Exciting New Addition to the Cranbrook Archives

An Exciting New Addition to the Cranbrook Archives

Yesterday the Cranbrook History Centre received a wonderful, historic donation to our Archives from the Black Press. They donated over 200 bound copies of the Townsman, The Advertiser, and other local papers spanning the years 1971 to 2009.

We are grateful that the staff at the Townsman Office has, over the years, protected and saved this valuable collection.  Now that these volumes are in the Archives they will be further protected and be made available for public research. In order to make this resource more accessible, we plan on scanning of the documents so they may be searched electronically through our database.

Our Archives now contain a wonderful continuous collection of local newspapers from 1898 to 2009. To our knowledge, no other place holds a collection of Cranbrook papers to this extent.

The museum’s newspaper collection is one of our most utilized resources. Preserving and providing public access to this archive in perpetuity helps the History Centre fulfill its central role in our community.

Accessing our archives can bring local history to life for younger generations. They provide unlimited fresh opportunities for original local history research. Possible uses include:

 

  • Genealogists can uncover previously unknown aspects of their family lineage from obituaries and other news items, including society columns, casualty reports, sports stories and more.
  • Local government officials, historic preservationists and members of diverse community groups can use the archive to meet a wide range of research needs.
  • Property owners, real estate agents, small business owners, and attorneys can discover timely answers to an array of local questions.
  • History buffs can spend hours uncovering lost details about local people, places and events, while all citizens will enjoy looking back at everyday life of yesteryear.

Many thanks to Black Press and its staff for making such a historically significant donation to the Cranbrook History Centre Archives and for their continued support.