Preserving an Account of a Particular Period in Time
The Charlie Clark Center for Local History, whose mission is to preserve and share the history of Arlington County, its citizens, organizations, businesses and social issues, reached out to community organizations and leaders to obtain items that represent the major events of 2020. The time capsule also draws from items donated to the COVID-19 Archives project.
A Snapshot of Today and a Gift for the Future
Themes for the collection include:
- The 2020 Census
- The COVID-19 pandemic
- Racial justice and civic unrest
- Arlington County’s naming centennial
- The 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage
Time Capsule 2020 Item List
| Item | Description |
| AFAC masks and floor marker | Floor sticker for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), showing visitors where to stand to maintain social distancing. Arlington Food Assistance Center-themed mask, made from AFAC t-shirts. |
| African American Experience in Arlington panel flyer | Flyer for the program "The African-American Experience in Arlington: from Freedman's Village to Alice West Fleet," held on February 13, 2020. This event was part of Arlington's 100th anniversary programming schedule. |
| APS Middle and High School Program of Studies, 2020-2021 | Arlington Public Schools' Program of Studies for middle and high schools for the 2020-2021 school year. |
| APS Top Ten Books Checked Out | Covers of the top ten checked out books in Arlington Public School Libraries for elementary, middle, and high schools during the 2020-2021 school year. |
| Arlington Connection first case of Coronavirus March 11 2020 | The Arlington Connection, March 11, 2020. This issue reports on the first case of COVID-19 in the county. |
| Arlington Historical Society Script for AHS Annual Meeting Nov. 12, 2020 | The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) newsletter for June 2020 (left), which spelled out changes to operating hours of the AHS's museum and other area museums due to the pandemic. Script for the AHS Annual Meeting held on November 12, 2020. Due to the pandemic, the meeting was held virtually, so the society's president, Cathy Hix, needed a script to read. |
| Arlington Historical Society newsletter, June 2020 | The Arlington Historical Society (AHS) newsletter for June 2020 (left), which spelled out changes to operating hours of the AHS's museum and other area museums due to the pandemic. |
| Arlington House Statement from the Arlington Historical Society | The Arlington Historical Society's (AHS) response to a request from Representative Don Beyer regarding the history and the name of Arlington House, which was the inspiration for Arlington County's name in 1920. The AHS declined to advise on if and how Arlington House would be renamed, but gave a history of the property and made itself available to answer further historical inquiries. |
| Army Navy Country Club COVID-19 Response | Binder with written and digital versions of the Army Navy County Club's COVID-19 response. |
| Biden for President sign, bumper sticker, and pins | Sign, bumper sticker, and pin supporting Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential election, and two Black Lives Matter pins, donated by Scott Taylor. |
| Black Heritage Museum is closed due to COVID-19 | Sign and photograph of posted sign declaring the temporary closure of the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington Virginia, due to the pandemic. |
| BLM News Articles | Color printouts of online coverage of social justice news stories happening in Arlington. These were printed out and donated by Scott Taylor. |
| BLM photos from protest 1 |
Photographs from social justice protests in late May and early June in Washington, DC, and Arlington, taken and donated by Scott Taylor. |
| BLM photos from protest 2 |
Photographs from social justice protests in late May and early June in Washington, DC, and Arlington, taken and donated by Scott Taylor. Taylor can be seen in the front of the photo on the left. |
| Census 2020 backpack | Backpack with the 2020 Census logo, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 Be Counted Sign | Sign promoting the 2020 Census, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 El Censo de 2020 | Flyers explaining 2020 Census information security in Spanish, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 Everybody Counts Sign | Sign promoting the 2020 Census, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 Everyone Counts in Arlington button | Pin promoting the 2020 Census, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 fact sheet English | "Census 101: What You Need To Know" flyer providing information on the 2020 Census, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 fact sheet Spanish translation | Informational flyer about the 2020 Census in Spanish, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 FAQ Sign | "2020 Census FAQ" large sign, created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 materials for kids | Counting book, coloring book, and kid's treasure hunt brochure promoting the 2020 Census, created as part of Arlington's Census office's awareness and public relations campaign. On the left is a large "Census Partner" sticker for schools, showing that Arlington Public Schools were helping Arlington's Census Office spread the word about filling out 2020 census information. |
| Census 2020 partnership sticker | Large "Census Partner" sticker for schools, showing that Arlington Public Schools were helping Arlington's Census Office spread the word about filling out 2020 census information. |
| Census 2020 "Scan Here and Take it Today" sign | Sign featuring a 2020 Census QR code, linking the user to the census form, featuring different languages. This sign was created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 Todos Contamos sticker roll | Roll of "Todos Contamos" stickers, promoting completion of 2020 Census forms in Spanish. These were created as part of Arlington's Census Office's awareness and public relations campaign. |
