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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterWilliam & Mary Special Collections Research Center staff
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not William & Mary Libraries.
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Documenting Life During COVID-19 collection, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
Digital materials submitted by individuals to William & Mary Libraries website. Each submitter was required to complete the following Submission Agreement:
"I hereby certify that I created, and own the copyright in, the submitted material. While I will continue to retain my copyright, I hereby grant the William & Mary Libraries a license to add the material to its archival collections and preserve it for future generations of students, scholars, and researchers. I give the Libraries permission:
to organize the materials according to accepted archival principles; to create metadata, finding aids, and full-text search interfaces required for the preservation and discovery of the materials; to make the materials accessible to researchers and staff; and to use the materials in exhibits and displays, both physical and online. I agree that William & Mary Libraries may make this material available online under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which will allow others to share and adapt the material, as long as I am given appropriate credit.
I accept the above submission agreement."
Physical materials donated separately with Deed of Gift filed under donor name.
Materials were processed and described using the submitter's original language from the William & Mary Libraries submission site.
Accessions to this collection are titled by each individual submitter's first and last name. If there are multiple submissions from the same person, they are included as files or items within the submitters name.
Future accruals expected.
Collection includes materials collected from members of the William & Mary and the greater Williamsburg community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the William & Mary Libraries submission site: "As we all adjust to the new realities imposed by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, William & Mary Libraries invite all members of the William & Mary and greater Williamsburg community to add their voices to the Special Collections. We welcome submissions of all forms of personal reflections to add to the physical and digital archives in the Special Collections Research Center in Swem Library. Your experience is just that – yours – and how you record it is up to you! Feel free to capture your memories in whatever way you choose, and share and reflect on any part of your experience. Ideas include but are not limited to:
Prose Poetry Drawing Scrapbooking Photography Audio/video Other accounts of day-to-day life
Your memories matter, and your experiences are an important part of our shared history. As part of the records preserved in the Special Collections, your materials will be an accessible part of the historic record and contribute to research for years to come."
Collection includes social media posts, music recitals, podcasts, video recordings, digital photographs, self-portraiture, original music compositions, poetry, personal journal entries, and other materials created by members of the William & Mary and the greater Williamsburg community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
Materials are arranged by name of the submitter. Each submitter has their own series within this collection. Navigate to the individual files within each series to access materials.
Most materials are born-digital. Some materials require contacting the SCRC for access.
A poem, titled "This Thing We Bear," by Kimberly Ankney of Toano, Virginia. Ankney submitted the poem with the following description: "This is a poem I wrote to my children to remember the COVID-19 quarantine. I have been attempting to balance full-time work with full-time parenting, and juggling feelings about the pandemic. Written in Toano, VA 2020."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
One photo montage video created and uploaded by Marna Ashburn, William & Mary Class of 1985 and Williamsburg, Virginia community member. Ashburn described the video submission: "This is a video montage of photos I took around Williamsburg during COVID-19 in an attempt to get people to look at the positive, uplifting things that were taking place during the pandemic. There are also photographs from the public domain and some taken by friends. All photographs are used with permission. I have a podcast and produced this video under the auspices of my podcast, Ethics and Etiquette, www.EthicsandEtiquette.com."
Individual items within this series include Ashburn's video, originally uploaded to YouTube, and a personal photograph of Ashburn included with the submission.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Before submitter supplied the video file, the YouTube video was originally captured using Webrecorder/Conifer. The capture session has now been deleted but the capture (.WARC file) was first saved to the accession's folder (2020108) on the Synology Box, along with the actual video file. Y:/ActiveStorage/AccessionsBacklog/2020108
One photo montage video, titled "Something to Smile About Under the Circumstances. Forty things to lift your spirits during lockdown.", created by Marna Ashburn and uploaded to YouTube on May 3, 2020. Ashburn, member of the William & Mary class of 1985 and Williamsburg, Virginia community member, described the video submission: "This is a video montage of photos I took around Williamsburg during COVID-19 in an attempt to get people to look at the positive, uplifting things that were taking place during the pandemic. There are also photographs from the public domain and some taken by friends. All photographs are used with permission. I have a podcast and produced this video under the auspices of my podcast, Ethics and Etiquette, www.EthicsandEtiquette.com."
Please contact SCRC staff to access the video at this time.
One digital photograph and one personal journal entry submitted by Thomas Backus of Phoenix, Arizona. Backus provided the following description for the photograph, taken March 28, 2020: "Picture taken on March 28, 2020, at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, showing empty baggage claims due to Coronavirus." The journal entry, "written on May 31, 2020 in Tempe, Arizona," describes the historic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainties of what will follow.
One digital photograph, taken March 28, 2020, by Thomas Backus of Phoenix, Arizona. Backus: "Picture taken on March 28, 2020, at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, showing empty baggage claims due to Coronavirus."
Personal journal entry, written by Thomas Backus "on May 31, 2020 in Tempe, Arizona," describes the historic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainties of what will follow.
