The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford’s online photo archives has reached 9,000 images thanks to a $6,000 grant from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia Digitization Program.
Since launching in March 2011, the archives has grown from 3,000 to 9,000 images. It is fully searchable by 25 different categories, 18 different communities from Bradner to Sumas and by decade starting with the 1880s. Photos on the website were donated by local residents and newspapers, including the Abbotsford News, and cover all aspects of Abbotsford history.
Students and individuals regularly access the photos to learn more about their own history or just to see images of the past.
The Reach has received a grant this year to continue digitization and is working to reach 16,000 images by spring 2013.
To fund this initiative, The Reach has partnered with Magnuson Ford Drive One for UR Community to host a fundraiser on May 19. More information on the event is available at www.thereach.ca.