Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Historical Society has created a new initiative to preserve images and documents pertaining to the historic floods that severely impacted the state in July 2023. Members of the public are invited to submit their photographs, audio and video recordings, written memories, and other relevant documents to the Flood of 2023 Archive on VHS’s website (http://floodof2023.digitalvermont.org), which will preserve them for future Vermonters and scholars.
VHS holds a considerable number of records of past floods in its collection, including images and video from the Flood of 1927, the Montpelier flood of 1992, and of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, amongst others. These records exist because they were documented and preserved by VHS librarians and archivists and are used by researchers, journalists, and members of the public to recall and understand those events.
As part of this initiative, VHS has also begun to expand the media collection for the Flood of 1927 on its archival portal, Digital Vermont, uploading dozens of photographs and scans of documents from VHS’s collection for the first time, making them more widely available to the public than ever before. The 1927 Flood in Vermont Collection can be found on Digital Vermont: https://digitalvermont.org/items/browse?collection=12)
VHS Librarian Kate Phillips says “this flood will drastically change the landscape of Vermont in ways we do not yet know. It is essential that we document the experiences of individuals and small businesses, as well as new directions in conversations about climate change and housing. We hope that careful documentation of this moment can help inform future decision making, as well as contribute to our collective processing of this monumental event.”
VHS invites the public to submit their photographs, audio files, video recordings, and other related documents to this crowdsourced archive, in order to preserve the memories of this tragic event for the future.
To submit files and view the full terms and conditions, visit: http://floodof2023.digitalvermont.org.
For information on physical items that VHS is interested in adding to the library and museum collection visit: http://floodof2023.digitalvermont.org/collecting
For questions or troubleshooting, contact VHS at [email protected]
About VHS
Founded in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society serves to engage both Vermonters and "Vermonters at heart" in the exploration of our state's rich heritage. Our purpose is to reach a broad audience through our outstanding collections, statewide outreach, and dynamic programming. We believe that an understanding of the past changes lives and builds better communities.
Source: 8.4.2023. Barre, Vermont: The Vermont Historical Society
