Collecting Covid-19

aagmCovid19Collections-main

We are appealing to city residents to help curators build a new collection that shows how our everyday lives have changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Before we all have the ultimate post-lockdown clear out, we are asking Aberdeen city residents to consider sharing objects or images that sum up their experiences to help build the Covid-19 collection. Curators are looking for objects, documents and photos that show how the global pandemic has impacted on how we live, work, study and socialise. 

It may not seem immediately obvious that an everyday item is significant. Here are some questions to help: 

  • Has your working life changed? Do you have an item that encapsulates that? 
  • Do you have a lockdown home improvement project that you can share with us? 
  • Has your relationship with nature and the outdoors changed? Do you have photos of your garden or gardening tools you used to grow your own food? 
  • Do you have any end results from a new skill you have been working on during lockdown, for example, knitting projects? 
  • Did you take any photographs on your daily exercise, maybe of the empty city centre?  
  • Have you been able to support businesses or individuals in your local community? Can you tell us about your experience? 
  • How has lockdown affected your relationships with friends, loved ones and even pets? 
  • Have you adapted to be able to practice your faith? 

Calling Aberdeen based businesses, retail and charities…

Has Covid-19 affected the business, shop or charity you work for? How have you had to adapt and innovate to continue to operate over the last 12 months? Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums is searching for objects that will help us document your efforts, inventiveness, and resilience.

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease over the coming weeks, you may be able to take down signage, remove screens and pack away objects and accessories that have become a staple part of lockdown life. But before you consign these social history treasures to bins and skips please give us the option to collect.

How to get in touch: 

To suggest an object for the collection please email aagmcurators@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

Tell the curators what the item or photograph is and what it means to you, including an image if possible. Please do not bring them to Aberdeen Art Gallery. As restrictions are still in place the Gallery is unable to take in physical donations at present and is asking donors to hold on to them for the time being. People will be contacted and advised when they can bring items in.

Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives are collecting diaries of people’s experience of the pandemic, in both hard copy and digital formats. More information about this project can be found here: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/Covid-19-Diary-Deposit-Guidance.pdf 

The Archives team can be contacted at archives@aberdeencity.gov.uk