| Census 2020 tote | 2020 Census tote bag, donated by the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Coronavirus Stress Ball | Stress ball knitted to look like a coronavirus cell, created by Diana Sun. |
| Distance Learning Playbook | "The Distance Learning Playbook," by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie. This book was used to help Arlington Public Schools administration and teachers navigate virtual learning during the pandemic. |
| Election button Vote by Mail | Pin supporting voting by mail for the 2020 election. Donated by the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Election flyers VAratifyERA LWV Vote Yes on 1 | Flyers from the League of Women Voters of Virginia supporting ratification of the ERA and voting "yes" on issue #1 on the Virginia Ballot regarding citizen commissions on redistricting. |
| Election sign, "Ally is a Verb" | Sign created by an anonymous Arlington Public Library employee and used at a social justice protest in early June, 2020. |
| Election sign Cat Meme The Time is Meow Vote | Cat voting meme on the reverse side of a Vote by Mail sign from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Election sign LWV Vote by Mail Cat Meme reverse | "Vote by Mail" lawn sign from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. This sign had a cat voting meme taped to the reverse. |
| Election sign LWV Vote by Mail Office Space reverse | "Vote by Mail" lawn sign from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. This sign had an Office Space voting meme taped to the reverse. |
| Election sign LWV Vote by Mail Vertical | Large vertical sign on voting by mail to be used in a sandwich board, from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Election sign Office Space Vote November 4 | Office Space voting meme on the reverse side of a Vote by Mail sign from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Election sign Virginia Voter Registration Applications Available here | Sign announcing location of voter registration applications. |
| Election, "TeamJoe" sign | #TeamJoe sign supporting Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election. |
| Election, "Vote Blue" mask Hablo Espanol | Vote Blue mask with "hablo espanol" on the front and message to wearer on how to fit the mask. Donated by Libby Garvey. |
| Election, "Vote Blue" mask | Vote Blue mask and message to wearer on how to fit the mask. Donated by Libby Garvey. |
| Election, "Vote Your Power" postcard | "Vote Your Power" blank postcard from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| ERA pin | ERA pin from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Erik Gutshall memorial service pack of wipes and sanitizer back |
Package containing a wipe and hand sanitizer given out to attendees of Erik Gutshall's memorial service, from Libby Garvey (rear view). |
| Erik Gutshall memorial service pack of wipes and sanitizer front |
Package containing a wipe and hand sanitizer given out to attendees of Erik Gutshall's memorial service, from Libby Garvey (front view). |
| League of Women Voters buttons | Pins from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters celebrating 100 years of the LVW and women's suffrage. |
| League of Women Voters shirts and tea towel |
Two shirts and a tea towel from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters celebrating 100 years of the LWV and women's suffrage. |
| LWV 100 years cake photo | Photograph of a cake celebrating 100 years of of the League of Women Voters and women's suffrage, from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| LWV Ballot Drop Locations | Front page of a printout of the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters's webpage listing ballot drop locations for the 2020 election. |
| LWV Flyers Myth vs Truth Vote by Mail | Flyers from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters about voting by mail for the 2020 election. |
| LWV Flyers on Voting | Flyers from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters with information for voters such as voter registration for the 2020 election. |
| LWV Informed Voter Remembering 19th Amendment bookmark | Both sides of a bookmark created by the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters promoting their mission and women's suffrage. |
| LWV Newsletters September 2020 | Printouts of the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters' weekly online newsletter, September 2 and 16, 2020. |
| LWV Register to Vote and Application | Flyer from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters about voter registration in multiple languages, and a Virginia Vote by Mail application form. |
| LWV Thank you card inside |
Handwritten thank you note (interior) to the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters after the 2020 election. |
| LWV Thank you card | Handwritten thank you note (front) to the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters after the 2020 election. |
| LWV Vote 411 mask | "Vote 411" mask from the Arlington/Alexandria League of Women Voters. |
| Medical Reserve Corp | Flyer to sign up for the Medical Reserve Corps for Arlington County, and an ID holder for those who sign up. |
| "No Mask, No Hummus" flyers (2) |
Signs for the doors and windows of Lebanese Taverna locations, requiring masks inside the restaurants. |
| "No Mask, No Hummus" flyers |
Signs for the doors and windows of Lebanese Taverna locations, requiring masks inside the restaurants. |
| Sign Parks Closed | Sign posted at an Arlington County Park announcing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Sign, "Welcome to Arlington Public Library Holds Pickup" | Large sign from Arlington Public Library announcing details of their holds pickup system at Central Library. |
| Temporary Outdoor Seating Area Permit Private Property | Permit for a temporary outdoor seating area for New District Brewing Company on S. Oakland Street. |
| Thumb drive full of photos | Thumb drive from donor Craig Syphax. This held nine photographs taken at various social justice demonstrations in Washington, DC, in early June 2020. |
