The Life of the Present Must Become the History of the Future

A very interesting article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald 18 December, 1886 written simply by “M.” [Click Here]

The article talked about the need to preserve the relics of 1886 for the history of the future.

In preserving historic relics, we do need to consider what we are preserving for the future. One day our lives will be “historic lives”.

History doesn’t have to belong to the famous & the rich. Marrickville Library has an amazing collection of images taken of a street parade. Clinton Johnson, Coordinator of History Services, presented a talk to Marrickville Heritage Society on 27th April where he shared some of these wonderful stories, along with many other artefacts held by Marrickville Library.

What will we be remembered for in the future? What history will you pass on in the way of images? With modern digital cameras we take image after image, but how many of those are printed and preserved? What happens when our camera or computer dies? Do our images die with them? Technology moves, changes will anyone be willing to invest money to convert your 2013 digital images into whatever the future’s version is?  Perhaps some family portraits, but what about those fantastic shots you took of the ANZAC march or interesting buildings around town?

Now might be the time for you to become that person who recorded history. “In pencil and in pen” or by printing out some of those images that record social history, images of local shops (modern or not) and the building down the street they’re just about to demolish to build a new set of apartments.