Presented by the New School

Traditionally, history was “written” by a few with power. Today’s technologies have given much of this power back to the people as increased personal documentation unwittingly democratizes the histories we come to know. In particular, photography plays a heightened role in how we document, and by extension remember, our personal and shared pasts. New School Professor Lauren Walsh and VII Agency photojournalist Ron Haviv talk about Lost Rolls America (LRA), a public photo archive that emphasizes a democratic process and prioritizes the role of photography in memory and history. This open discussion offers a broad meditation on how imagery impacts the recollection and narration of the past and how our relationship to images & memories has evolved.Through real-time interactive participation, the audience will have an option to share the photos on their phones alongside their own memories. In turn, this session explores what this means for the ever-changing dynamic between media, collective memory, and history; and considers the challenges inherent in the democratization of historical memory.

This event is part of the Social Good Hub, a creative content venue curated and produced by SXSW Eco. See the full schedule of programming and special events at sxsw.com/socialgood.