Anita Martinez鈥檚 friends, acquaintances, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community gathered at the Killam Library this month to look through thousands of photos showing decades of queer life and feminist activism in Nova Scotia.听
Martinez, who passed away in February 2025, was a prolific photographer and activist whose work documented Halifax鈥檚 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and women鈥檚 movements for more than four decades.听
The gathering, hosted by ,was not just social; it was archival work in action.听
The captioning party focused on the , one of the largest photograph collections ever acquired by Dal Archives. The initiative was the first in a series of events inviting community members to help identify people, places, and moments captured in Martinez鈥檚 images.听听
The collection is an extraordinary record of local Queer communities and women鈥檚 rights activism.
鈥淭he collection includes over 80 photograph albums and thousands of loose photographs,鈥� says Creighton Barrett of Dal Archives. 鈥淲e know the collection is an extraordinary record of local Queer communities and women鈥檚 rights activism, but we can鈥檛 always identify the individuals that Anita photographed.鈥�
Creighton Barrett of Dal Archives, left, chats with a particpant in the recent captioning event.
Daniel MacKay, editor of Wayves Magazine and co-organizer of the captioning parties, describes the collection as 鈥渁 matchless record of local queer and feminist life, spanning rallies, community events, and more personal moments of connection and celebration.鈥澨�
While the scale of the collection is remarkable, its true value depends on context. Without captions, even the most striking images can remain incomplete and details can be lost to time. Faces go unnamed, events are unplaced, histories are only partially visible.听听
That is where the captioning parties come in.听
鈥淭he purpose of the captioning parties is to enrich the archival record by adding names, dates, locations, and cultural context that may not be documented elsewhere,鈥� Barrett explains. 鈥淭hese gatherings draw on collective memory and lived experience, helping to preserve community history and ensure more accurate, inclusive descriptions.鈥澨�
From the Vault
holds more than a million photographs.
Other large collections include:
- : More than 100,000 photographs.
- 全国探花 55,000 photographs.
- : 全国探花 5,700 photographs found in the Joy O'Brien fonds.
Participants bring a depth of knowledge that helps tell the stories behind the photographs. Many of them lived through or helped shape the scenes depicted. The process is collaborative and often emotional.听
Organized in partnership with community groups including the Atlantic Canada Rainbow History Group and the Elderberries, the captioning parties will blend archival work and social gathering, creating space for stories to emerge alongside factual details.听
There is also a sense of urgency. Many of the people best able to identify the photographs are aging. Their knowledge risks being lost if it is not captured now.听
Beyond preservation, the captioning work has a direct impact on how the collection will be used. As descriptions become richer and more complete, the photographs become more accessible to researchers, educators, students, and the broader public.听
鈥淭he captioning parties will help improve access to the collection, making these photographs more meaningful and discoverable,鈥� says Barrett.听
The captioning parties will help improve access to the collection, making these photographs more meaningful and discoverable.
For Dal Archives, the project reflects a broader approach to stewardship that recognizes archives as evolving spaces shaped by community participation. Rather than treating records as static, the captioning parties invite those who experienced the history to help define how it is remembered.听
In doing so, they ensure that Martinez鈥檚 legacy is not only preserved but deepened.
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