Six digital photographs submitted by Jason Betzner '19, William & Mary alum and Williamsburg community member, documenting his family's experiences with adapting to new social distancing protocols. Navigate to an individual photograph to view its title, date, and description, as provided by Betzner.
Williamsburg Historic Records Assocation (WHRA)
Digital photograph, titled "School at home," taken by Jason Betzner on March 17, 2020 (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "This picture is of my daughter, Elizabeth Betzner (age 7) doing her school work at home on March 17th. She is a first grade student at Matthew Whaley. She has had a difficult time adjusting to this new reality and some days are better than others. She really wants to go back to see her friends and her teacher."
Digital photograph, titled "Bye to my classroom," taken by Jason Betzner on March 27, 2020 (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "I took this picture of my classroom at Warhill High School on Marcy 27th. We were allowed back in our rooms for 15 minutes to get needed teaching materials for virtual learning. The room was exactly as I left it on March 13th when schools closed down for the rest of the year."
Digital photograph, titled "Home haircut," taken by Jason Betzner on April 11, 2020 (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "After a month of social distancing, my wife gave me a home haircut on April 11. She did a fairly good job!"
Digital photograph, titled "House closing," taken by Jason Betzner on April 28, 2020 (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "My family had been searching for a new home since January. We closed on the purchase of our house on April 28th. At the Title company, we had to wear masks and sign all of the papers in the car. It was stressful but we did it!"
Digital photograph, titled "Letter to teacher," taken by Jason Betzner (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "My daughter has been writing notes back and forth to her first grade teacher at Matthew Whaley. This is one of her letters describing what she's been doing at home."
Digital photograph, titled "Flyover," taken by Jason Betzner on May 22, 2020 (Williamsburg, Virginia). Betzner: "An F-22 and two P-51s flew over Williamsburg's hospitals on May 22nd to support healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic."
Ten digital photographs submitted by Michele Bingle-Graffius, community member of Williamsburg, Virginia. Bingle-Graffius provided the following description with the submission: "A brief synopsis of my life during Covid. At the onset, I bordered on panic and deep dread. I felt helpless and overwhelmed. After about two weeks I became increasing helpless and needed an outlet. I began sewing face masks. I ran out of supplies; first elastic, then shoe laces that I was using as a substitute for elastic. Supplies continued to dwindle and I had made enough masks for our family, my husband and his coworkers (all of whom needed to continue to go into work during the shut-down) and my extended family. The weather began to break and get warmer. We spent more time outside working within our yard. If it were not for financial concerns and a need to conserve money in case my husband would loss income, we would have worked on remodeling the bathroom. Instead, we worked on landscaping and beautifying the yard. Our yard has been quite neglected for years before we bought the property last year and does need a ton of work. With the US death toll rising steadily, I started to focus on the life around me; the plants and creatures within my yard. The following represents photos all taken from my yard here in Williamsburg. Respectfully submitted, Michele Bingle-Graffius."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Poem titled "The Trouble with Trauma" by Anna Buck, member of the Williamsburg community: "I've included a poem I've written (with a cover photo) about how a current crisis can bring up past anxieties and traumas." The poem has a color cover photo of a children's feet alongside chalk drawings on brick steps.
Series also includes Buck's headshot, included with submission.
Williamsburg Historic Records Assocation (WHRA)
Screenshot of Michelle Clark video chatting with her grandmother. The image was submitted by Clark's husband, Matthew, a classical archeology major and member of William & Mary's class of 2022. Matthew Clark described the screenshot: "Michelle is my wife. She asked me to submit this photograph for your files in order to preserve this moment with her grandmother. This screenshot was taken in Virginia Beach, Virginia on April 11th, 2020. My wife, Michelle Clark, was video chatting with her grandmother, Donna Scott, who recently learned how to use a video chat app (and its filters) in order to stay connected during lockdown!"
Two digital photographs of Suzanne Cole, William & Mary English major and class of 2022, taken by her mother, Marjorie Cole. Suzanne Cole described the images: "The photo is timestamped April 8, 4:17pm. The picture shows me (Suzanne) on my back porch at home in Falls Church, Virginia. I was attending a live Zoom lecture for my GOVT 203: Introduction to Comparative Politics class." Includes a photograph of Suzanne Cole.
One digital photograph, including a passage from the Bible, taken by Laura Craig, member of the greater Williamsburg community. Craig described the photo of keys, face mask, and backpack against the backdrop of a front door: "What my new normal routine looks like before leaving my house...and the inspiration that helps me deal with fear during COVID."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Seven digital photographs of the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area and William & Mary taken by Williamsburg community member Mike Descher in spring 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also included is a time-lapse video, originally uploaded to YouTube on June 29, 2020, of the empty grounds of Colonial Williamsburg's Governor's Palace, normally a heavily trafficked historic site. Descher described the submission: "Photography taken and composed from February 20th thru June 29th 2020 during the time of the Covid 19 Pandemic."
A personal photograph of Descher, attached with the submission, is also included in this series.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Digital photograph taken by Theresa Dittamo, member of the greater Williamsburg community, of a woman using a sewing maching to make cloth face masks. Dittamo described the photograph: "WWII had Rosie the Riveter, the pandemic has 'mom, the mask maker'!"
