So far, I have been able to catalog 4,346 photographs of houses in the Roanoke Valley. It is really cool being able to see this project start out at only 100 or so done and seeing it at over four thousand cataloged at this point. This project is very unique to the local area and will be utilized by many in the future. The Virginia Room boasts many displays and artifacts that are important to the local history and the people that have lived here throughout the past few hundred years. My favorite display is the one pictured below titled “Obsolete Technology.” It has several pieces of older equipment for entertainment purposes and explains how each one was used and when. Unfortunately, these pieces of history have become simple trinkets over the years due to the advent of the technological age and more ‘modern’ products.
The camera on the top-left shelf is something I remember my grandfather having when I was a child, which was only about 15 years ago. However, over that somewhat short period of time a camera has evolved into something that can fit into the palm of your hand. While the older camera in the display probably works and is usable, it is still considered obsolete because there is no longer a demand for it. The technology market has somehow been able to create demand for new products while simultaneously replacing other items altogether. Thank goodness for places such as the Virginia Room, because otherwise we wouldn’t have these ‘obsolete’ things that marked major milestones in American technological history.
I also included a picture of an archived street sign. It is a really interesting piece of local history that the Virginia Room keeps on regular display.
