The Accidental Historian Exhibition was at the Orange County Regional History Center through January 20, 2020, so the exhibit came down just prior to the start of the pandemic. On January 21, 2020, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the United States in the state of Washington. The patient had recently returned from Wuhan, China.
The exhibit featured people who might be historians without even realizing it. That’s certainly true of many bloggers, urban sketchers, photographers, and more. This engaging exhibition, created at the History Center, was about individuals who are absorbed in documenting the world of today accidentally becoming some of Central Florida’s finest historians for the future. The exhibit offered a glimpse into some of our favorite collections that were created for the now – more than 100 years ago.
The Accidental Historian featured both historic and contemporary work and collections, including drawings by the renowned artist and teacher Ralph Bagley and Urban Sketchers Orlando, poetry by Orlando’s inaugural poet laureate Susan Lilley, audiovisual work by food blogger Ricky Ly, historic images by photographer T.P. Robinson, and more.
This panel discussion featured three contributors to the exhibit. At the podium Catherine Duffy asked each panelist questions in turn.
Photographer J.D. Casto had documented the Pulse Nightclub shooting’s aftermath. His photos capture Orlando’s love and hope following the shooting. One of his photos of an auditorium hung next to a similar photo from one hundred years ago and it was as if time had stood still.
Ricky Ly founded Tasty Chops, a blog for local foodies. The exhibition featured several of his videos of local restaurant owners discussing their offerings.
Robin Katz, is a member of Urban Sketchers Orlando. She uses her sketchbook as a journal to document the Central Florida community. Samples of Robin’s sketches were featured in the exhibit.