As part of Hollywood’s Centennial Year Celebration, the Hollywood Historical Society has announced the launch of “Time Capsule 2125: Enduring Institutions, Future Directions,” a project to expand its archive by adding memorabilia, artifacts and, most exciting, oral histories documenting and commemorating the personal experiences of Hollywood’s living history.
“Time Capsule 2125” is a symbolic, not physical, time capsule, partially funded by a grant from the City of Hollywood, working in collaboration with the City of Hollywood’s Partnership for Engaged Neighborhoods (PEN) program, and guided by members of Leadership Hollywood 48 as its community impact project. The Oral History interviews, created in homage to and in collaboration with the many volunteer-led service organizations, neighborhood civic associations and religious groups in Hollywood, are being conducted by the city’s middle and high school student members of the popular HHS History Heroes teen club.
“Time Capsule 2125: Enduring Institutions, Future Directions” is a metaphorical time capsule – a look at each organization’s history as told by their current leaders,” explained Andy Ruffner, HHS Executive Director and creator of the project. “The twist is that after the students interview the adult leaders, the adults interview the students about their interest in Hollywood, and their thoughts on the future of the city – what they think will happen 100 years from now.”
The project will culminate in an exhibition at the Historical Society’s Hammerstein House Headquarters in November.
“We want to make sure that our Archives reflect the breadth and diversity of all of Hollywood’s neighborhoods,” Ruffner continued, “including the more recent history, from the 1970s through today.”
Oral history interviews are video recorded and can take 20 – 60 minutes to create. They will then be digitally transcribed and entered into the HHS archive and database for easy retrieval and viewing. Got a story to tell? Contact Ruffner at andy@hollywoodhistoricalsociety.org to participate.
The Hollywood Historical Society has over 20,000 unique items in its collection, including historic postcards, photographs, maps, and posters, for sale at the Research Center behind Hammerstein House at 1520 Polk Street. To learn more, visit the HHS website, www.hollywoodhistoricalsocity.org, view our channels on Facebook and Instagram, or call 954-923-5590 to check opening hours.
The Hollywood Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)* cultural organization founded and operated by volunteers. We offer free tours of the Historic Hammerstein House on the first Sunday of every month from 1 to 4 pm, and by appointment. Please call us at 954-923-5590 or email Andy Ruffner at andy@hollywoodhistoricalsociety.org for more information.
