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Queens United: Building a Descendant Community Network
No full textIn the midst of aggressive measures to erase Black history and culture through distorted legislation and manufactured popular opinion, there has been a steady increase in the number of institutions working together to acknowledge their historic complicity in U.S. chattel slavery and to atone for the legacies of systemic racism in slavery’s wake. This article is authored collaboratively by two heritage workers who, as descendants from the same enslaved family, seek to leverage their institutional affiliations in order to combat Black cultural erasure by launching a cultural heritage program that centers the goals of the descendant network with which they collaborate.
Genealogist Kevin Porter has been researching Queen family history for nearly two decades. More recently, Porter has engaged with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Bowie, Maryland) as it confronts its slave-holding, slave-trading past, which includes Porter’s Queen ancestors. This site was once White Marsh Plantation -- one of five Jesuit-owned plantations in the state. Porter founded his own nonprofit, which he named the White Marsh Heritage Society as a public assertion of the rights of the descendants of the enslaved to claim to that site’s history. Porter has been working with other descendant organizations on envisioning a descendant-led site to be “a place of learning, education and reflection."
Born and raised in the neighborhood founded by Porter’s same ancestors -- Queenstown in Severn, MD -- Joni Floyd has been working in the cultural heritage field for nearly the same amount of time, although she and Porter never met until 2019. In her current role as Curator of Maryland and Historical Collections at the University of Maryland, Floyd specializes in community-based archival interventions (CBAI). This approach has the potential to ground the vision generated by Porter and the other descendant groups connected to White Marsh. This article serves as a blueprint for applying the CBAI approach to the descendant network. It will also offer strategies and insights gained from establishing trust and building capacity in the planning of a heritage project
Letter from the Guest Editors
No full textWe the guest editors welcome readers to the special issue of VRA Bulletin, “The Root of Things: Grounding the Digital Humanities in an Increasingly Groundless World.” In this issue, we seek to think about what the digital humanities mean in a world that is becoming increasingly digital while also less humane. As we noted in the call for proposals, “This issue seeks to tackle how we, as digital humanists, archivists, librarians, and otherwise find solid ground to work from as we face an onslaught of precarity exacerbated by systemic injustice.
Toward a Decolonial Archival Praxis: Digitizing the Lloyd Best Archive in Trinidad and Tobago
No full textThis article explores the implementation of a decolonial archival praxis through the digitization of the Lloyd Best Archive in Trinidad and Tobago. Traditional archival practices, rooted in colonial attitudes, have historically marginalized indigenous knowledge systems and narratives. Through a post-custodial approach, this project challenges the colonial structure inherent in archival practices by prioritizing collaboration with local communities and empowering them to maintain control over their own stories.
Drawing on concepts of epistemic sovereignty and coloniality, the article examines the limitations of traditional archival theory and practice, which often exclude marginalized voices and perpetuate dominant narratives. By shifting towards a post-custodial model, which involves partnering with local organizations and communities, the project aims to decolonize the archive and reclaim agency for those whose stories have been historically marginalized.
The partnership between Trinity College and the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean exemplifies a new approach to archival digitization, one that prioritizes cultural context and community involvement. By providing resources, training, and support, Trinity College enables the local team to digitize and describe their own materials, ensuring that the archive remains rooted in its cultural origins.
Utilizing platforms like JSTOR Forum facilitates the preservation and accessibility of digitized materials while also offering opportunities for collaboration and feedback. The integration of culturally relevant metadata, such as the term "Trinbagonian," underscores a commitment to representing diverse perspectives within the archive.
Overall, the digitization of the Lloyd Best Archive serves as a model for decolonial archival praxis, enriching our understanding of Caribbean history and culture while advancing equitable and inclusive archival practices worldwide. By centering marginalized voices, initiatives like this work towards a future where epistemic sovereignty is recognized and respected, and where archives serve as instruments of empowerment and social justice
Looking Back, Looking Forward: 50 Years of the Visual Resources Association Bulletin
No full textIn 50 years of publication, the Visual Resources Association Bulletin (VRAB) has documented and preserved the history of the association and the triumphs, struggles, and experiments of visual resources professionals worldwide. This article traces the history of the VRAB through transition points, charting editors, name changes, and topical columns that provide glimpses into the concerns and unique knowledge of the profession. As we look back at the milestones, and more importantly the people, that got us to the current iteration of the VRAB, we also look forward to the next phases of the journal.  
