The MCHS Collections Studio
Step into a digital reading room where every published record keeps its source, every voice keeps its rights note, and every mystery begins with a better question.
Search records that Society staff have approved for public use. A result describes a collection lead; contact MCHS before planning access, copying, or publication.
A picture can hold dozens of clues—but it cannot answer every question by itself. Find all four evidence lenses and earn your on-device detective mark.
Observe first. Then ask what another source—map, directory, photograph, interview, or building record—could help verify.
Progress stays only in this browser. No name, account, score, or location is collected.
These are open research cases, not decorative before-and-after claims. Each “then” record is identified; each “now” question remains visibly unresolved until equivalent present-day evidence is documented.
WVU Libraries aerial views of downtown and Courthouse Square.
Open record 013638 ↗A dated view from a documented vantage point, plus notes identifying visible change.
Plan a responsible field visit →Do not infer: continuity, demolition, use, or ownership from unmatched viewpoints.
A 1958 record of the Norfolk & Western and Virginian depot at Matoaka.
Open record 025937 ↗Verified present-day site identification, public access guidance, and a comparable dated image.
Ask the research desk →Do not infer: survival or loss until the site and date are independently verified.
A WVU Libraries record of the Mercer Healing Springs Hotel near Athens.
Open record 013600 ↗Location research, land-access confirmation, and current documentation from an authorized viewpoint.
Search trusted sources →Safety first: historical interest never grants access to private or hazardous property.
Capture enough information for another person to find the record. This helper works only in your browser and does not determine copyright or reuse permission.
Review repositories and rights guidance →Start a conversation before bringing an item. Staff will discuss historical fit, ownership, condition, privacy, and the Society's current collecting capacity.