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Two video recordings of performances by DoubleTake, an all-gender a cappella group founded at William & Mary in 1993, and one recorded Zoom conversation hosted by William & Mary Libraries with DoubleTake members discussing their experiences during the pandemic.
Colin Carmody '22, DoubleTake member and mathematics and music major, shared the performances and provided the following descriptions for each recording.
"Rivers and Roads" performance: "DoubleTake's a cappella's virtual performance of 'Rivers and Roads' by The Head and The Heart. Featuring Sebastian Radecki '22 and Ali Larkin '21 on solo, Francis Reilly '21 on aux, and Robert (Robbie) Collie '20 on Vocal Percussion. Also with Hannah Bloom '23, Colin Carmody '22, Elizabeth Flatt '20, Kyle Mahoney '23, Tori O'Connor '23, Nate Redmount '22, Caleb Streat '23, Margot Vanyan '22, Kyle Vasquez '21, Natalie Yanni '22, Stephanie Zielinski '20. Video and and Audio edited by Colin Carmody in Premiere Pro and Pro Tools. The video was uploaded to the DoubleTake Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DoubleTakeWM/videos/932296473869890/), YouTube (youtu.be/dysP1aF-L_w), Instagram(www.instagram.com/tv/B_ImIbmpiwB), and excerpts on TikTok (vm.tiktok.com/c2MCSr/ and vm.tiktok.com/cYWDUN/)."
"Bad Dreams" performance: "DoubleTake a cappella's virtual performance of Bad Dreams by Faouzia. Arranged by Francis Reilly '21. Soloist Natalie Yanni '22. Vocal Percussion by Nate Redmount '22. Video and Audio edited by Colin Carmody '22. Members Featured: Hannah Bloom '23 Colin Carmody '23 Robbie Collie '20 Elizabeth Flatt '20 Ali Larkin '21 Kyle Mahoney '23 Sebastian Radecki '22 Nate Redmount '22 Francis Reilly '21 Caleb Streat '23 Tori O'Connor '23 Margot Vanyan '22 Kyle Vasquez '21 Natali Yanni '22 Stephanie Zielinski '20 About the process of creation (also applies to previous upload Rivers and Roads): Colin (Music Director and Recording Chair) sent out a computer generated backing track of the song. The group listened to it through headphones while singing their own part and filming it using whatever devices they had (phones, laptops, etc.). They sent it to Colin who sorted, synced, and edited the videos using Adobe Premiere Pro (currently free through William and Mary IT) and then imported the audio files into Avid Pro Tools (Colin's private subscription). In Pro Tools, Colin used the accusonols ERA 4 noise remover and de-clipper (as necessary). The audio was the edited, tuned, and rhythmically-aligned using Melodyne. The audio was then mixed and mastered in Pro Tools. There were a couple different different formats of the video, including a standard 4k video (attached here and used on Instagram and Facebook), a YouTube video (with an extra 20 seconds at the end to promote our upcoming EP release, Take Two), and a TikTok video (which required a complete reformat in order to comply with TikTok's vertical video format). All in all, the editing process took roughly 24 hours for each video."
The Zoom conversation was recorded on May 20, 2020 and conducted by Dean of University Libraries Carrie Cooper, Mosaic Fellow Shayna Gutcho, and University Archivist Ali Zawoyski. Conversation topics include: how members of the group created virtual performances of Rivers and Roads and other songs, their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they use Swem Library, and what they miss about campus. The following DoubleTake members participated in this conversation: Colin Carmody '22, Elizabeth Flatt '20, Kyle Mahoney '23, Tori O'Connor '23, Nate Redmount '22, Francis Reilly '21, Caleb Streat '23, and Kyle Vasquez '21.
Video recording of a rendition of "River and Roads" by DoubleTake, an all-gender a cappella group founded at William & Mary in 1993. Colin Carmody '22, DoubleTake member and mathematics and music major, shared the recording and following description.
Carmody: "DoubleTake's a cappella's virtual performance of 'Rivers and Roads' by The Head and The Heart. Featuring Sebastian Radecki '22 and Ali Larkin '21 on solo, Francis Reilly '21 on aux, and Robert (Robbie) Collie '20 on Vocal Percussion. Also with Hannah Bloom '23, Colin Carmody '22, Elizabeth Flatt '20, Kyle Mahoney '23, Tori O'Connor '23, Nate Redmount '22, Caleb Streat '23, Margot Vanyan '22, Kyle Vasquez '21, Natalie Yanni '22, Stephanie Zielinski '20. Video and and Audio edited by Colin Carmody in Premiere Pro and Pro Tools. The video was uploaded to the DoubleTake Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DoubleTakeWM/videos/932296473869890/), YouTube (youtu.be/dysP1aF-L_w), Instagram(www.instagram.com/tv/B_ImIbmpiwB), and excerpts on TikTok (vm.tiktok.com/c2MCSr/ and vm.tiktok.com/cYWDUN/)."
