This is an opportunity to practice your skills on a real project.
Super Recognisers International were contacted earlier this year by a member of Flin Flon’s Heritage Project with a proposal for a collaborative project.
Please note: This is a voluntary project open only to Licentiate Members of the Association of Super Recognisers who have completed the SRI Training Course and qualified as a Super Recogniser or Face Matcher.
What is Flin Flon? Flin Flon is a small mining town in Canada on the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. The town, founded in 1927, was once a thriving place with one of the richest mines in Canada, employing 15,000 people. The mine is slowly winding down and is expected to close in 2022. Our contact, Doug Evans, grew up in the town from the age of 5 weeks old when the accommodation comprised of only log cabins and tents. He is a member of the Flin Flon Heritage Project and curates much of its photographic collection. For more information on the town of Flin Flon please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flin_Flon
Flin Flon Heritage Project website:
http://flinflonheritageproject.com
The Collaborative Project - Background Information Flin Flon had an huge archive of old photos that was informal and without organisation. Flin Flon town volunteers went through the collection, documenting the photos. Sadly a flood destroyed their index, though the photos were saved. There is a large number of images of important people who established the town, many with no names attached and their identity unconfirmed. The Heritage group decided to make a digital archive for the web. People began sending in shoeboxes of old photos. The collection now contains approximately 50,000 photos. A club was formed for those who worked in the mine around 1927, the “27 Club”. Most photos we have were taken around 15-20 years after the initial activity in the mine and the project would like to centre on these characters. We have been given images from around 1926 onwards, when the mine was being developed. Some of these images depict a time when the only access to the mine was by canoe or steamboat!
How to get involved We have two sets of images. Set 1 depicts members of the founding members of Flin Flon, the “1927 Club”. Names are written either on the image or the reverse of the photo. These give us our KNOWN images. Set 2 is a selection of photographs depicting UNNAMED people from the early years of the mine. Your task is to study both sets of images and if possible, identify some of the unknown (unnamed) persons. There is no right or wrong, your submission is subjective and purely your own opinion. I will collate the results and submit them to the Flin Flon Heritage Project once all findings are received. How to present your report I would like you to present your report in any way you feel works well and are comfortable with. Your findings should be presented clearly and professionally. I will be looking for accuracy and attention to detail. The reader should be able to understand your report quickly and easily. An instinctive reaction is not enough for an identification, you must present your reasoning behind the identification. Your work will give me an insight into how you approach a task. I will not give guidance as to the exact way you present your report, I would like to see your own interpretation without my influence! If you would like to be involved in this project, please email me at:
kelly.hearsey@superrecognisersinternational.com
and I will send you all you need to get started. This is a fabulous opportunity to practice your skills and demonstrate your ability. I hope you will find this an enjoyable project to be involved in and look forward to hearing from you. Closing date to submit your findings is 20th June 2021.
