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Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Karl Larson's unique knowledge and skills are vital to photo description work in the State Archives.

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Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Fund the work of Raleigh's Photo History Detective

Karl Larson's unique knowledge and skills are vital to photo description work in the State Archives.

Karl Larson's unique knowledge and skills are vital to photo description work in the State Archives.

Karl Larson's unique knowledge and skills are vital to photo description work in the State Archives.

Karl Larson's unique knowledge and skills are vital to photo description work in the State Archives.

Kimberly Andersen
Kimberly Andersen
Kimberly Andersen
Kimberly Andersen
1 Campaign |
Raleigh, United States
$9,084 USD 120 backers
100% of $9,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Overview
The State Archives of North Carolina collects photographs as an important and popular part of the Archives' mission. Proper identification is key to their accessibility and usefulness. A significant number of the photographs in our collections are only marginally labeled, and some are completely unknown. We are raising money to fund the work of local historian Karl Larson, who is instrumental in our researching and identifying the unidentified photographs in our holdings.

Story

https://www.flickr.com/photos/north-carolina-state-archives/32799903222/

This photo languished at the State Archives of North Carolina for more than 40 years described only as “Unidentified Prison.”  The photographer who made the copy, Albert Barden, surely knew what this image was, but the details were lost to time, and when the photo came to the state with 10,000+ others upon Barden’s death in 1953, only a vague notion of what it might depict remained.  And in this case, that vague notion was way off base.  This image was at best useless and at worst totally misleading until it was seen by Karl Larson and recognized as the old North Carolina Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind that was on Caswell Square in Raleigh.  Karl went on to research the image and learned in short order that it was from 1875 because it had been published and was dated in the 1915 ‘Seventieth Anniversary Exercises of the State School for the Blind and Deaf.’ With this definitive description, the picture went from being an incorrectly labeled image, essentially a false record, to being a documented primary source, a wealth of accurate usable data.

This is but one example out of hundreds illustrating the value of the work that Karl does for the state of North Carolina.  Karl is a Raleigh native son, a lifelong resident of the city, and an expert on the history of it, especially Raleigh’s built environment.  He has a unique knowledge base that is perfectly suited to identifying unidentified photos in two of the largest and most valuable collections here in the State Archives—the Albert Barden Photo Collection and The News & Observer (N&O) Negatives.  Both of these collections are heavily populated with Raleigh and Raleigh-related images but arrived to the State Archives with sparse or nonexistent descriptions.  Karl has been working on these projects part-time for several years and made remarkable progress.  His skill set enables him to write more and better catalog records for Raleigh-specific collection material than anyone else.  He is uniquely qualified to do what he does for us.

 

What We Need 

There is no appropriated funding for Karl’s work.  For many months he has graciously continued to work as a volunteer; however, that is not a sustainable situation long-term for him or for us.  The Friends of the Archives, the State Archives of North Carolina's support foundation, is seeking to raise $9,000, which will fund his position for an entire year!  Yes—we are aware what a bargain this is!  No one else can do what Karl does for us at any price.

So please help us keep Karl Larson on the job another year.  Do it for yourself, for your children, and for everyone who cares about Raleigh’s history and the history of the great state of North Carolina.

 

The Impact

Karl’s work directly benefits researchers.  Every new identification he makes allows us to describe and index a previously uncataloged photo and share that information online with the world.  Every bit of research AV Materials staff does, as a result of Karl’s being on board, allows more information to be uncovered and shared with the public.

Karl’s work also benefits the agency.  The Barden Photo Collection and the N&O Negatives are part of Audiovisual Materials (http://archives.ncdcr.gov/Public/Collections/Non-Government/Audiovisual-Materials).  AV Materials includes motion picture film, audio recordings, and more than 200 other photograph collections.  These collections are processed, cataloged, indexed, and referenced for the public by just two people—Kim Andersen and Ian Dunn.  Without Karl on the job, there is precious little existing staff time to devote to the item-level research and tagging necessary to make the heretofore unidentified photos discoverable via social media and the Web. 

In addition to being essential to the success of our online presence, Karl’s being part of our team yields multiple tangible and intangible positives for the entire institution.  He represents the State Archives in outstanding fashion giving his “Lost Raleigh” presentation at the City of Raleigh Museum and elsewhere, promoting the use of our photo collections in his “Goodnight Raleigh” blog http://goodnightraleigh.com/ and other online venues, serving on the board of the Wake County Historical Society, and in general being a gifted ambassador for the State Archives in the local history community.  His connections have greatly enhanced collection development efforts and outreach to new audiences as well.

 

Other Ways You Can Help

If you’re not able to contribute financially but would still like to help, please spread the word about our campaign!  You can use Indiegogo’s sharing tools to let people know on social media or share via e-mail. Every little bit helps!

 

Contact Us With Any Questions!

Kim Andersen

Audiovisual Materials Archivist

State Archives of North Carolina

109 East Jones St. |  4614 MSC  |  Raleigh, North Carolina  27699-4614

kim.andersen@ncdcr.gov

 

Hints and FAQs

If you would like to support this cause but do not feel comfortable contributing online, the Friends of the Archives (FOA) is happy to accept personal checks and cash!  A check made payable to the FOA may be sent via US Mail to:

Friends of the Archives

4614 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC  27699

ATTN: IndieGoGo

 

  • The FOA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  You will be sent a receipt for any contribution, and cash donations are gladly accepted in person by any member of the State Archives staff.
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Choose your Perk

E-mail thank you

$20 USD
An e-mail thanking you for your contribution will be sent to all donors of any amount.
Included Items
  • E-mail thank you note.
Estimated Shipping
December 2017
2 claimed
DVD Birth of a Colony

DVD Birth of a Colony

$50 USD
You will receive a DVD copy of the UNC-TV production 'Birth of a Colony: North Carolina.' This program highlights the beginnings of what is now the State of North Carolina from the years when thousands of Native-Americans prospered through the "Lost Colony" and early colonial development and growth in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Included Items
  • DVD The Birth of a Colony
Estimated Shipping
December 2017
8 out of 200 of claimed
Ships worldwide.
Print from Barden Collection

Print from Barden Collection

$100 USD
An 8"x10" black and white print of one of the beautiful historic photographs in our Albert Barden Collection will be sent to you. The print, suitable for framing, will be chosen for you by Karl Larson and a full ID, date, and description of the photo will be included with your print.
Included Items
  • Barden Collection print
Estimated Shipping
December 2017
7 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Barden Collection Prints

Barden Collection Prints

$200 USD
You will be sent an 8"x10" print from the Barden Collection chosen for you by Karl Larson AND you will get to choose a photo from the Barden Collection - https://www.flickr.com/photos/north-carolina-state-archives/albums/72157681748351705 - and an 8"x10" print of it will be sent to you as well along with IDs and descriptions for both photos.
Included Items
  • Barden Collection print
  • Select Barden Collection Print
Estimated Shipping
December 2017
3 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Tour of Historic Raleigh

Tour of Historic Raleigh

$1,000 USD
Karl Larson will personally conduct a walking tour of Historic Downtown Raleigh for you and up to ten friends. Experience first hand Karl's encyclopedic knowledge of Raleigh's built environment and Raleigh's famous and infamous citizens. Your tour can be tailored to your specific interests upon request.
Included Items
  • Tour Historic Downtown Raleigh
Estimated Shipping
December 2017
1 claimed

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