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ENG 204D: Creative Nonfiction Research: Step 3: Primary Sources and First-Hand Accounts

Selected Resources for Assignments

Step 3

Step 3: Consult Primary and Contemporaneous Resources

Step 3: Primary Resources and First-Hand Accounts

What is a primary resource?

 

Things to note with primary sources:
  • Primary sources often shows one perspective on a topic. Think about other perspectives you should find to get a full understanding of an issue.
  • Fact check the primary resource. Do other sources support or contradict the primary resource?
  • A primary resource is one piece of a larger story. What question(s) does this source answer? What doesn't it answer?
  • What perspective do you bring to this source? How is your perspective shaped by your background, time you live in, or other factors?
Analyzing Photographs

Photographs capture a moment in time and can be used as historical evidence. Photos impart a lot of information that maybe useful in your writing. From photographs, we can see what a specific environment may have looked like at a point in time, popular clothing, 

  • Study a photograph for a minute. What is your overall impression of the photograph? Next, examine the photo for individual items. Here are a few questions you might ask yourself when studying a photograph for 
    • What are people doing?
    • What are they wearing?
    • What sort of hairstyles and makeup was popular?
    • Do you notice anything about the environment they are in?
    • What does transportation look like?
    • What object(s) are they interacting with?
    • What sort of stores and establishments do you see in the photograph?
Analyzing Written Documents

In archives, you will often find primary documents such as letters/correspondence, diaries, and/or official documents as evidence of a historically important event. These documents are part of the historical record and can provide insight into the time, place, and/or person you are researching. 

  • Read through the document and consider the following questions:
    • Who wrote it? What is their background?
    • Who would have read or received the document?
    • When and where was it written?
    • Is it handwritten or typed? Are there any illustrations, stamps, or markings on the paper? If so, what information does this impart?
  • Consider the content:
    • What sort of slang or word choice stands out to you?
    • What is the document about?
    • Why did this person write it?
    • Are there any quotes that you could use in your writing?
    • What was happening at that time in history when this was written?
Analyzing Artifacts

Artifacts also impart a lot of information about the culture, person/people that created and used it. Use artifacts to add texture to your writing.

  • Look over the artifact for a minute. Consider the following questions:
    • Describe the object: what is the shape, color, texture, material, weight? Is anything written on it?
    • What condition is it in and what does this say about its usage?
    • Where and when is it from?
    • Who used it? 
    • What is it used for?
    • What does this item tell you about the available technology at the time it was made or used?
    • What does this item tell you about the people/person who made and used it?
Analyzing Videos

Like photographs, archival moving images or videos can also be used as historic evidence. Historic moving images take many forms including a newsreel, commercial, news report, propaganda, home video, promotional film, training film, or you might discover a historic clip as part of a larger documentary. 

  • Watch a historic video or documentary depicting the time period, event, or person you're researching. Consider the following questions:
    • Who recorded this video?
    • Who was the intended audience of the video?
    • Why do you think they might have recorded this?
    • When is the video from?
    • What is the historical context in which this video was created? What was happening at that point in history?

Content questions:

  • What does this video depict?
  • What do the people look like? What are they wearing? How are they groomed?
  • What were the mannerisms of the people in the video?
  • Are there any background noises or music?
  • Are there any notable objects in the video? How are people interacting with it?
  • What does transportation look like?
  • What does the environment and community look like?
  • What are the shops or establishments you see?
  • Is there anything you notice from the background of the video?

Digital Collections

Many museums, archives, and libraries now offer digital access to their collections. Listed below are a few institutions that offer digital collections.

 

The British Museum (UK)

Watercolour painting on paper, of the pietra dura decoration on the marble plinth of Arjumand Banu Begum’s cenotaph. © The Trustees of the British Museum

"The first national public museum of the world. The British Museum is unique in bringing together under one roof the cultures of the world, spanning continents and oceans. No other museum is responsible for collections of the same depth and breadth, beauty and significance.

Its eight million objects allow us to explore the extraordinary diversity of human cultures, from small communities to vast empires, to discover the many forms and expressions human beings have given to every aspect of life, and to realise how closely they are interconnected." -- From the website

 

Collections: ceramics, paintings, drawings, sculpture, artifacts, and more

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA)

"Covered box with hibiscuses and grapevines," mid-15th century, China.

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures." -- MET website

 

Collections: All inclusive

 

New York Public Library (USA)

"An illustration of writing brushes," 1908, Shigeo Inobe, New York Public Library

"The New York Public Library has provided essential access to books and information for more than a century. Today, we are building on that legacy by increasing access to our collections physically and online, and by transforming our libraries into proactive centers of education and opportunity for all New Yorkers." - NYPL website

 

Collections: photographs, documents, scrapbooks, manuscripts, illustrations, posters, book art, maps

 

The Smithsonian Institution (USA)

"Eruption! Original comic splash page," 1992, Dawud Anyabwile, National Museum of African American History and Culture.

"The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo—shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world.

The Institution was founded in 1846 with funds from the Englishman James Smithson (1765–1829) according to his wishes “under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”  - Smithsonian website

 

Collections: museum objects, archives, and library material

 

Archives

Newspapers

Oral Histories

Links to various oral history projects from the United States. Depending on the institutional you will find either a transcript of interviews, audio file, video file, or a combination of formats.

Moving Images / Videos

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