By Heather Wilson, archivist
It’s that time of year again, and we’re gearing up to welcome our newest summer student to the Archives. This year’s focus is a project that brings together preservation, discovery, and community memory: assessing and processing a collection of photographic negatives from The Napanee Beaver, spanning from the 1970s through to 2002 (see an example above: August 31 1996 Don Baker prepares new lures at Baker’s Baits).
These negatives document everyday life in Lennox and Addington County —sports, town council meetings, community events, business openings, and personal milestones. Many of these photographs haven’t been seen since they were originally published, and some were never printed at all. By bringing this collection into the spotlight, we’re preserving a vivid and underrepresented chapter of our town’s history.
The project involves more than just scanning images—it’s a full archival process. The student will apply professional standards to turn a set of unprocessed boxes of photographic negatives—currently without labels, dates, or organization—into an accessible, searchable collection that reflects L&A’s more recent history. This transformation will make it easier for researchers, community members, and future generations to explore moments that shaped everyday life in the region. As part of this project, the student will organize the collection, describe each series of photos, and scan the negatives to create digital copies. Along the way, they’ll gain hands-on experience with archival tools and techniques—learning how to safely preserve photographic negatives, digital files, document key details, and create clear, inclusive descriptions that support greater access to our shared stories. This work directly supports the Archives’ mission to preserve and share the history of L&A up to the present day. It enhances access to a time period that is currently underrepresented in our holdings, and strengthens our goal to ensure all histories and voices are reflected in the collection. Every effort will be made to describe and share these materials in a way that is inclusive, respectful, and accessible to all.
This project builds on the success of our 2023 summer initiative, which focused on organizing and digitizing The Napanee Beaver newspaper collection. Our summer student created a detailed, up-to-date inventory of the newspapers in our holdings—a tool that now allows staff to respond to research requests more efficiently and accurately. The project also saw the digitization of the newspaper’s microfilmed issues from 1875 to 1950, making 75 years of local news, advertisements, and community updates freely available online. This work laid a strong foundation for improving access to our community’s history, and we’re thrilled to continue that momentum with this year’s photographic negative project.
You can explore the digitized newspapers for yourself by visiting the Archives section of the Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives website—scroll down to the Local Newspapers section and click View Now to start your search. Who knows what stories, names, or headlines you might uncover?
A Window into Napanee’s Past: Exploring The Beaver Archives
For more than 150 years, The Napanee Beaver has documented life in Lennox and Addington County—chronicling everything from politics and business to school concerts, obituaries, and local sports. From business openings and agricultural fairs to personal letters from soldiers overseas and council decisions that shaped our streets, The Beaver has recorded the evolving story of Napanee and its people.
Today, that story is more accessible than ever.
What’s Available in the Archives?
The Napanee Beaver archives are a treasure trove for anyone curious about local history, family heritage, or the everyday fabric of life in our town. Here’s what’s currently available:
- Newspapers from 1875 to the Present
Surviving editions that document the heart of L&A County life. Whether you’re interested in the 19th-century rail boom, mid-century community celebrations, or recent headlines, it’s all here. - Digitized Editions (1875–1950)
Thanks to a student project in summer 2023 funded by Young Canada Works, early issues of The Beaver have been digitized and uploaded to the Internet Archive—free to access online. - Photographic Negatives (1970s–2005)
Coming soon! A new project launching this summer will focus on cataloguing and digitizing decades of photographic negatives, offering a visual window into recent history—sports teams, school events, local parades, and candid snapshots of life in L&A.
How You Can Explore
- In Person: Visit the Lennox and Addington County Archives to browse the collection, ask for help with research, or explore original papers and microfilm.
- Online: Browse digitized editions (1875–1950) of The Napanee Beaver for free on the Internet Archive. If you don’t see what you are looking for ask our archivist! More content will be added as future digitization projects progress.
- Follow Along: This blog will share some of the most interesting finds from The Beaver—from quirky classifieds and forgotten headlines to powerful moments in our County’s past. Keep an eye out for featured stories and historic images.