Capturing the Hidden Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico: Centennial Documentation Projects and Programs Honoring the Mother Road, Its People, and Stories
No full textFrom southern Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier, the historic U.S. highway Route 66 captures the imagination of travelers and dreamers. The “Mother Road” as it was nicknamed during its heyday (1926-1985), represents an upbeat spirit through its colorful streetscapes highlighting neon signs, diners, drive-ins, courtyard motels, and whimsical road art. Revealing the full story of Route 66 as a symbol of America itself, however, is richer and more varied than even its vibrant material culture might suggest. The road and the people who lived, worked, played, and traveled on it – and continue to do so – tell a profound story.
Ahead of the centennial of Route 66 in 2026, several regional and national initiatives have developed to expand the highway’s narrative. The array of endeavors, many originating in New Mexico where the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is headquartered, are bringing renewed life to the old road. Through hands-on preservation programs, research collaboratives, photographic surveys, and digital story-mapping tools based in public agencies, universities, libraries, archives, and museums, projects are harnessing the story-telling possibilities of the road as a cultural landscape of grand and complicated significance. Leveraging the momentum of the upcoming 100th anniversary, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, Research Route 66, Hispanic Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Route 66 Photographic Survey, Route 66 Connected, and the Hidden Legacies of Route 66 in New Mexico are working together with a shared vision for the future of a historic byway.  
Fiscal Year 2023 Visual Resources Association Treasurer's Report
No full textThis article contains the Visual Resource Association (VRA) Annual Treasurer's Report originally given at the VRA’s Mid-Year Business Meeting on March 22, 2024. The report summarizes the end-of-fiscal-year finances for 2023
“Members Helping Members” – The VRA Travel Awards Program
No full textBeginning in 1993, the Visual Resources Association’s Travel Awards program has provided financial support to hundreds of members, enabling them to attend and participate in the Association’s annual conferences. This history follows the program’s growth, from an initial gift by Luraine Tansey through fundraising efforts, including the legendary Tansey Dinners/Events and the VRAffle and related skits, with a significant portion of travel awards funding coming from members themselves in support of their peers. The recent creation of the VRA’s Travel Awards Endowment is the most recent development in our cherished tradition of “members helping members.
Encouraging Flexibility in Our Approach to Copyright: An Interview with Nancy Sims
No full textIn this interview, Nancy Sims, Director of Copyright & Scholarly Communication at the University of Minnesota Libraries, delves into current topics in copyright and scholarly communication including open access, fair use, and artificial intelligence (AI). Her assured and succinct answers reveal the ways visual resources professionals can thrive within the changing legal and cultural intellectual property landscape by employing “flexible mindsets.” Sims acknowledges that the nuances within copyright law are difficult for humans to reckon with, but she finds hopeful paths forward even within the gray areas. We are all creators and users. Can that be our superpower as we advocate for equity and accessibility in our professional and personal lives
Review of "The Visual Elements – Photography: A Handbook for Communicating Science and Engineering"
No full textThis review provides an overview of The Visual Elements – Photography: A Handbook for Communicating Science and Engineering by Felice C. Frankel. A research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Frankel highlights four easily accessible tools – scanner, phone, camera, and microscope – and imparts practical and innovative advice for those who want to enhance their scientific research with captivating photos. Although intended for scientists and engineers, anyone interested in the technical aspects of photography and improving their compositional skills will benefit from Frankel’s instruction in this easy-to-use guide
2024 VRA State of the Association Address
No full textDuring the remote 2024 Spring Business Meeting of the Visual Resources Association, the VRA president highlighted the accomplishments and challenges of the Association in a State of the Association address. This article provides the transcript