10 Years ago today, I launched The Lancaster Archive website, where hundreds of classic film images have been digitized and shared from 5 photographers, spanning 7 decades of Lancaster’s visual history.
For years, many collections from those photographers sat in dreadful conditions in outdoor storage sheds and humidity-filled closets. One collection was sitting in a puddle of water in a basement.
The Archive was born from an idea that thousands of photos from Lancaster County’s history could be saved and brought to life for everyone to enjoy.
Being able to share these images on our website and social media has been the best part of this project. Many photographs have inspired couples and families who moved away from Lancaster to return to their hometown and reconnect with friends they hadn’t seen in years.
After seeing an image from the collection of the restaurant where they met, one couple from Spartanburg brought their daughters to Lancaster to show them the town where they fell in love.
Dozens of viewers have told us they discovered things about their grandparents and great grandparents that they never knew after seeing them in a classic photograph. One granddaughter had no idea her grandmother played basketball for LHS in the 1950s.
As Charlotte grows towards Lancaster, developers are already using many of the historic images released by The Archive to inspire their vision for how downtown will look in the future.
I want to send out a genuine, massive THANK YOU to all the sponsors who have made The Lancaster Archive possible! Archiving, Digitizing, Restoring and Sharing the collection takes resources and it would not be a success without our sponsors. (See the full list below)
Also, much gratitude to everyone who has ever liked, commented or shared an image. Keep on sharing the memories!
A special thanks to my father, Bobby, who passed away 26 years ago, for teaching me to appreciate my hometown’s history and the people in our communities who help raise, educate and inspire us.
The Lancaster Archive continues on! In fact, there are more film collections in Lancaster County that I am actively pursuing so that we can share those photographs with our viewers. Hopefully, they'll be out of the dark and into the light soon!
-Travis Bell
Thank you Sponsors!
Blackmon Insurance Group
Catawba Fish Camp
Comporium
Founders Credit Union
Hess Financial Planning
Hyatt Law
Janice Mathis State Farm
Kilburnie the Inn at Craig Farm
Lancaster County Historical Commission
Lancaster Funeral Home
The Lancaster News
Nutramax
See Lancaster
Shops on Main
USC Lancaster
No comments:
Post a Comment