Ryan has had extensive training in best archival practices through the University of Missouri Columbia’s Archival Studies Program. He has put these practices into work during his career at the Red Cedar Inn Museum and Visitor Center. Below is a list of archival activities and projects Ryan has or is currently working on; please reach out to him via email with any questions or comments on past or present projects.
Click on the arrow in front of each project to learn more about them.
Photograph Digitization
Ryan has led a team of volunteers on a massive photograph digitization project for the Meramec Valley Historical Society. Ryan and his team have taken high-resolution scans of over 50,000 photographs that range from 1910 through to the present day. Each photo is carefully reviewed to ensure the proper scanning technique is applied and then the digital file is cataloged for later use.
Obituary Records
The Meramec Valley Genealogical Society has gathered over 80,000 obituaries since 1989, all of which belong to residents of the Meramec Valley. Ryan has created a master list that features a search function to allow guests to rapidly search for specific individuals. Once an obituary is entered into this system, the file itself is put into archival sheets in alphabetical order and stored for later use.
Newspaper Organization
One of Ryan’s ongoing projects is the digitization and preservation of several newspapers that operated in the Meramec Valley. These newspapers include the Meramec Valley Transcript, the Tribune, the Missourian, and others. Physical copies are donated to the Red Cedar Inn Museum where Ryan can scan, sort, and store them properly for local schools to use as research tools.
Family Genealogy Records
The Meramec Valley Historical Society has a large collection of family histories that have been compiled over the years. Ryan organizes these histories and creates a master sheet that helps guests locate specific families within the research room.
Ryan Michael Lowry 