| Vaccine clinic fact sheets for recipients and caregivers Spanish and English | Fact sheets about the Emergency Use Authorization of the Phizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in Spanish and English, distributed at Arlington vaccine clinics. |
| Vaccine clinic flyer | Flyer advertising COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Arlington, with text in several languages. |
| Vaccine clinic laminated paper markers | Laminated paper markers for visitors to Arlington vaccine clinics, to distinguish which vaccine dose visitors were to receive. Janssen is also known as Johnson & Johnson. |
| Vaccine Sticker, "I got my COVID-19 Vaccine" | Roll of "I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine" stickers, given to visitors of Arlington vaccine clinics. |
| Vaccine vials and vaccine card |
Empty COVID-19 vaccine vials for Moderna, Phizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, and a [voided] vaccination record card. |
| Women's Work flyer | Flyer for the Women's Work exhibit at Arlington Central Library, part of Arlington's 100th anniversary schedule of events. The exhibit was intended to be up from March 5 to April 2, 2020. |
| 386-0001 Syphax social justice photo to 398-0009 Syphax social justice photo | Nine photos of Washington, DC, social justice protests on June 1st, 2020, between 7:05 and 7:35 pm, at 16th and L Streets, NW. All photos taken by donor Craig Syphax and put on a thumbdrive, which was added to the time capsule separately. |
| Gutshall Memorial 20201004 | Program for Erik Gutshall's memorial service on October 1, 2020. Gutshall was Vice Chair of the Arlington County Board when he resigned his seat on April 6th; he had been hospitalized for a brain tumor earlier in the year, and he passed away on April 15th, 2020. |
| 2020 50 Haiku cover | Cover of "50 Haiku from 2020" by Adam Segel-Moss, an Arlington County employee. Donated by Diane Kresh, Director of Libraries. |
| 2020 50 Haiku Sept 21 | A page from "50 Haiku from 2020" by Adam Segel-Moss, an Arlington County employee. These pages feature haiku from September 21, 2020. Donated by Diane Kresh, Director of Libraries. |
| Time Magazine Biden and Harris | Issue of Time magazine, December 21 and 28, 2020. |
| Time Magazine Amanda Gorman | Issue of Time magazine, February 15 and 22, 2021. |
| Woman's Hour | Hardback copy of "The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote" by Elaine Weiss |
| Suffragette's Playbook | Hardback copy of "The Suffragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World" by Lucinda Robb and Rebecca Boggs Roberts |
| WOW T-shirt | Short-sleeved t-shirt for WoW/WoWork, featuring a special logo celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. WomenWork (WoW or WoWork) is an Arlington County employee group that focuses on attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining exceptional women leaders. |
| Votes for Women sashes | Storebought suffragette sash (right) and homemade suffragette sash (left). The sash on the right has pins with photographs of an original suffragette protest and the 2017 Women's March. Sashes were donated by WomenWork (WoW or WoWork), an Arlington County employee group that focuses on attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining exceptional women leaders. |
| First Day stamps | Collectible envelopes with "first day of issue stamps" for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which allowed women to vote (first day of issue, August 22, 2020), and to honor Gwen Ifill, "the first African-American and the first woman to moderate a major television news show" (first day of issue, January 20, 2020). |
| OutStanding pin | OutStanding pin, showing Arlington's support for LGBTQ+ populations. |
| We the People Arlington Reads Spring 2020 | Flyer from early 2020 advertising Arlington Public Library's spring author events. The March 10th event was the last live event held at Central Library before COVID-19 pandemic closures. All other events were postponed until later in 2020 and successfully held virtually. |
| WoW card and pin |
Laminated flyer and pin celebrating WoWork's schedule of activities celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The reverse side of the flyer lists their events in 2019 and 2020, some of which were only open to Arlington County employees. WomenWork (WoW or WoWork) is an Arlington County employee group that focuses on attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining exceptional women leaders. |
| Written in Arlington Poetry Book and postcard | Softback copy of and promotional postcard for "Written in Arlington: Poems of Arlington, Virginia," edited by Katherine E. Young. The poets featured in the book live, work, or "spend significant time" in Arlington. Young is Arlington's first Poet Laureate (2016-2018). Donated by Diane Kresh, Director of Libraries. |
| Printed Memo from Mark Schwarz | |
| Copy of Libby Garvey's remarks | |
| Copy of Diane Kresh's remarks | |
| Signed letter from the Committee | |
| Del. Patrick Hope's proclamation | |
| Arlington Chorale Handbook | For the 2020-2021 season |
| American Legion Post 139 | Outline of their activities for 2020, including the demolition of their old building, and plans for their new one |
| Invite for event | |
| Lubber Run CC information | |
| Homelessness statistics | "Point in Time" snapshot of homelessness populations in Arlington, January 2020 |
| "Women Power the Vote" sign | WomenWork (WoW or WoWork) is an Arlington County employee group that focuses on attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining exceptional women leaders. |
| No Frills budget | "Arlington Now" article on the County Board's stripped down budget, created in April 2020 |
| Census information | "Arlington Now" article on 2020 Census results for Arlington |
| 1920 Story Map | Compares 2020 and 1920 census results for Arlington |
| Quaranzine | Issue 3, April 20, 2020 |
| General history of Arlington | Written by staff at the Center for Local History |
| Wifi at Library parking lot | Blog post from library website about service, 4/20/2020 |
| Washington Post | Copy of the Post for 11/19/2021 |
The items will be sealed and deposited in the Arlington Community Archives for preservation and future research.