The Chicago History Museum is excited to launch In This Together, our community-based initiative to collect digital records that capture personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diaries, journals, oral histories, images, recordings, and similar materials are all essential for documenting history. They provide depth and context for what an event or era was like for everyday people experiencing it and preserve stories for future generations.

“Now more than ever, the Chicago History Museum is committed to sharing Chicago’s stories, and we are honored to launch “In This Together” to shine a light on our shared experiences during this critical time in our history,” said Gary T. Johnson, president of the Chicago History Museum. “History is in the making, and we encourage all Chicagoans to share their stories and continue to lean on our community for support as we navigate through the unknown together.”

If you live in Chicago or its surrounding metropolitan area, we invite you to contribute any digital records—such as photographs, audio/video recordings, and journal entries—that document your experience and tell a story of your community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will share many of the stories with the public on an online platform, and a selection will become part of the permanent collection. Contributors will have the option to remain anonymous. Share your story.

Want to Donate a Physical Item?

If you have documents, printed photographs, or other physical artifacts that you believe would contribute to this collection, please tell us a little more about them via our donation inquiry form. Tell us more.