Camping on the bay side of Presqu’ile Point was popular for years. This photo dates to 1898
The accidental archives
In 2015, several history-minded acquaintances met with the intent to energize Hilton Hall, Brighton’s only municipally owned designated heritage building. Our goal was to develop awareness and programming to bring attention to this charming 1851 stone building. Our expectations were modest and traditional, but somehow, we walked back into the sunshine with the idea of the Brighton Digital Archives.
We recognized Brighton has a long, well-documented history, captured by dedicated and talented local historians. We also were confident there were a lot of home collections not publicly available. We were equally convinced many stewards of those private collections may not realize how important those old photos, documents, and deeds were, and how an interested audience awaited. Others knew they had valuable pieces of Brighton’s history, but not an outlet. Yet.
We wanted to create a virtual space to bring all this together and started the journey. We spoke with subject matter experts at Northumberland County Archives and Museum and sought legal opinions on temporary loans, deeds of gift, publication agreements, and copyrights. We learned about photo cards versus post cards and photographers of the day. We studied online databases and then jumped into the abyss of technology.
We discovered local treasures, we researched equipment, we spoke with elders, and we built a roadmap for our future, knowing it would always have twists and turns.
Mostly, we realized two absolute truths – we will always be learning about Brighton’s history and heritage, and this community is hungry for a chance to share and appreciate these precious memories.
Here’s a link to our on-line archive: https://vitacollections.ca/brightonarchives/search