Video recording of a rendition of "Bad Dreams" by DoubleTake, an all-gender a cappella group founded at William & Mary in 1993. Colin Carmody '22, DoubleTake member and mathematics and music major, shared the recording and following description.
Carmody: "DoubleTake a cappella's virtual performance of Bad Dreams by Faouzia. Arranged by Francis Reilly '21. Soloist Natalie Yanni '22. Vocal Percussion by Nate Redmount '22. Video and Audio edited by Colin Carmody '22. Members Featured: Hannah Bloom '23 Colin Carmody '23 Robbie Collie '20 Elizabeth Flatt '20 Ali Larkin '21 Kyle Mahoney '23 Sebastian Radecki '22 Nate Redmount '22 Francis Reilly '21 Caleb Streat '23 Tori O'Connor '23 Margot Vanyan '22 Kyle Vasquez '21 Natali Yanni '22 Stephanie Zielinski '20 About the process of creation (also applies to previous upload Rivers and Roads): Colin (Music Director and Recording Chair) sent out a computer generated backing track of the song. The group listened to it through headphones while singing their own part and filming it using whatever devices they had (phones, laptops, etc.). They sent it to Colin who sorted, synced, and edited the videos using Adobe Premiere Pro (currently free through William and Mary IT) and then imported the audio files into Avid Pro Tools (Colin's private subscription). In Pro Tools, Colin used the accusonols ERA 4 noise remover and de-clipper (as necessary). The audio was the edited, tuned, and rhythmically-aligned using Melodyne. The audio was then mixed and mastered in Pro Tools. There were a couple different different formats of the video, including a standard 4k video (attached here and used on Instagram and Facebook), a YouTube video (with an extra 20 seconds at the end to promote our upcoming EP release, Take Two), and a TikTok video (which required a complete reformat in order to comply with TikTok's vertical video format). All in all, the editing process took roughly 24 hours for each video."
A recording of a Zoom conversation conducted by William & Mary Libraries Dean Carrie Cooper, Mosaic Fellow Shayna Gutcho, and University Archivist Ali Zawoyski with members of the William & Mary a capella group DoubleTake on May 20, 2020. Conversation topics include: how members of the group created virtual performances of Rivers and Roads and other songs, their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they use Swem Library, and what they miss about campus. The following DoubleTake members participated in this conversation: Colin Carmody '22, Elizabeth Flatt '20, Kyle Mahoney '23, Tori O'Connor '23, Nate Redmount '22, Francis Reilly '21, Caleb Streat '23, and Kyle Vasquez '21.
Six digital photographs taken by Carlee Dunn, William & Mary undergraduate, Biology major, and member of the class of 2023. Dunn took these photos around her hometown, Monroe, New Jersey, on April 8, 2020.
Dunn: "These photos were taken on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020 while I was driving around my hometown of Monroe, NJ. This date was close to the predicted height of coronavirus cases in my area. Each photo contains some sort of inspirational or meaningful sign I saw during my drive, and it meant so much to me to find people spreading so much hope in the middle of a crisis. The photo of the chalk rainbow was drawn on the side of a strip mall that faces a busy road. The 'Thank you essential workers' sign was a sign my neighbors put on their front lawn, visible from the main road near my house. The 'Be safe, stay healthy' sign was in front of a Walgreens pharmacy. The 'Yes, it's hard' sign was on the front lawn of someone's house, once again able to be seen from a main road. 'This too shall pass' was in front of an auto repair shop. The chalk sidewalk drawings, though somewhat hard to see in that photo, are drawings I did myself in front of my house."
Series includes a photograph of Dunn that was attached with the submission.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
19 digital photographs submitted by Welby Fairlie, a Williamsburg, Virginia community member and a Regional Manager at the International Student Exchange. The photographs document Fairlie and family members' experiences in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fairlie provided the following description with the submission: "Family photos to remember the time of COVID. I had planned to make our own photo album but then saw the project underway there at W&M." Photos include "empty shelves at various stores, new Air Fryer we bought and are using ALL THE TIME!, Italian exchange students getting interviewed for newspaper, Zoom meeting with some of my exchange students, entry inspection point for OBX [Outerbanks, North Carolina], a makeshift upstairs exercise room, postponed and then Virtual Monument Ave 10K with a friend, closed off soccer fields, store signage, outdoor birthday party with social distancing, my husband and son in masks at store, hand washing station at strawberry picking. Also a welcome sign in OBX [Outerbanks, North Carolina]."
Series also includes a photograph of Fairlie, included with the submission.
Poem, titled "Quarantine," written by Rebecca Fritzinger, member of the greater Williamsburg community. Fritzinger wrote, "I am submitting a poem written on April 26, 2020, describing my time in quarantine up to that point. I wrote it while I was sitting in a chair reflecting on my experiences."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Video of rap performance done by Bridget Hammond, Williamsburg community member and parent of William & Mary graduate. Hammond described the performance: "We got furloughed on 3/24/20 from the marketing dept in a resort. That night I got a bottle of wine and wrote this Rap. The next morning hungover I performed/taped this... hence the shades... everyone loved it. It's funny but true so weird the things missing on the shelves. Enjoy, Bridget Hammond, writer, director & performer."
