Rediscovering Your History

In life and in business, the past often recedes beyond memory. Skilled historians, however, know how to recover the memories and the insights of the past. From long-neglected documents and images, as well as interviews with people who were on the scene, we recapture a sense of the contingency of events and the decisions that led individuals and organizations down one path rather than another. With years of experience, the team at Vantage Point has developed the skills and intuition it takes to find, record and preserve the record of the past.

Historical Research

We begin by assessing the research that has already been done, building a bibliography of books and publications that help us to understand the context for the particular history of an organization, institution or community. With this work complete, we go into the field, talking to people who have been a part of the history, looking at records and archives, and prospecting for documents that have been cached in basements and attics for generations. These sources bring the history to life and help us understand why decisions were made in the past.

Creating Archives

Most organizations and communities do not understand how history can meet their needs today. As a result, they fail to appreciate the value of their historical records. At Vantage Point, we work with clients to collect, organize, preserve and retrieve hard-copy and electronic materials that help an organization tell its story. We help records managers differentiate materials that need to be retained for compliance reasons from archival records that can be an ongoing resource to an organization.  Most importantly, we show various stakeholders in the organization how the records of the past can add value on a daily basis.

With IQ Magic and the staff of the California State Archives, Vantage Point historian Eric Abrahamson worked extensively with archive materials to develop the content plan for the Golden State Museum in Sacramento.

Oral Histories

Documents tell only part of any history. The voices of experience are also important. At Vantage Point, we work with organizations to capture the insights and recollections of people who have played a key role in shaping an organization’s history. Before each interview, we prepare an outline of questions and a relevant chronology that is submitted to the interviewee ahead of time. The interview itself is digitally recorded on high-quality audio or video tape so that it can be used in a variety of ways. Transcripts are made with an attention to detail. The tape and transcript become a permanent asset available to guide and inspire future generations of managers and leaders.

Since 1999 Vantage Point has conducted oral histories and research for the archives of the J. Paul Getty Trust.