#archiving

#archiving

Every year, I tape all the Christmas cards I receive to the interior side of my front door. As I walk past my entryway, it's nice to see the smiling faces of friends and family. Sometimes I re-read the little updates some people include. Plus, the colorful designs make the house feel a little more festive. But while most people recycle the cards when the season is over, I carefully untape each card and file them away.

For decades, Portland's lampposts and community boards have told a vibrant history. Oftentimes stacked one on top of another, feet-thick, stapled up on poles lining hip-strips like Mississippi and Hawthorne avenues, concert posters clue in passersby that certain artists will be playing at a certain time and date at a certain place; while also telling a story of a city's culture and history, its music and art scenes, and the people involved in those scenes.

Much of the Internet has vanished over the 30 years since it began, with past platforms like GeoCities, MySpace, and blogs disappearing due to neglect and purposeful deletion.