It's hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since tragedy struck Boston during the city's annual marathon last April. In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, mourners left running shoes, letters, teddy bears, and flowers at the finish line to express their grief. In a few days, the artifacts from the makeshift memorial will go on display at the Boston Public Library.
To honor the three who lost their lives and the 264 injured during the attack, the Boston Public Library will open an exhibition entitled "Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial" on April 7. It will include 150 pairs of running shoes, runner bibs, T-shirts, stuffed animals, posters, and thousands of letters from sympathetic people around the world.
“These objects are a big part of the grieving process and the healing process, but they’re also historically important,” Marta Crilly, an archivist, told Boston Globe. “ . . . what happened at the Marathon is part of our history, and what happened after the Marathon is also part of our history.”
Whether or not there will be a permanent display of these items has yet to be decided. However, Northeastern University has organized an online catalogue of the thousands of letters Boston has received in the past year. Soon, the online archive will also expand to include photos of actual items, too.
The exhibit will be on view until May 11.
[via ArtNetNews]
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