Series also includes a photograph of Hammond, included with the submission.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Some personal information was removed from the heading of this letter.
Copy of a letter to the editor, written by Conrad P. Hedderich, retired Commander of the U.S. Navy, self-described as "a concerned viewer of WAVY TV 10 who saw the story of your [William & Mary's Documenting COVID-19] project." The letter is addressed to the editor of The Virginian-Pilot. Hedderich is a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
A personal reflection written by Diane Huebner (Arnold), a William & Mary alumna from the class of 1976. Huebner has been an elementary school teacher at Williamsburg-James City County Public School for thirty years. She writes about the unexpected transition to "Car Parades and Electronic Classrooms," the title of her reflection. Huebner described the submission: "I am a teacher in W-JCC Public Schools, and have written about my experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Class of 2023 William & Mary student Marissa Incer shared the following about her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic along with the photographs and one video she submitted: "In two photos, you will see my college friends and I maintaining virtual contact and entertaining ourselves with games (electronic Pictionary, basically) that we played through Zoom. The video was a very quick glimpse of my Spanish class during the Spring 2020 semester when we had to quickly transition into all-remote classes. The photo of me sitting at a table with my laptop was taken on August 19, 2020: the first day of the Fall 2020 semester. Finally, there is a mirror selfie of me with my mask on at a mostly empty mall."
Included in this series is a personal photograph of Incer, along with the submission.
Installments of a weekly art journal zine created by Alexandra Johnson, a William & Mary undergraduate student majoring in English and Linguistics and member of the class of 2022. Johnson wrote a description of the first installment: "A pdf of a weekly art journal zine, available in both digital and print versions. I'll submit one every week, the title is "To the Rising Tides." This submission is for the week of May 9-May 15, and is Week One."
Johnson's second installment: "The second installment of a weekly art journal zine titled "To the Rising Tides," chronicling the week of May 16-May 22, Week Two. The previous installment of this series, (with the file titles "to the rising tides 1") was submitted earlier today; the next will be submitted May 29. The photograph at the beginning of this zine is from Huntsman Lake, VA, and was taken on May 20 by the creator."
Digital version.
Digital version.
Senior recital recordings for Ayush Joshi, William & Mary undergraduate, Music and Computer Science major, and member of the class of 2020. Joshi described the submissions: "Video recordings of me performing my senior recital, that was supposed to be performed on campus on March 28th.
Full Program:
Classical Piano: Ballade no 2 by Frederic Chopin; Reverie by Claude Debussy; Danzas Argentinas by Alberto Ginastera (this one is in three different audio files, one for each piece in the collection)
Jazz: Waltz for Debby by Bill Evans (with Wayne Wu on Guitar); Butterfly by Herbie Hancock (with Avi Joshi on drums); The Yellow Jacket by Shaun Martin (with Avi Joshi on Drums)
Also, I think for the purposes of the archive I should add that I studied piano with Christine Niehaus and Harris Simon during my time here at William and Mary."
Contact SCRC staff for access to these materials.
This performance is in three different audio files, one for each piece in the collection.
Four hand-colored photographs submitted by Dan Kehlenbach, Williamsburg, Virginia community member.
Kehlenbach included the following description with the submission: "I read in W-Y Daily that the library is soliciting for art projects during the coronavirus and would like to submit some of the project I have been working on. I submitted to their website and Ms. Charlotte Burcher suggested I submit it here as well. In high school photography class I experimented with hand-coloring black and white images and I thought this would be the perfect time to get back into this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s before the advent of stable color films, artists would manually add color to black and white photographs to enhance its realism or to express a specific creative vision. For this project, I have been printing my images in warm-toned black and white and use pastels and pastel pencils to give the image some color to produce a vintage effect. Attached are four images - the first two are of Magnolia Gardens outside of Charleston, SC, the third image is of Spring Point Lighthouse in Portland, ME, and the fourth image I did as a gift to a friend. This is an image of her house that she grew up in (Barga, Italy). Thanks for the opportunity to submit this, and getting back into hand-coloring my photographs, I feel a connection to the history of photography and find joy in creating unique images to share. Art has always had a special place in my heart and soul, and these challenging times has made the pursuit of artwork and creative expression much more valuable. With much gratitude, Dan Kehlenbach Williamsburg, VA."
Series also includes a photograph of Kehlenbach that was attached to the submission.
Personal headshot included by Dan Kehlenbach with the submission.
One photograph of Magnolia Gardens, outside of Charleston, South Carolina, taken and hand-colored by Dan Kehlenbach, Williamsburg community member.
Kehlenbach provided the following description with this photograph: "In high school photography class I experimented with hand-coloring black and white images and I thought this would be the perfect time to get back into this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s before the advent of stable color films, artists would manually add color to black and white photographs to enhance its realism or to express a specific creative vision. For this project, I have been printing my images in warm-toned black and white and use pastels and pastel pencils to give the image some color to produce a vintage effect. Attached are four images - the first two are of Magnolia Gardens outside of Charleston, SC."
