Hindsight 2020 Project

Hindsight 2020

The hugely significant events of 2020 will be with us for years to come. By March of 2020, history was made daily, right before our eyes, and Hindsight 2020 is our attempt to capture it through rapid response collecting. Hindsight 2020 will be a community collecting initiative to document the events of 2020 and beyond, and their impact on our local community. From a global COVID-19 pandemic that affected every facet of life, to the murder of George Floyd and expansion of the Black Lives Matter movement, to an election unlike any other, there are many local stories to collect, preserve, and share.

The Dubuque County Historical Society is dedicated to collecting around major moments in recent history and preserving items that may be difficult to collect in the future - by asking you, our community, to help.

Rather than focusing on the prominent and the powerful, Hindsight 2020 will highlight the diverse stories and experiences of everyday people of the greater Dubuque area.

Why should we collect these materials?

History forms in every single moment and in every individual. The past shapes our present, just as our present shapes the future. Understanding how we fit into our world requires a lot of personal work, but museums can help people on that journey.

It may seem like an oxymoron for a historical society to collect archival materials and artifacts from current events, but our present will be the past for future generations. In order for our children and their children to understand what it was like to live through the year 2020, we have a responsibility to collect the local stories to illuminate, illustrate, and preserve these pivotal moments.

What do we want?

We are seeking photographs, physical items, documents, video and other materials that connect to the following themes. The list provided here is intended to help spur ideas for submissions. The collection of items is not limited to this list.

Themes:

Early pandemic
Ongoing pandemic
Vaccination stage, new normal
George Floyd
Racial tension, killings, protests
2020 Election, Jan 2021 Capitol riots
Supply shortages
Worker Shortages
Layoffs, stimulus/unemployment benefits

COVID-19 Pandemic

Government /politics
CDC guidelines, Local vs. state vs. national directives
Unemployment
Economic stimulus
Reopening plan
General societal responses to directives (and how these have evolved over time), such as: washing hands, social distancing, staying home/quarantining, disinfecting surfaces, wearing masks.
Social distancing signs from local places
Limited capacity in public places
Protective shields between workers and customers
Handmade masks
Work from home
Health care
PPE, signs, letters, telemedicine, testing kits, and sites
Vaccine development and implementation
Nursing homes and other care facilities
Thanking/recognizing first responders – yard signs
Field hospitals (only reached the planning stages in Dubuque)
Manufacturing
Local companies repurposed for pandemic related production
Concept of essential workers, workers’ rights
Food
Supply chain, food to first responders/elderly/needy,
Grocery stores – limited stock, stockpiling, special time to shop for high-risk populations
Restaurants and bars
More takeout and delivery of food, modified takeout menus
Other consumer products (nonfood) supply chain
Toilet paper, hand sanitizer
Increase in online shopping
Advertisements or signage geared toward dealing with pandemic – delivery services, curbside pickup, shortages of supplies, etc.
Technology
Data tracking in public health
Vast increase in use of technology and teleworking tool
Entertainment
Closed venues – theaters, casinos, etc.
Virtual concerts
Shows as fundraisers
Sports
Kids/school sports
Rec sports
Professional sports (Fighting Saints, MLB)
Transportation/Travel
Air travel/Dubuque airport
Local bus service
Gas usage, less commuting
Hotels, tourism
Environmental impact
Less pollution due to less travel
More PPE in landfills and found as litter
Education
Local K-16 schools canceled school after spring break 2020
Remote and hybrid school in 2020-2021, K-16
Home lesson plans or daily school-at-home schedules
Changes to prom, graduation, rites of passage
Child care
New or different adaptations for holidays and family traditions
Increase in outdoor activities
Camping, hiking, boating, gardening
Gathering outdoors with people, including distancing, masks instead of inside
Online socializing – “game night in” on Zoom, online book clubs
Self-care adaptations – outdoor yoga or meditation, leading Zoom exercise classes from your backyard
More people tackling home projects, effect on supply chain for building materials.
Learning new hobbies or going back to old hobbies (crafting, doing puzzles, watching more tv or movies at home, etc) - Art or crafts created during quarantine/safer-at-home time.
Religion
Online worship
Drive through worship
Changes in religious education
Changes to weddings, funerals, first communion, confirmation, sacraments

Racial Tensions

Protest items such as signs
BLM masks or other items supporting the Black community.
Photographs of local events surrounding BLM or equity.
Signs or other items supporting “All Lives Matter,” “Blue Lives Matter,” “We Back the Badge,” etc.
Artwork created in response to recent racial tensions.
Materials related to the “Say Their Names” initiative

Election and Politics

Political signs and campaign memorabilia from the election, particularly presidential election items with local ties, focused on “out of the ordinary” aspects of the 2020 election.
Local connections to the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol
Effect of the pandemic on voting
Experience of watching the debates.
Effect of no campaign rallies
Iowa caucus experience in 2020
Local political events i.e. MAGA boat parade in the river
President Trump’s rally in Dubuque

How to Submit Items for Consideration

To submit items for consideration, simply complete the following form. For questions, contact Kristin Glomstad at kglomstad@rivermuseum.com or 563-557-9545 x310.