Aurora Through the Archives: [un]Framed and in Focus presents an immersive installation of archival photographs made between 1880 and 1980, inviting visitors to step into the past and experience history through visual narrative woven throughout the new Aurora Town Square facility. Archival photographs provide a glimpse into a once-familiar setting, capturing the everyday lives, traditions, and transformations of a community. Showcasing diverse aspects of the town—whether casual, formal, creative, or documentary in nature—these images and the people, places, and things immortalized in them tell stories about specific moments in time and space, preserving memories that might otherwise fade away.

Focusing on the finer details—the contents of a delivery cart, a signpost barely visible in the background, or the expressions of a family gathered for a portrait—this exhibition brings to life the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Each original photograph on display is surrounded by an interpretive frame that provides additional layers of meaning. These frames contain enlarged aspects of the original compositions, along with interpretive texts elaborating on the stories embedded within the images. This approach encourages visitors to engage deeply with each image, uncovering narratives that might not be apparent at first glance.

For instance, the series Aurora Orchards (1934) presents compositions centering on farming landscapes and delivery vehicles, with images capturing the rhythms of agricultural life, showcasing the tools, transportation, and people that sustained small-town economies in the 1930s. Beyond their surface depiction of rural industry, they also reveal subtler themes: the evolution of local commerce, shifts in transportation technology, and the changing role of family-owned farms in the community. Through the context provided by the interpretive frames, these breadcrumbs of history are teased out and expanded upon, offering a fuller, richer understanding of what is captured through the lens.

Aurora Through the Archives is more than just a display of historical photographs—it is an invitation to interact with the past. Featuring both unique individual images and series of images, made by community members and by professional photographers alike, the exhibition explores a range of themes, from celebrations and social gatherings to moments of resilience during times of hardship. The images selected not only document notable moments in time, but also reflect the values and priorities of the era, highlighting how communal and individual identity was expressed, as well as exemplifying the ways photography was put to use to extend these expressions on a broader scale, and for posterity.

Curated by Aurora Museum & Archives