Signs of the Times: Documenting Covid-19 Signs in Southern Maine is a crowd-sourced digital archive begun in April of 2020 by Libby Bischof, Professor of History and Executive Director of the Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine. As a visual historian, Bischof recognizes the fleeting and ephemeral nature of signs and messages created to respond to a particular event. The goal of this born digital archive is to document (via photograph) signs created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Southern Maine, and digitally preserve a particular moment in the region's history. For the purposes of this project, "Southern Maine" is denoted as south of Bangor.
We welcome your submissions to the archive. Please email Libby Bischof at: elizabeth.bischof@maine.edu if you have a digital image of a sign in Southern Maine you would like to contribute to the project. We are looking for a variety of sign images related to Covid-19: on windows, on lawns, on roads and highways, posted on office buildings, schools, stores, parks, churches and places of worship, etc. All submissions will be credited to the individual who submits the image, as well as the photographer. When submitting, please include the date and location when the sign was photographed, and send the highest resolution available.
Please Note: We are not encouraging people to alter their daily routines to collect photographs of signs. Please be safe, observe social distancing, wear face coverings, and respect private property. We do not publish or geo-reference individual street addresses for signs located at private residences. We simply list the street, e.g. Portland: State Street Neighborhood.
