eras.
- This woman had a particularly interesting life in the early 20th century—connections in DC, finishing schools, travel all over the world, in the motor corps of the women’s auxiliary in 1918, etc.
- This woman lived in Dallas, and I would very much like to write a (or a series of) stories set in Dallas in the late 1800s-early 1900s.
I still have a few more things to get through. After three hours there, I decided I needed to go home to let Dolly out. But I look forward to returning. Not only to see what other treasures I can find, but also to spend time with my very hospitable (and knowledgeable!) writing friend who became caretaker of these remnants of a life.
Have you ever had a chance to look through “uncurated” material? Maybe old family documents or (as in this instance) someone else’s documents? Did you find any treasures? Tell us about it!
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How exciting. Uncurated is the BEST research ever, especially when it is family-stored and personal. Have fun.
I am having fun! I’d love to get my hands on family stuff but not sure exactly who has it or where it is! 🙂
When my dad passed, I sorted through his meager remains and found a collection of pocket knives, pockets watches and rings. Not much, mind you, but enough for each grandson to receive a knives, watch and ring. None of which were valuable in and if themselves, but just enough for them to have a reminder of him.
I love that! I’m sure those momentos are treasure by each one. Coming across unexpected gifts is the best.
What a treasure trove, D’Ann! And that hunky fella in the historic photo has definite hero potential. 🙂 Sounds like you had a marvelous day!
Right? I’d love to find out more about the real man even as I dream up a good hero! It was a wonderful day.
Oh, how fun. I love looking through old things. I have my grandmother’s smelling salts dating back to the late 1800s/early 1900s. I also have her button hook for her boots. Those are both prized possessions. I also have her wristwatch from the early 1900s and my dad’s pocket watch from the mid 1900s. When I die, no one will want them, probably, but they are precious to me.
I love that you have those things! What wonderful keepsakes. I feel sure all those wonderful historic things will find a home after you–even if that home isn’t with your kids!
My father-in-law had some very amazing items he left behind. I always forget he served overseas, and visited Egypt! Plenty of old banking items, mementos, and photos. Fun!
Old photos are the best! I’m sure he had some great things from his travel in the military.
We have the contents of a small khaki duffle that my father-in-law carried around during WWII. It contains crumbling packs of Japanese cigarettes (he didn’t smoke), a Navy boson’s whistle, occupation currency, Japanese postcards, and other such small things. If our kids never want the contents after we pass, it all goes to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans with his dress blues. That being said, it’s hard to figure out what is worthwhile ephemera and what is not! It can be a subjective process.
Wow! That is so cool! Yes, it’s a subjective process, which is why this has been so fun. No one has any real connection to any of it and so it’s just all there to see what we can make some sense of!