New exhibit calls selfies the history of tomorrow

During the recent Hurricane Dorian watch that would never end, I escaped the house for a walk around Lake Eola Park and was struck by something I’m sure we’ve all noticed many times: While some of my fellow strollers might nod good morning and otherwise be engaged with their surroundings, many others might well be in a galaxy far, far away — at least mentally.

These are the folks communing with the world via the compact computers we call “phones,” often snapping photos of themselves against the various backdrops the surrounding scenery has to offer.

But a new exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center, titled “The Accidental Historian,” reminds us that even in our selfie-taking modes, we may very well be valuable historians without even realizing it. Historians for the future, that is.

“If you keep a diary, write a blog, take photos, or sketch the world around you, you’re creating the history of tomorrow while you go about your work today,” exhibit organizers note. “In putting together this innovative exhibit, we’ve been fascinated to discover how some of the favorite collections in our archives were created for the now — more than 100 years ago.”

“The Accidental Historian” features both historic and contemporary work, including drawings from the past by Central Florida artist and teacher Ralph Bagley and art from the present by Urban Sketchers Orlando.

Other aspects of the exhibit feature poetry by Orlando’s poet laureate Susan Lilley, audiovisual work by food blogger Ricky Ly, historic images by photographer Thomas Pickett Robinson, and more.