Juvenilia ✔/ a Nonfiction Undergraduate University Collection

ARTS 3002 Final Project Report

ARTS 3002

Fredericton Regional Museum

April 27th, 2021

Final Project Report

Introduction To Digital Humanities

The Fredericton Regional Museum is a small, non-profit organization in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Founded in 1934 by the York Sunbury Historical Society, it is an organization that aims to provide open access to everyone with artifacts and exhibits that showcase the York county region. 

Through public exhibitions both in person and online, and various programs including lecture series', art shows, and summer camps, there is something to be learned for people of all ages. Dedicated to providing access to everyone, the museum has an on-going project contributing to open access and digital humanities. 

As well, they publish a local periodical, 'The Officer's Quarters', a nod to the location of the historical museum. 

Located in the heart of Fredericton on Queen street in The Officer's Quarters, it was built in 1959, and the historical society, established in 1932, now has members located all across North America.

With a collection of over 30,000 artifacts, the museum has something interesting for everyone. Relying on a small number of paid staff and numerous volunteers who are all passionate about the past and learning the stories of those who came before us, the museum strives to preserve the stories and lives of the region's predecessors. 

Currently in the works is the digitalization of primary resources—efforts that emerged as a direct result of trying to provide information through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

A vast majority of items being transcribed and digitalized are collections that have never been displayed in the museum before, collections of post card chains from local families from the York county region, letters, bills, inquiries, and photos. 

With the aid of volunteers, these resources are being transcribed with the intention of making these wonderful resources made public online, available for all to see and experience. 

Follow the stories of families, through sickness and health, marriage and death, as they communicate from afar and from overseas, something that we can understand as we navigate the pandemic ourselves through social distancing and quarantines.

Goal of the Project

The objective of my project is to assist with the digitalization of post cards through transcribing, proofreading, assessing, and approving documents and files to be uploaded online for public viewing. 

By providing this open access material—primary resources from the York County region—which showcase stories from historical locals, creative endeavours may flourish as inspiration can be taken from the past and be applied in the present in any number of meaningful and creative ways. 

Though by no means an exhaustive list, these free resources may be used in creative writing, film-making both fictional and documentary-style, research, plays, and in artwork.

One of the most important pieces of the project I was personally involved with were the post card chains.

 So much can be learned from the post cards. 

They can provide direct insight into familial relationships, as well as provide insight into living conditions, lifestyle, and communication styles of the past.