Virginia Archives Month October 2017

October is designated as American Archives Month, and what better time of year to explore the macabre or mysterious? This fall, Virginia is also marking the 100th anniversary of statewide alcohol prohibition, and colleges and universities are planning homecoming festivities. For those reasons, “Spirits in the Archives” was chosen as this year’s Virginia Archives Month theme. Archives and special collections all across the Commonwealth house photographs, printed materials, and manuscripts that touch on the various interpretations of “spirits.” And archives do not always have to be places of serious research—they can be about serious (or not so serious) creativity, too! To that end, the Virginia caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) is once again holding a contest called REMIX | Spirits in the Archives from September 1st through October 23rd. The public is invited to create redaction poetry, GIFs, collages, coloring pages, memes, and other digital interventions using archival images found in the 2017 Virginia Archives Month Flickr album.

Again this year, we are using Flickr to display and share the images submitted by Virginia institutions.

Please visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/133047375@N06/albums/72157685297566185 to view this year’s images.

Please enjoy and share the Archives Month poster, created from images submitted by archives and manuscript repositories from across the state, the poster highlights Virginians' rich historical and cultural traditions.

We also welcome you to explore your Virginia cultural heritage by delving into an archives collection near you during the month of October. Numerous programs, lectures, and tours are slated to take place at institutions around the Commonwealth, so keep track of events on their web pages or on the Archives Month Facebook page. In the Richmond region, also check out the Artober webpage for lots of cultural events and programs. Visit your local repository to find inspiration for a creative endeavor or just to commune with Spirits in the Archives.