The Dow Foundation Archives: Cultivating Historical Context
Archivists are often eager to illustrate the one-of-a-kind perspective their collection presents. Artifacts like postcards, candid photos, and personal correspondence offer a way to tell previously untold stories about our origins. However, historical archives not only provide a peek into the past, but they also offer new context around the histories we think we know. […]
Finding Harmony in the Past
Imagine discovering boxes of your loved one’s manuscripts and documents you never knew about until after they passed. Going through a late loved one’s belongings can be a daunting and emotional task. It stirs up memories and feelings long forgotten. Finding items you never knew about, like boxes filled with a life’s journey on paper, […]
Crashing Through the Surface
At Anderson Archival, the term surface has a slightly different meaning than it does in most industries. The word surface is typically defined as “the outer layer of something.” While that remains true, in the archival community, it also refers specifically to the number of surfaces requiring a scan or capture to fully digitize a […]
Why Outsource? Digitizing In-House vs. Outsourcing
It can be tempting to see the photocopier in the corner of your office and imagine digitizing your collection over time, if only to avoid the costs associated with finding a vendor to handle it. However, in-house digitization is rarely that simple. Digital preservation is no longer the future of archiving but the current standard […]
Curated Clips: Sneaking a Peek at Our DT Versa
Mark and Amy Anderson take us on an after-hours tour of Anderson Archival’s new DT Versa wide-format scanner.
Discover the Magic of Large-Format Document Digitization and Enhance Your Collection
Ever wondered how to digitize those larger-than-life documents in your collection? Whether it’s oversized newspapers, record books, or even maps and blueprints, we’ve got you covered! At Anderson Archival, we’re here to guide you through the process and ensure that your valuable items are preserved with the utmost care, all while giving your collection a […]
Hit by Flooding? Here Are 3 Things You Can Do Now
by Marcia Spicer Plus: two ways you can prepare for the future to conclude National Preparedness Month The summer of 2022 has been a season of unexpected flooding for many areas, including our own here in St. Louis, Missouri. Many of our friends and neighbors experienced damage and loss—placing this particular natural disaster at the […]
Preventing the Worst-Case Scenario
by Marcia Spicer Ask any archivist, collector, or researcher who works with historical materials what their worst nightmare is, and you’ll probably get a few variations of the same answer. Total loss and destruction of a collection, history, language, people… you can’t get much worse. Yes, recovery techniques have dramatically improved over the last 100 […]
Incoming!
by Marcia Spicer Every few months the question of location comes up when talking with prospective Anderson Archival clients. We’re located in St. Louis, Missouri, and for many local families and organizations—like one we’ll be profiling next month—that’s perfect. For others, distance is a pain point. I can empathize with that; after all, we’re typically […]
Don’t Lose Your History
Recorded history is an irreplaceable treasure, but physical historical records are constantly under threat. Books, records, photographs, and hand-written letters are meant to be passed on to future generations, but the more they’re used, the more likely they are to sustain irreversible damage. Over time, the valuable information recorded on paper can become indistinguishable from […]
