School history and archives · For anniversary committees, principals and alumni directors
A school anniversary display that lasts long after the celebration
Your anniversary committee gathers decades of photos and memories for one weekend. Put that work on a touchscreen that opens at the celebration and stays in the lobby afterward.
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What is a school anniversary display?
A school anniversary display presents a school’s history, classes and alumni memories for a milestone such as a 50th, 75th or 100th year, usually at the celebration and then in a lobby. With HistoryShowcase, a committee builds it together in a private draft, publishes it before the event and adds photos from the celebration afterward.
Updated
- Made for
- Anniversary committees, principals and alumni directors
- Where schools put it
- The gala or open house, Front lobby, afterward, Invitations and the school website
- Layouts
- Timeline, Honors ledger, Profiles, Photo gallery
- Visitors can filter by
- Decade, Year
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
A year of work shouldn’t end up in a closet
Anniversary committees do a year of work for one weekend. They dig through boxes, borrow photos from alumni, write captions and print poster boards for the gym. After the celebration, the boards go back into a closet, the borrowed photos go home, and the next committee starts over from scratch twenty-five years later.
A school anniversary display gives that work a lasting home. The committee builds it together in a private draft, publishes it in time for the event, and leaves it running in the lobby afterward. Photos from the celebration become its newest chapter, and alumni who couldn’t make the trip can open the same site from wherever they live.
How does a school anniversary display compare with poster boards?
| What matters | Poster boards | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| After the event | Usually packed away in a closet | Keeps running in the lobby |
| Building it as a committee | Boards passed from member to member | Editors work in one shared private draft |
| Borrowed alumni photos | Pinned up, then taken back home | Scanned, returned and still shown |
| Alumni who can’t attend | See it only if they travel | Open the web address from anywhere |
| Look and feel | Handmade and personal | School colors set in the design editor |
What to include in an anniversary display
A timeline of the years
The founding, the buildings, the firsts and the turning points, one story per milestone.
Every graduating class
Each class year in its own row, so every alumnus at the celebration can find their place.
Alumni memories
Short reflections from graduates of different decades, each with a photo from their time at school.
Then and now
Old and current photos of the same classrooms, fields and front steps.
Leaders and longtime staff
Principals, beloved teachers and the custodian who stayed forty years, with what they meant to the school.
The anniversary itself
Photos from the gala, the open house and the assembly, added after the event as the newest chapter.
How to set up an anniversary display
Give each collection to a committee member. A timeline carries the history; profiles hold the memories; a gallery saves the celebration.
Your siteOur Anniversary
- Our yearsTimeline
Key events from the founding to today, one story per milestone.
- Every classHonors ledger
Each graduating year in its own row, with the class motto or a highlight.
- Alumni memoriesProfiles
One profile per graduate who shares a memory, with their class year.
- The celebrationPhoto gallery
Photos from the anniversary weekend, added after the event.
Visitors can narrow it by
- Decade
- Year
How do you prepare a school anniversary display?
Divide the work by collection
Add each committee member as an editor and give them one collection to fill, such as memories or the class list.
Gather alumni photos early
Ask graduates to lend photos well ahead of the event, scan or photograph them, and return the originals.
Publish before the doors open
Look over the whole site on the touchscreen in the private draft, then publish it ahead of the celebration.
Where should an anniversary display go?
- The gala or open houseIn the middle of the room, where alumni gather to find their year.
- Front lobby, afterwardIt keeps running after the decorations come down.
- Invitations and the school websiteShare the web address so alumni can explore before and after the event.
School anniversary display questions
When should our committee start?
As soon as it forms. Collecting photos from alumni takes the longest. You can publish an early version and keep adding, since nothing changes on the screen until someone with publishing access publishes.
Can the whole committee help build it?
Yes. Add members by email as editors, publishers or viewers. Editors work in the private draft, and only people with publishing access can make changes go live.
What happens after the anniversary?
The display stays. Add photos from the event as a new collection and leave it running in the lobby. Archive any stories you no longer want shown; archived stories stay hidden.
Can we start from something ready-made?
Yes. Add the School History or Events & Traditions example pack to see a finished layout, then replace the examples with your own stories. Examples are never published automatically.
Related ideas
Make the anniversary last past the weekend
Free to use. No payment details required.
