History has been well documented in written forms. Words describing previous events fill millions of books and research papers. But the story of our past can also be found in other formats, such as architecture, geography, film, audio recordings, artwork, and more.
These non-textual histories are the focus of Pikes Peak Library District’s (PPLD) 22nd Annual Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium.
This year’s symposium theme is “History Beyond the Written Word.” Anyone curious about local history can enjoy the symposium’s film festival on Sat., June 7 and a lineup of engaging presentations on Sat., June 14, both taking place at East Library.
"We thought that by using a fresh topic, we might get submissions from people who aren’t as interested in more traditional history projects," says Regional History & Genealogy Program Coordinator John Jarrell, the Symposium's lead organizer. "And it succeeded. The majority of our presenters this year will be new."
One such presenter will be Amy Miller, visitor services manager with the McAllister House Museum.
Another presentation, this one by Dr. Ronald Wynn, is called “Voices of Impact: Preserving the Legacy of the African American Youth Leadership Conference Through Oral Histories.”
“They're going to record oral histories,” says Jarrell. “By recording people’s memories and their interpretation of the African American Youth Conference, it will help preserve this event and the impact it’s had across the country.” These are just two of the presentations featured in the symposium.
The film festival will include Jarrell’s analysis of the footage of Jim Bates, a filmmaker who documented World War II. The footage, which is stored in PPLD’s archives and was recently digitized in 4K resolution, will be critiqued from a filmmaker's perspective, highlighting creative choices made by Bates and the limitations of shooting footage on the front line of a war.
Photo: Jim Bates, ca. 1944, near the front line of the European theater with his Bell & Howell Eyemo 35mm camera, a mass-produced motion picture camera from the 1920s known for its compact, durable design.
Other short movies screened at the festival will include a filmed tour of the ruins of Greenwood Park, a look at the birth of the Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival, and winners of the 2025 History Day High School Documentary Competition.
Symposium content of various mediums will become part of the new Online Journal of Pikes Peak Regional History.
“It's truly going to be multimedia. There's going to be films. The papers themselves can have multimedia characteristics if someone wants to share the photos. There will be oral histories as well,” says Jarrell. “Our future is obviously in digitization and getting eyes on our materials online. It's just the way that things are moving. And it allows us to have such a bigger footprint—an international footprint.”
Much of this work will keep our local history relevant in modern times.
"What's really interesting about history isn't just dates and names,” says Jarrell. “It shows how we got to where we are today. When you're caught in the present moment, you’re also caught up in the emotions of what's happening. But when you look into the past, you can see it a little more objectively.”
This year’s Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium provides a great opportunity for people to take a glimpse at the area’s history that resides beyond words.
Register for the lecture series or film festival at tiny.ppld.org/symposium
