The AltaHeirloom Collection is a post-custodial (digital) photo archive of Black life in Altadena, CA, especially highlighted by the vibrant community West of Lake Avenue. As we grieve the innumerable loss of home archives, this project aims to gather and digitize surviving family photographs to compose a community archive that remembers our cultural placemaking while keeping precious the memories in our care. To preserve and reconstruct the visual memory of our neighborhood, I invite you to consider any photos you have of our community that you want to add to the collection.
As this collection is a community effort in the midst of ongoing displacement, grief, and recovery, it will also take time and intention to build. Please fill out the in-take form below if you're interested in having some of your enduring family photo materials digitized for the collection or would like to receive resource guidance for archiving. This call is open to current residents in the community (in place and displaced) and those whose migratory history has included Altadena.
The AltaHeirloom Collection is stewarded by Cienna Benn, a 4th generation Altadena resident and archival practitioner.
