Who needs to capture time in a bottle when there are photos?
Creating their own time capsule of sorts, the Haddonfield Civic Association and The Haddonfield Tricentennial Committee are partnering to create a historical account of Haddonfield’s tricentennial told completely through photos, an initiative which has been dubbed the Haddonfield Photo Legacy Project.
“It’s such a fun way to get involved with the community,” said Maureen Eyles, executive director of the Haddonfield Tricentennial Committee.
Collecting photos of businesses, historic buildings and places of worship, the Haddonfield Tricentennial Committee and the Haddonfield Civic Association are beginning to construct a full-color photo album, chronicling Haddonfield at the time of the tricentennial.
“It’s a real opportunity to show what life was like in 2013,” Eyles said.
Serving as the final initiative of the Haddonfield Tricentennial Committee, she said many of the ideas for tricentennial projects and events came from The Historical Society of Haddonfield’s records of Haddonfield’s bicentennial celebration.
Eyles said the book would serve as a way for future Haddonfield generations to look back in time to see who previously resided in their homes and to find their relatives.
“We have that culture here in Haddonfield,” Eyles said.
Eyles said the idea for the project came from Haddonfield Civic Association member Chris Thomas.
She explained that in addition to photos of businesses and historical sites within the borough, the Haddonfield Tricentennial Committee also has the undertaking of collecting photos of families in front of their homes. It’s no easy task, Eyles explained, with 4,600 homes in the borough.
“We really need all the help we can get,” she said.
Eyles is currently recruiting block captains who will assist with the project, scheduled to begin on Nov. 28 and wrap up around Dec. 15.
Eyles said block captains could be any resident inside the borough who has a knack for photography and would like to participate in the project.
Using the volunteer’s location as a guideline, Eyles said the block captain would then be given a list of names and addresses to work from, photographing those families who wish to be included in the project.
“We’re hoping through that initiative people will participate,” she said. “We’re trying to make it as easy for all 4,600 households to participate.”
In addition, Eyles is also looking for volunteers to manage those photos that are submitted through haddonfieldphoto@ gmail.com. These volunteers will have a specific day in which they will have the responsibility of dropping submitted photos into the album and organizing all captions. She explained that with daily upkeep, families will know right away whether the photos are good enough for publication.
“The communication will be immediate,” Eyles said.
Those who wish to submit photos without the assistance of a block captain can do so by first visiting Haddonfield’s Tricentennial website for submission instructions. Along with instructions, residents can also view a sample submitted photo of the Goodworth family, shot by Gwen Isner Photography, who currently resides on a property originally settled by Elizabeth Haddon Estaugh.
“It really gives a good example of how we want our photos to look,” Eyles said.
Both digital and print photos will be accepted, however print photos must be mailed to borough hall and cannot be returned.
Once all photos are collected, the final phase of the initiative will involve sending the photos and captions to be laid out into a photo album that will then be given to The Historical Society of Haddonfield where it will be put on display for all who wish to view it.
Eyles added there have been talks of reproducing the photos in other ways, with suggestions of using thumbnail versions of each image to create a large image to display. However, she said those plans are still in their infancy.
“That will definitely be a project of 2014,” she said.
In addition, she explained the album would not be completed until the spring in an attempt to deliver the album on Estaugh’s birthday in May.
For more information on the photo legacy project or to volunteer, contact Eyles at 795–9927 or via email at maureen@haddonevents.com. Instructions for submissions are available at haddonfield300.org/event/photo.
