The Durham Museum is getting ready to celebrate the 1970's, and they want your help.
"Those are so cool!" Carrie Meyer, Durham History Museum director of curatorial and educational services says as she opens an email attachment.
The photo is of two white chairs, with a canary yellow pleather cushioning.
"Oh! Here's the matching ottoman!"
Some would see a bright, clashing, mess of the past. Meyer sees an addition to history. Over the past few weeks, she's received dozens of picture emails from Omahans: cabbage patch dolls, old radios, a denim mini skirt hand sewn with suns and birds and palm trees. All of these emails are from people who want to volunteer their 70's era stuff. Meyer is still asking for more. It's part of an exhibit coming next month, featuring hundred of photos from the 70's decade.
"It's from the Smithsonian and national archives. It's a partnership," Meyer explains.
Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project, takes a look at the '70s using color photographs taken for a federal photography project called Project DOCUMERICA (1971-1977).
Created by the Environmental Protection Agency, Project DOCUMERICA was born out of the decade's environmental awakening.
To round out the pictures, the Durham will exhibit pieces along with the pictures.
"Raid your closets, basements and attics for objects you think would be a gas to have on display," a solicitation online asks.
"It's a little bit nostalgia a little bit memory making, place making for those who weren't alive in the 70s to see what it was all about. The idea is that the objects that the community would give to us for the duration of the show would help create that atmosphere," Meyer said.
To send a picture of your stuff, email seventies@DurhamMuseum.org.
