Everyone in Bedford has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, after more than 16 months, things are still far from what was considered “normal.”
But eventually, “Historians will study the events of the virus and the public’s response to it,” observed Kristine Moore, executive director of the Bedford Historical Society.
“Seasoned historians, aspiring historians, kids doing a history project for school… all will need to have access to research and be able to cite their sources,” she said, emphasizing, “It is up to us to secure that information for them now, while it is happening.”
That’s why the Historical Society is calling for donations of documentation — “to preserve the events for future researchers.” The Society has labeled this effort “The Covid-19 Archival Project.”
Moore actually began to pitch for contributions shortly after the pandemic began. Since then, the response has been slow. “We’ve had a few people reach out with some photos, journal entries, things like that, especially in the beginning of the pandemic, and one or two items since restrictions began lifting,” Moore said. “But it would be great if we could get more.”
Here is some of what she suggested: “Emails and letters between friends, family, and colleagues, correspondence between your children and their friends or their teachers. Newspaper clippings, social media posts, photos, even recordings. Documentation, photos, stories, and artifacts could be added to the collection to ensure that 100 years from now the pandemic and Bedford’s experience through it, is well documented.”
Electronic submissions can be emailed to the society office at [email protected]. Artifacts may be delivered or mailed to 2 Mudge Way, Bedford 01730. (The address is the police station.)
One source of her urgency, Moore noted, is the fact that “there is so little in the collection documenting the flu pandemic of 1918, making it difficult to know how Bedford got through it and what the experience was like.”
“It may not seem like it will happen, but normalcy did return after 1918 and it will return this time as well.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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I was very lucky because the pandemic really did not affect me. I live alone and my only contact other than shopping is with my 2 daughters who are both medical professionals.my married daughter’s husband is a pharmacist and was vaccinated early on. my single daughter is a psychiatrist at MGH and was vaccinated early on. my married daughter is a pharmacist and got a unique offer from a company that wanted to work out its vaccination procedures. She and her family were given vaccinations. My ex who is her nanny for our 3 grandkids and I got vaccinated as well. Bingo! Everybody I socialize with is vaccinated and when I go shopping I always wear a mask. From day 1 and I have never stopped even to today! Note: several days a week I take my 3 yo grandson for a walk to the playground. While at the playground I always wear my mask but he goes unmasked with his mother’s permission.