One photograph of Magnolia Gardens, outside of Charleston, South Carolina, taken and hand-colored by Dan Kehlenbach, Williamsburg community member.
Kehlenbach provided the following description with this photograph: "In high school photography class I experimented with hand-coloring black and white images and I thought this would be the perfect time to get back into this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s before the advent of stable color films, artists would manually add color to black and white photographs to enhance its realism or to express a specific creative vision. For this project, I have been printing my images in warm-toned black and white and use pastels and pastel pencils to give the image some color to produce a vintage effect. Attached are four images - the first two are of Magnolia Gardens outside of Charleston, SC."
One photograph of the Spring Point Lighthouse in South Portland, Maine, taken and hand-colored by Dan Kehlenbach, Williamsburg community member.
Kehlenbach provided the following description with this photograph: "In high school photography class I experimented with hand-coloring black and white images and I thought this would be the perfect time to get back into this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s before the advent of stable color films, artists would manually add color to black and white photographs to enhance its realism or to express a specific creative vision. For this project, I have been printing my images in warm-toned black and white and use pastels and pastel pencils to give the image some color to produce a vintage effect. Attached are four images...the third image is of Spring Point Lighthouse in Portland, ME."
One photograph from Barga, Italy, hand-colored by Dan Kehlenbach, Williamsburg community member.
Kehlenbach provided the following description with this submission: "In high school photography class I experimented with hand-coloring black and white images and I thought this would be the perfect time to get back into this. In the late 1800s and early 1900s before the advent of stable color films, artists would manually add color to black and white photographs to enhance its realism or to express a specific creative vision. For this project, I have been printing my images in warm-toned black and white and use pastels and pastel pencils to give the image some color to produce a vintage effect. Attached are four images...the fourth image I did as a gift to a friend. This is an image of her house that she grew up in (Barga, Italy)."
Digital photographs and video from Likhitha Kolla, member of William & Mary's class of 2018 with a major in Biology, Computational and Applied Mathematics and Statistics. Kolla described the submissions: "Isolated streets of Philadelphia, [Pennsylvania]. Here during COVID-19 quarantine. Picture is taken at the end of March 2020. Video is my spring break trip before quarantine."
Series also includes a photograph of Kolla, included with the submission.
Poem, titled "Spring 2020," written by Fran Lane, Williamsburg, Virginia community member. Lane's poem reflects on moments of everyday life and family bonds found in quarantine.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
One screenshot of a March 15, 2020 Zoom call submitted by Aubrey Lay, a William & Mary undergraduate student and member of the class of 2023. Lay described the submission: "Unlimited Zoom call time was granted to WM students by Zoom during our call; we expected to get cut off at 40 minutes, but got a pleasant surprise from this notification. This change made Zoom a more important part of social life for WM students during the second semester. Left to right: Aubrey Lay ('23), Casey Kim ('23), Rayna Yu ('20), a student from Washington University, St. Louis, and Michelle Yue ('23)."
Digital photograph take by Ivy Li, William & Mary undergraduate student and member of the class of 2023. Li described the photograph: "This photo was shot at 12:01 AM on March 21 in Tom Bradley International Terminal in LAX, Los Angeles International Airport. Almost everyone in this terminal wore a face mask, and even some people wear protective clothing and safety goggles. Although it was midnight, the airport was full of people waiting to board on planes. Most of them were going to return their home countries. Though the CDC did not encourage people to wear face masks, they still wore it to protect both themselves and others. Those whose body temperature above 37 degrees celsius was not allowed to pass safety check and board the plane."
Self-portrait by Katherine McSweeney, daughter of William & Mary alumni and member of the greater Williamsburg community. McSweeney described the artwork: "This is a self portrait, drawn in Matthews Virginia beside the local creek."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Eight digital photographs taken by Miso Park, William & Mary Biology major with a Public Health minor and member of the class of 2021. Park described the up-close photographs of tree branches and flower blossoms: "Before spring break, I borrowed a camera from Swem Media Center and because of the extended "break", I have been experimenting with the camera and I even downloaded Adobe Photoshop that the school gives access (for free!). It's been a great use of time because I always wanted to be a photographer when I was in elementary school. I never thought of buying a camera for myself but I think I might have to once I return this one (whenever school opens again!). These pictures I took while walking around in my neighborhood!" Includes a photograph of Park.
Photographs taken around Williamsburg, Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes photographs of grocery store signage and health care worker salutes.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Four digital photographs taken by Susan Riggs, William & Mary M.A. class of 1972 and William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center staff member. Riggs described the photographs: "One way entrance and exit for shoppers to Harris-Teeter Grocery Store, 6485 Centerville Rd Williamsburg, VA 23188."
