This month we look back on monumental events through the eyes of the people of Berkshire in our new online exhibition about the Second World War. With this in mind, we are reminded of the historic times that we are currently living in as local communities adapt and respond to a global pandemic. Can you help us to capture history in the making through the eyes of residents today by collecting records of the coronavirus crisis in Berkshire?
If it is safe to do so, then we invite you to take photographs whilst on your essential trips out which capture the impact on your local area of Berkshire. We are particularly interested in photographs of posters in shops or public places that refer to the crisis. This will enable us to build a photographic survey of the county during this historic pandemic.
We are also seeking records from community groups set up to respond to the crisis. This might include leaflets put through your door, or, if you are an organiser, records such as schedules or lists of volunteers (with appropriate data protection restrictions).
We would prefer to receive hard copy records of non-photographic material so please do keep hold of them until we are able to take physical deliveries again. We are happy to receive jpegs of photographs which can be sent to us via file transfer. Please contact us if you would like to send us your pictures. We have limited access to the archives mailbox whilst we are closed so please bear with us if you do not receive an immediate response.
Our aim is to collect a representative collection of material across Berkshire so please do note that we may not be able to accept everything that is offered to us. Thank you in advance for your help and support during these unprecedented times as we seek to capture history in the making.