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Facebook and Photo Archives
Recently I have spent more time on Facebook and I have joined a few photo groups. One of them is for the Canton De Vaud, where people are sharing photos they have taken of the region. These photographs are well framed, well lit, and pleasant to look at. It feels like a community of photographers.
Part of my reason for wanting to return to Facebook is this group. If there is a group of local people sharing photographs then there is a good chance that there are other local groups for sharing other images, events and more.
Over the last two days I have followed groups that share archive photos, paintings, post cards and more. These images show Geneva, Nyon, Vevey, Gland, Crassier and other places as they looked several decades ago. This is a fun and pleasant journey back in time. We get to see Perdtemps when it was a park for people to walk in, and then as a park where people would play football, before finally seeing it as we know it, an ugly parking.
These groups have value, because old photos have value. They show us the ordinary world as it was at specific moments in time. It shows us place de Neuve with a tram and an old car. it shows us the castle of Nyon after an important fire in a local mill, and more.
It shows us the train that ran from Divonne to Nyon and back. I learned about this line by playing Geocache, but learned more by trying to find photos of the trains and stations. If you go to Divonne, by the pub, you can see the old train station. The former line is now a cycling and walking path. Recent history is just as interesting as ancient history.
There is an image of the Gare Cornavin before surrounding buildings were built. In another photo you can see Geneva as it looked in the 1950s or earlier. You can see Geneva airport in the middle of the countryside, before the motorway and other buildings were built.
And Finally
With old photographs, paintings and other types of images you get a feel for how places looked before they were built upon. You see places before the popularisation of cars and more. You also see how buildings used to look when each one was unique. It is worth taking time to explore these old galleries of images.
Spoonley Wood Roman Villa and Mosaic
Roman remains may be found and excavated but sometimes nature reclaims them. These ruins were discovered in 1882 but nature returned and hid them safely away again. Such tweets should inspire archeological departments, and film and TV or BA Media Studies to document the process of re-excavating these ruins, with photogrammetry and other modern tech used.
The Romans on Twitter
Over a few months I have seen that tweeting about the Romans is growing in frequency. The accounts that I see are tweeting about Roman Britain. They share images of mosaics, digs and new discoveries. It is a way to follow archeology and Ancient history in a modern context.
By following tweets about the Romans in Britain it is a way of being reminded on a daily basis about new discoveries, new experiences, and new places to visit. It is a way of seeing how extensive Roman Britain was. People walk along the roads, show remnants of ruins and more. They also share the opening times of museums and areas of interest as well as events that may be taking place.
When I was writing about the Romans I had to write articles and posts. I had to do research and I had to make sure that the information I was providing was accurate, and correct. Now, with a tweet you can share information about the Romans without hours of research.
It is important to keep history alive, and it is important that such accounts exist because they are a way of making history life. Rather than read a few lines of text in a book we can see images, video and more. We also see that these are things we can experience, if we are at the right place at the right time.
England has a wealth of archeological sites that date back to the Romans so to follow tweets about the Romans in England, is a way of seeing that you do not need to travel to Europe to learn about Roman history. You can learn about it locally, if you know where to look. Accounts like Roman Britain News make this a simple task.
Cramond Tower in Scotland – Corner of a Roman Fort
Cramond tower which sits on the corner of a Roman fort. Located in Cramond village, just outside Edinburgh, the tower reuses much of the stone from the fort #Roman #archaeology #scotland pic.twitter.com/1LunLTDZEn
— Roman Scotland (@RomanScotland) February 12, 2022