Hello! I'm Jayna.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the value of a handwritten recipe passed down from your great-grandmother? Or your parents' wedding invitation? What memories and moments do you want to pass down to your children? I'm here to help you prioritize, organize, and preserve your heirloom family papers and photographs.
I am a professional archivist with over ten years of experience preserving the papers of notable and everyday Americans. I have worked at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution as an employee and more recently as an independent contractor.
As the Memory Archivist, I can find your balance between archival principles, best practices, and the realities of storage, budget, and family. Together, we can protect your family's memories for the next generation to treasure.
Services & Pricing
I've seen a lot, but certainly I haven't seen it all! The best way I can help is with an in-home consultation.
Archival Audit- $150 (up to three hours)
A survey of your family's archival documents. We will dive into Archives 101: what to keep, where to keep it, how to describe it, digitization, supplies, preservation techniques, and space saving measures. After determining your goals, I will provide you with a detailed plan to go forward on your own.
Hourly Archivist - $50
Need extra help and advice? No problem! I will help you finish the project.
Delegate the To-Do List - varies
I will return your family's archival papers and photographs preserved and described, in acid free folders and boxes. We will agree on a flat fee.
Resume
Jayna M. Josefson
Experience
Archivist and Owner
The Memory Archivist, LLC
July 2018 to present
Archivist, Independent Contractor
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
May 2015 to present
Archivist
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
July 2008 to July 2014
Education
M.A. Public History
Wright State University
2006-2008
B.A. History
The College of Wooster
2002-2006
Vital Records
There are living documents in all of our collections. We may acquire birth, marriage, and death certificates; religious milestone documents like baptismal records; passports, identification cards, a stack of old and expired driver’s licenses. Perhaps there is a family bible listing births and deaths of many previous generations. All of these items are useful in their intended function and later as archival records.
Photographs
Often, photos are the richest type of material found in the collection of many families. Photographs depict major milestones in life and smiles (and funny faces) of yesterday. The Civil War tintypes are just as important as the 1990s color prints from Disney World. Certain photographic processes require specialized care and storage for preservation. Let’s find an arrangement for all of your photographs that will allow you find that photo on a moment’s notice without putting unnecessary wear onto the others.
The Written Word
Letters, postcards, and greeting cards are full of happy greetings, sad news, and seemingly mundane but fascinating detail. It shouldn’t be overlooked that return addresses and postmarks contain information too. Perhaps some families have a writer, poet, or diarist. All of this rich text can be accessed and remembered.
Anything Else?
There is no way I could list every type of document or record that could appear in your family’s collection. Whether you have a stack of home movies from vacations or parties; genealogical research; school assignments; address books; recipes; printed materials such as newspapers, magazines, clippings, and books; bills, receipts, and tax records; or souvenirs—we can discuss what your goals are and how to reach them.
About Me
I live in Reston, Virginia with my husband and two children. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, I graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in history and the skills I needed to follow my own path. I earned my masters from Wright State University in Public History. I thought I wanted to work in a museum and fell for archival work on day two of my program. I love the Windsors; a royal wedding is my Super Bowl! When I'm not covering myself in tiny bits of newsprint, you'll find me trying to keep up with the playground and snack demands of my kids.
Family stories and archival materials bring memories back to life. One of the famous photographs in my family is the one of my grandfather and his old high school girlfriend, Betty Johnson in the 1930s. My grandmother held onto it to remind him of his luck. I love it because it is a bit of the man he was before I had the privilege of knowing him. After almost ninety years, it gets to stay! It doesn't matter why you save something, as long as it is in acid-free boxes and folders.
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