History doesn’t just live in archives.
It lives in photo albums tucked away in basements.
In VHS tapes recorded on borrowed camcorders.
In slides, home movies, postcards, letters, and memories passed down through families.
Much of Michigan’s history has never been digitized, cataloged, or publicly shared. And every year, more of it disappears.
That’s why we created Found History.
What Is Found History?
Found History is a community-driven effort by History Loves Company to preserve and share real, firsthand historical material connected to Michigan homes, neighborhoods, landmarks, and everyday life.
Instead of relying solely on secondary sources or reconstructed visuals, we’re inviting the public to help shape the stories we tell — using authentic material that already exists.
This project is about real history, told through the people who lived it.
What You Can Submit
We’re looking for original materials connected to Michigan, including:
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Old photographs of homes, streets, or neighborhoods
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Home movies (VHS, Hi-8, film reels, digital files)
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Slides or negatives
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Footage from historic places or events
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Personal stories connected to historic homes or landmarks
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Family memories tied to specific locations
You don’t need to know if something is “important.”
If it’s real — and connected to Michigan — we want to see it.
Why This Matters
Many historic buildings no longer exist.
Many neighborhoods have changed beyond recognition.
And much of the visual record of everyday life was never preserved by institutions.
What survives is often what families kept.
By collecting and digitizing this material, we can:
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Tell more accurate stories
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Preserve overlooked history
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Reduce reliance on recreated or AI-generated visuals
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Build an archive rooted in lived experience
The more real material we receive, the more authentic our work becomes.
How Your Submission Is Used
Submitted material may be:
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Featured in History Loves Company videos
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Used in documentaries or long-form storytelling
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Preserved as part of a growing digital archive
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Credited to the contributor whenever possible
We do not sell submissions.
We do not take ownership of originals unless explicitly agreed upon.
We can work with digital copies if you prefer not to part with physical items.
This is preservation — not extraction.
Who This Is For
Found History is for:
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Families with boxes of old photos
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Former residents of historic neighborhoods
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People who worked in or around Michigan landmarks
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Anyone who lived through a place before it changed
If you’ve ever thought, “Someone should document this,” — this is that moment.
How to Submit
Submitting is simple.
Use our secure submission form to upload files or share details about what you have. If you’re unsure how to digitize something, or if your material is fragile, we can help guide you.
Submit your materials here:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/rUmraMgqi1gRfA6NR3sI
A Shared Responsibility
Preserving history shouldn’t be one-directional.
It shouldn’t belong only to institutions, historians, or algorithms.
It belongs to the people who lived it.
If something has been sitting in a box for years, this is your sign.
Let’s keep these stories alive — together.
