Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Perils of the Profession

I really the like the profession that I work in; cool people; cool material; public service; but one of the rarely talked about difficulties is what archivists are exposed to...
 
Later in life back problems; risk of mold inhalation. Those things aren't really that bad. What sticks in my mind long after I leave work are the disturbing images that come in some collections. Like today having to look through (and possibly have to scan later) photos taken from a particularly famous mass murder scene.
 
There have been other times that have been as bad or worse. It reminds me that real life is unavoidable no matter how what certain parenting segments of the population want to believe.

1 comment:

Booklahver said...

I think it would be very interesting to go through a photograph collection but I still remember images I saw in my dad's Time-Life books of the Civil and Vietnam wars. Horrorific. Maybe the next day you will see lots of kitten pictures?