Breakthroughs in Legacy Media
As the family archivist, I have some highly prized items in my possession. These include century-old passports from oceanic journeys, hand-coloured photographs, family recipes written in cursive script and jotted family trees that connect me in a convoluted way to the old families of Prince Edward County and the country north of 7.
Each artifact is a part, and it’s left to me to create the whole story. With such disparate bits, cohesion can be quite a challenge.
The biography “Gwen” features the warm and beautiful reflections of her family and friends.
I recently shared some quality time with someone who has managed a storytelling feat. Chance brought me to the seat next to Eben James Sr. at the Rotary Club of Trenton’s annual Christmas Dinner. Being rather new in the region, I savoured the chance to see Trenton through the eyes of this regional patriarch. Our time together slipped by all too quickly and Mr James invited me to drop by the office to receive a copy of the biography he created to honour his wife, Gwen.
I’ve since returned a few more times for other books and, most recently, for an extended visit which I will always recall with fondness. A gentleman of the fine old school of sociability, Mr James Sr. agreed to host a discussion about the journey of publishing a biography of his dear wife.
“In some ways,” explains Mr James, “I came to know Gwen more through this project.” He points to the many contributors to Gwen’s celebration of life. Via the thoughtfully penned eulogies shared with hundreds of guests, the James family saw Gwen’s life as others saw it.
In a tribute penned by Eldon Kemp, one of the founding staff members of the Trentonian, Gwen is recalled for her genuine talent for hospitality as she set up a Christmas party in 1960 in the editorial office. “Gwen was a humanizing influence on a rough-and-tumble staff that day,” he recalls. Many of these reflections played a valuable role in the book’s creation.
Having never known Gwen personally, I am grateful to have experienced the impact of her life through this slim but captivating volume. The book includes annotated photos and images of hand-written notes to support the writing of both Eben James Sr. and Eben James Jr., plus numerous family and friends.
The tasteful creation of this written biography took over a year of concerted effort and logistical support. Writing a book isn’t an easy venture but the outcome is a treasure. And book publishing is certainly one commonly thought-of method to crafting legacy media. While I’m not a print publisher (any longer) I’m happy to recommend my friends at Willow Publishing who can field your specific questions.
With a home full of photographs and a stack of memories gathered for Gwen’s celebration of life, Eben James Sr embarked on a self-published biography to honour his wife. (image: Silvia Skorzik)
Another approach, and a specialty that I’ve developed as central part of my media company, was first stumbled upon as a response to an emotional event. Holly was an energetic part of the expat community that we discovered when we moved to Shanghai in 2016. She was known for her roles as master teacher, fitness fanatic, and as “Mimi” to multiple grandchildren back in the USA. When Holly had a near-death cardiac event after a fitness class, it occurred to me that the opportunity to capture life stories should not be taken for granted.
Holly welcomed the idea of collaborating on a prototype film that would serve as a model for future Life Stories. A formal interview gave us the recollections in Holly’s own words while family photos and videos were added tastefully as illustrations. Favourite tales include Holly’s spontaneous cheerleading moment at a Shanghai Sharks game and her surprise arrival at her daughter’s home inside a giant Christmas present.
Holly was so pleased about her Life Story film that she gathered her friends together for a theatrical screening, complete with sparkling wine!
For those of us who seek to capture the wisdom and the memories of loved ones in our midst, the advent of custom film services and the DIY book approach of the James family represent a whole new era in family legacy media. These are breakthroughs that allow the voices of the present to be heard and valued by generations to follow.