Five digital photographs and two screenshots of aerial flyover to celebrate healthcare workers. Photographs were take on May 12, 2020 by Williamsburg community member, David Riggs. They were shared by Riggs' wife, Susan Riggs, who described the images: "Joint Base Langley-Eustis F-22 Raptor Demo Team, 1st Fighter Wing and 192nd Wing Flyover of Peninsula to honor health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Photos of the planes, the flyover map and screenshot from Facebook explaining the flyover. These photographs were taken at 6:42 PM on Patrick Henry Drive in Skipwith Farms as the planes were on a route from Sentara Hospital (Lightfoot) to Eastern State Hospital on May 12, 2020."
Three digital photographs of COVID-19 signage taken on May 13, 2020 by Susan Riggs, William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center staff member and M.A. class of 1972. Riggs described the images: "Photograph of sign in Food Lion, 5251 John Tyler Hwy, Williamsburg Va. taken May 13, 2020; Heroes sign in front of U. S. Post Office, 5219 Monticello Ave., Williamsburg, Va. also taken May 13, 2020."
Poem, titled "Transitory Trees and Tip Toe Tentacles," written by Ana S. of Oakland, California: "A reflective poem written in response to the isolation, uncertainty, and yearning for normalcy during COVID. Written in Oakland, CA on May 11, 2020 by Ana S. who is queer, genderfluid, and disabled."
Donor contacted us 5/12/2022 and requested that their last name and headshot be removed from their submission for greater privacy.
Poem, titled "Transitory Trees and Tip Toe Tentacles," written by Ana S., community member: "A reflective poem written in response to the isolation, uncertainty, and yearning for normalcy during COVID. Written in Oakland, CA on May 11, 2020 by Ana S. who is queer, genderfluid, and disabled."
Three digital photographs taken by Rochelle Seitz, research professor in the Biological Sciences department at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). She described the four photos: "Photos of marine science research field deployment of gear for a graduate student's thesis research. Field work was done in Timberneck Creek, York River, on 4/14/20, while wearing face coverings and staying 6-ft apart."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Digital photograph of Rochelle Seitz, Research Professor, Biological Science, Virginia Insitute of Marine Science
Digital photograph depicts Professor Seitz wearing a face mask and holding up a yellow research notebook. The notebook shows some pencil notations. The graduate student researcher is working in the background.
Digital photograph depics graduate student researcher wearing a blue face mask and collecting samples from the water. There is a yellow basket and a blue tub next to the student.
Digital photograph of graduate student researcher wading out into the water with a blue tub in tow. There is a wooden pier in the distance.
A personal reflection written by artist Katarina Smith. Smith described the submission: "I've written a short piece during quarantine, regarding COVID-19. I would like to submit it for the documentation project. Its title is '2020.' It was written on April 9th, 2020."
Scanned journal entries handwritten by Kelly Smith, Newport News high school teacher and member of the greater Williamsburg community. Smith described the ten-page journal: "Personal journal entries of thoughts, emotions, experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak, ranging from March 15, 2020-March 31, 2020. Bishop Knestout-- Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Richmond Kevin-- my husband Kristen-- my cousin Jenny- the principal of the school I teach at."
A social media post titled "Office sharing during the pandemic" submitted by Sarah Smith, William & Mary Athletics staff member. Smith wrote, "This bit of writing was a Facebook post created by me on the first day of the fourth week of working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
One photograph submitted by Monique Sowell, employee at Aromas Coffeehouse and Café, with credit also given to Michelle Sieling, owner of the Williamsburg, Virginia business. Sowell described the photograph: "Aromas on 431 Prince George [Street] hosted their first Open Acoustic night in lieu of open mic inside to allow our guest to enjoy some outside jams. Thursday night, June 18th 2020."
Poem written by Bly Straube, Senior Curator at the Jamestown Settlement Museum and William & Mary M.A. class of 1990. Straube wrote, "A poem about my work cubicle at the Jamestown Settlement Museum of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, where I serve as Senior Curator. This was written one-month into the Commonwealth's order to 'stay home.'"
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Zoom recording from Kenneth Tieu, William & Mary undergraduate; Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Pre-Medicine major; and member of the class of 2023. Tieu described the recording: "The file submitted is the later half of a Murder Mystery party planned during the pandemic on March 29th, 2020 recorded via Zoom. Additionally, we were also celebrating the 19th birthday of Claire Wyszynski as well. Everyone was in character and emails were sent to each individual person explaining the current scenario and secrets of their character that can be used to determine who is the murderer. This people involved are: Kenneth Tieu, Carlee Dunn, Claire Wyszynski, Bezawit Kentiba, Lily Weisert, Maya Deutchman, Avery Bradley, Kenya Lopez, Abigail Gutleben, Lucy Abell, and Tara Vasanth."
Podcast series, digital video, and poem written by Tara Vasanth, William & Mary Art History major with emphasis on Built Environment, and member of the class of 2023. Vasanth described the submissions: "To celebrate a wonderful freshman year and to remember all of the fun times I spent with my amazing hall mates, I made an illustrated, limericky video for my hall (Spotswood, Second Lower Floor). Since we all live in the Botetourt complex, we proudly call ourselves the "Botehotties." I wanted to create a story-telling video (similar to the ones you see on Reading Rainbow) that captured the wonderful experiences and uniqueness of our special dorm. It was a great distraction from exam preparation, and this project definitely took precedence over my studying."
