The morgue contains more than 200,000 images, many accompanied by news articles about major events—such as the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon on August 9, 1974.
Photo by Karl Rabe
When:
March 7, 2026
Convened by:
Jamie Kelly, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vassar; and Dr. Kafui Attoh, Associate Professor of Urban Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY).
Attendance:
70 participants
Lessons From the Poughkeepsie Journal Photo Morgue examined the cultural and historical importance of newspaper photo archives and the challenges communities face in preserving them.
When:
March 7, 2026
Convened by:
Jamie Kelly, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vassar; and Dr. Kafui Attoh, Associate Professor of Urban Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY).
Attendance:
70 participants
Featuring preservationists, librarians, lawyers, journalists, artists, and community advocates, the program explored how local visual histories can be protected, interpreted, and shared.
Coinciding with an accompanying art exhibition featuring works created from materials in the Poughkeepsie Journal archive, the conference highlighted the relationship between archives, memory, journalism, and public history.
Participants praised the event’s thoughtful organization and engaging panel discussions, particularly the opportunity to hear from individuals with personal and professional connections to the archive. The interdisciplinary conversations encouraged meaningful networking and community engagement, while the program’s accessible, public-facing approach helped connect the archive and its history with a broader audience.
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It was so well organized and many in attendance had personal experience with the topic.”
The day was well planned and the sessions were coordinated well by topic.”
Thank you for making this event available with no fee. Lunch was a real treat.”
In Pictures
Places in History
Local affairs
Former Poughkeepsie Journal Executive Editor Margaretta “Meg” Downey noted that the morgue not only contained photos and articles about major events but also about everyday life in the Hudson Valley.
Photo by Karl Rabe
Kira Thompson
Kira Thompson, the employee of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District in charge of preserving the material, was serving as the Library District’s Historian when the project began. She said the work she and others are doing is vital to the preservation of the region’s history.
Photo by Karl Rabe.
Frank D. LoMonte
Frank D. LoMonte (holding microphone), Legal Counsel at Cable News Network (CNN) and adjunct professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, said preserving photo morgues in communities where newspapers’ buildings have been abandoned is a nationwide challenge as an increasing number of communities become “news deserts.”
Photo by Karl Rabe.
Xuewu Zheng
Artist Xuewu Zheng (left) talks with attendees at the event about using material from the morgue to create his work that was on display at the Buried Image exhibition in the Palmer Gallery. Some of the artists’ work was also on display at the Signature Program event.
Photo by Karl Rabe.