History Out of the Box: Archives
 

When you look at historical photos or documents try to keep these questions in mind:

 

Photos:

  • Whose point of view are you looking at?
  • What kind of activities are shown in the pictures?
  • What information does the background provide?
  • Does the clothing worn by the people in the picture help to determine when it was made?

 

Documents:

  • Read thru the document, and skip over words you can’t read. Try to get the general idea of what the document is. Work with a friend to help decifer the handwriting.
  • What would a historian find interesting about the information?
  • What does it tell you about the time period?
  • What does it tell you about the people? Were they comfortable? What were their lives like?

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