Our Marathon Collection

Our Marathon is a crowd-sourced, digital archive of pictures, videos, stories, and social media related to the Boston Marathon bombing.

Abstract: This collection is primarily made up of internet memes from a collection of Boston Marathon memes gathered by Elena Agapie. At the time of the 2013 Boston Marathon, Elena was a research assistant at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard. Elena's collection was part of a larger project on "Topical Meme Sharing," which she has described in greater detail on her own web site: "This research analyzes how images are used to describe events. It particularly focuses on the memes that get generated throughout an event, the sources they come from and the threads of discussion they reflect. Some of the study cases are how memes are used during a Romanian Elections Referendum and the Marriage Equality Campaign." Images were gathered from various social networks and web sites and then displayed on her personal web site (URL at the time: http://elenaagapie.com/partnews/marathonmeme/). A small sample of additional memes and related digital content collected by Our Marathon staff have been added to this collection. Some items in this collection contain images and/or language that may be considered disturbing, profane, vulgar, or otherwise offensive to site visitors. Our Marathon and Northeastern University do not endorse the views or opinions expressed in items: they have been archived because they are part of the larger story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and its aftermath. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Recordings of Boston Police Department scanner activity on Thursday, April 18, 2013, audio footage documenting the response by officers in the wake of the shootout in Watertown with the Tsarnaevs. Boston Police scanner activity became part of the larger media story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings when it became a sought-after source of information on these events by journalists, social media users, and other interested parties. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Nabila Abuljadayel, an undergraduate at Northeastern University, was taking photos at the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15, 2013. Her photographs document the experiences of runners and spectators in this space before and after the bombings. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: In May 2013, the Northeastern University Political Review (NUPR) published collections of photographs taken by some of the organization's members after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. NUPR graciously donated these materials to Our Marathon. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Collection of photographs related to the events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings taken by Our Marathon contributor "Sarah W." Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Almost immediately after the 2013 bombings at the Boston Marathon, a makeshift memorial began to take shape at the police barriers blocking off Boylston Street. Neighbors and visitors left flowers, cards, posters, stuffed animals, and, most notably, sneakers. Only three days after the bombing, Greg Zanis of Illinois built three crosses with the names of Martin Richard, Lu Lingzi, and Krystle Campbell . He drove over 1,000 miles to Boston to place them at the memorial. After the death of Sean Collier on April 18, Kevin Brown, of Brockton, Massachusetts made a fourth cross and brought it to the memorial. On April 22, 2013 immediately before Boylston Street was re-opened, city workers moved the majority of the memorial items to Copley Square, but took some fragile paper items to City Hall to protect them from the elements. Over the next two months, thousands of people added their messages to the continually growing and evolving memorial. In the Spring of 2013, the Boston City Archives gathered these items in order to preserve the historical record of this unprecedented outpouring of support. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of its staff, as well as a generous donation of time and resources made by Iron Mountain, the Boston City Archives has digitized these items. In the Spring of 2014, Our Marathon staff created metadata records for these items and added them to the project's collections. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: After the events of April 15, 2013, the Boston Medical Center received letters, cards, artwork, and other materials intended for survivors receiving medical attention after the bombings. The Boston Medical Center gave Our Marathon a sampling of these materials to add to its collections. Working with Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections, Our Marathon project staff digitized materials, created metadata records, and redacted sensitive material on these items. Physical copies of these materials were then returned to the Boston Medical Center. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Dr. James Schmidt is a Professor of History, Philosophy, and Political Science at Boston University. After the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Dr. Schmidt photographed various scenes across the city of Boston to document various responses to these events: temporary memorials, signs, and other materials. Dr. Schmidt graciously donated these images to Our Marathon. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Almost immediately after the 2013 bombings at the Boston Marathon, letters began pouring into the Mayor's Office from around the world. Often addressed to "The People of Boston" or beginning "Dear Boston," these letters responded to the bombings and subsequent manhunt and often expressed solidarity, love, and hope for the city. Nearly 2,000 letters were sent to the City of Boston from people from all over the world. The letters and cards were collected by the Boston City Archives and then digitized by Iron Mountain, a records management company that generously donated their time and resources to the project. In the Summer of 2014, Our Marathon staff created metadata and redacted personal information on some records. Physical copies of letters are held by the Boston City Archives: Our Marathon's digital collection is a representative sampling of those materials. Expand / collapse toggle

Abstract: Marathon Daffodils was a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, gardeners, cities and towns, businesses, and citizens interested in preserving the spirit of the Boston Marathon and Boston Strong, while embracing the tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring in Boston. Volunteers for Marathon Daffodils have planted over 100,000 daffodil bulbs along the marathon route from Hopkinton to Copley Square. These photos were taken from several of the planting sites in the Fall of 2013. Expand / collapse toggle