-the collections-

The Collections are the physical heart of The Heirloom Diaries, the letters, diaries, photographs, postcards, scrapbooks, documents and everyday objects that have found their way into my care.

Some are substantial family archives, preserving generations of one family’s story. 

Others are smaller collections, or simply things that caught my attention and made me want to know more about the person who once owned them.

I collect because I am fascinated by ordinary lives and the traces people leave behind. 

Here, I can take my time with these things: exploring them, researching the names and places I find, documenting what survives and sharing the stories that emerge.

More than anything, I want to understand them and make sure their stories aren’t lost again.