Westport Museum Launches Virtual Oral History Project

Press release from the Westport History Museum:

March 23 2020

Westport Museum for History & Culture launched Westport In Focus today, an online exhibit collaboration between the museum and Westport photographer, Jerri Graham. The exhibit which will be appear on social media platforms, will allow Westporters from all walks of life to tell their own stories about living in the Connecticut town considered “ground zero” for the Corona virus epidemic in the state.

The project can be viewed on Instagram @WestportFocus and Facebook @WestportInFocus and on theMuseum’s e-newsletter with signups on the home page of Museum website westporthistory.org.

“History happens every day and all around us,” said Ramin Ganeshram, Westport Museum, Executive Director.“Sometimes that fact is more apparent than at others in our lives but this is one of those times when it is crystal clear. Our hope is that we can record history for posterity and for the knowledge of future generations.”

Graham’s brainchild, Westport in Focus marries the skill of the experienced portraitist with the curatorial andoral history expertise of the museum. The goal is to create a living history of the town’s experience as “ground zero” for Corona-Virus in Connecticut. Westporter—and those who work in Westport—are encouraged to participate and share their stories of living in this new and discomfiting reality.

"In an effort to remain connected as a community, our mission is to show our faces to our neighbors,” said JerriGraham. “We can’t forget who we are behind the closed doors during this pandemic. Partnering with WestportMuseum to create a living history to be archived for future generations will demonstrate how we survived,thrived, and maintained our humanity as a town in this unprecedented time.”

Graham is United States Navy-trained professional photographer and the creative and business force behind the popular food brand Nothin’ But granola. For twelve years she was a writer and editor, in Asia and the US. She's Lived in Westport for 13 years where she has built a business as a portraitist who captures unique aspects of her subjects. Graham’s recent exhibition Hope Starts Here 2020 raised awareness and funds for Stage 4 MetastaticBreast Cancer through a partnership with AWARE, a local nonprofit that highlights a different charity each year.

“My father always emphasized the importance of telling a story through your images,” said Graham of her dad who owned his own medical lab where she grew up in Ohio and was also a dedicated amateur photographer.“His advice resonates more than ever right now and I consider it a duty to document this critical time in our town and nation’s history.”

The virtual living history exhibit has already garnered interest from those who want to mark special occasions or life events in a meaningful way now that social gatherings are discouraged. Others feel the project gives voice to feelings and concerns that are difficult to share. In all cases, participants have noted that the project allows them to feel connected to community.

The museum intends to continue this mode of oral history well after the immediate crisis has passed.“Our intent is that this project will be the foundation of the museum’s new approach to the medium of oral history—one that uses visual storytelling and social media platforms to make an immediate connection with others now and tomorrow,” said Ganeshram

This press release was produced by the Westport History Museum. The views expressed here are the author’s own.