Podcasts were co-created with Vasanth's friend, Maddy: "Inspired by the fascinating and funny conversations my friend Maddy and I had prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we decided to create a quirky podcast that revisited some of the things we talked about during the school year. Despite my minimal podcast knowledge and experience, I was keen to co-create a podcast that allowed me to continue to connect with Maddy and my hall mates. In the show, we are committed to wacky humor and giving a ridiculous amount of attention to trivial, nonsensical, irrelevant aspects of daily living. Hence the name, Foofaraw. Warning: some of the conversations you will hear are parallel to those that take place in a dorm room between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. I am so happy that I am a part of this ongoing project, and am very thankful to Maddy, our small base of listeners, and to the College for making this show possible."
Also included in this series is a personal photograph of Vasanth, included with the submission.
Poem, "Kenopsia," written by Williamsburg community member, Jenny Vu. Vu described the text: "This is a poem about how COVID-19 has affected society in America and how it has affected myself in Virginia as well. Most of the events (Easter, school cancelation, airports closing, and etc.) described in this poem have taken place from March 2020 to present." Vu specifically mentions prejudice against Asian peoples and the increasing backlash against quarantine protocols.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Photographs by William & Mary student Class of 2023 Sarah Walker: "Long exposure photographs of hands using a Canon T3 DSLR on manual mode. One hand is mine and the other is Sally Calengor, taken using window light and a white sheet on October 6,2020 in DuPont Hall. While movement of the hands is obvious, it is ambiguous as to whether they are coming together or pulling apart. One hand looks to be reaching to the other in need of support but they are not able to touch. I think many have felt the loss of physical affection throughout the pandemic, along with the loneliness and frustration it brings. We are all craving the day when we will be able to high-five, hold hands, and hug without fear of spreading a deadly virus."
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Two digital photographs submitted by Kate Weis, a William & Mary undergraduate student majoring in Psychological Sciences and Linguistics, and a member of the class of 2021. One photograph was taken by Weis and the other was taken by friend Julia Bristow. Weis provided the following description of the photographs: "These are pictures from my one of my favorite quarantine activities -- movie night. My friends and I have been able to stay connected through Netflix party, and some of us opted to build forts at home so we could enhance the movie viewing experience even more!"
Series also includes a personal photograph of Weis, included with the submission.
Original music, art, and promotional material by recording artist Lionel White, known professionally as Luciano Illuminati. White, a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, described the submissions: "I am a rock musician and songwriter from Virginia Beach, VA. I am releasing an album called Terra Vision 2020 on June 11, 2020 that is partly inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic. It includes the song Limbo King, which expresses a feeling of isolation and the longing to escape from being in limbo. Another song on the album is called Pandemic. It is an instrumental that conveys the feeling of our current times without words. I would be honored to have these songs featured at your library. For more info: www.LucianoIlluminati.com"
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
A Spotify playlist called Songs for Quarantine created by Class of 2022 undergraduate student Nick Wright. Included in this series is a personal photograph of Nick Wright from his submission.
Williamsburg Historic Records Association (WHRA)
Content creator submitted URL for inclusion in Digital Archive; Accessioner took screenshots of playlist for long-term access.
6 items, distributed by William & Mary to students, faculty and staff in the summer of 2020: 1 gray mesh zippered bag containing: 1 flyer promoting the Healthy Together campus initiative; 2 green cloth reusable face masks; 1 bottle of hand sanitizer; and 1 packet of alcohol wipes.
A collection of poems from Covid 19, month by month from March 2020 to February of 2021 written by William & Mary student Class of 2024 Rachael Lee. Lee submitted a previous collection of poetry that she asked not be made public. With that submission, she provided the following description which also describes many of themes of this submission: "Poetry created during the Covid19 Pandemic, most of them covering ideas of coming of age in an era of death, and the difficulty connecting with others from behind a mask. Isolation, death, and a ruining of youth are central themes in these poems."
One image from Aubrey Lay, Class of 2023, of Zooming into class. This is his description: "During a Fall 2021 resurgence of COVID-19 due to the Delta Variant, many students needed to return to virtual modalities for public health reasons. In this image, I am seen with classmate Lucia Eovino (Class of 2023) Zooming into our Chinese class."
1 website with 11 entries of individuals that Jamie Holt, Class of 2022, photographed and interviewed for a class project. She included the following description: "This is an independent study project from my junior year interviewing and photographing, both in person and virtually, students about their COVID-19 experiences. This was produced in the fall of 2020."
Artifacts and ephemera collected by Shayna Gutcho during her time as a Mosaic Fellow at William & Mary Libraries from 2019-2020. The addition includes "Dear Evan Hansen" items given to Shayna by show producer and William & Mary alum Caitlin Clements who Shayna interviewed for a Mosaic Fellows podcast assignment.