I’m always fascinated when I see historical markers in everyday places.
Like the line drawn on a hallway wall at the Ansonia Senior Center that marks the height of the Naugatuck River’s waters in August 1955.
Or an old photograph hanging in a popular business, showing the building the way it was 70 years ago.
It’s exciting to see reminders of the past, to hear stories of the way our world used to be, and to compare photos of then to now.
It’s part of the reason I’m researching the Flood of 1955 for my Master’s Thesis: I want to gather the stories and mementos in a digital format for future generations.
It turns out I’m not the only one.
The Ansonia High School Human Relations Club is embarking on a similar project, in which students hope to gather photographs and memories from Ansonia residents and present them in a digital format.
The goal: share old stories in new ways.
Nick Collicelli, the club’s advisor, first told me about the project this summer, when I wrote an article about the Human Relations Club “Ice Cream Social” at the Ansonia Senior Center.
The club has been meeting with senior citizens for the past five years to swap stories and learn from each other.
Collicelli said the interactions help Ansonia students learn about history — like what the Great Depression was like — in different ways.
The result was that students developed a quiet fascination with the history of their town.
Karalyn Meineke, a sophomore who is the Human Relations Club president, said she found out that Ansonia used to have 15 different mens shops in the downtown.
“That’s really shocking,” Meineke said in August during the Ice Cream Social event.
That reaction prompted Collicelli to wonder: Could more people benefit from these stories? Is there a way to package the photos and stories in a digital format in order to reach the younger generation?
That’s where I came in
Collicelli asked me to help the students brainstorm ways they can compile the information.
He knew about my flood project, and wondered if there was any overlap. He also thought I might know of some tools to use for gathering the information online, and presenting it to the public. (I do: Click here to see some examples. Or view the Flickr gallery below of the Flood of 1955, photos courtesy of Joseph Brady in Ansonia.)
So last week I met with a group of four Human Relations Club members: President Karalyn Meineke, Hatice Bolat, Neslihan Bolat and Amber Thomson.
Collicelli and his wife, Chris Collicelli were at the meeting as well.
It was great to see a group of high school students interested in learning about their city’s past, and preserving that past for their peers.
The group has started collecting stories from senior citizens during their inter-generational program. They took surveys, asking questions about Ansonia’s Main Street, and how people used to use it.
At the Ansonia Harvest Festival, more residents filled out surveys, giving short descriptions of their favorite stores and their love of downtown Ansonia.
Here’s Where You Come In
Now, the group wants to take the project to the next level.
The Human Relations Club is gathering old photos of Ansonia to compile into online galleries. They are asking for residents to share their photos with the club.
The group will return all photos submitted, once they are scanned into a computer. They are happy to include short stories and memories with the photos, so the submissions can include a note about what’s in the photos and what it means to the person who submitted it.
To participate, send your photos and stories to:
Nick Collicelli
10 Lindgren Terrace
Ansonia, CT 06418
If you already have old scanned photos, you can e‑mail them to Collicelli at nickhrc@sbcglobal.net.
Include information on how to contact you, and how to return your photos or submissions.
If possible, identify the people in the photos, and the location and address where the photos were taken.
Jodie Mozdzer is a staff writer with the Valley Indy and a graduate student at Quinnipiac University.
