36th Annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest

2020 Theme:  "Peek into Your Past!"

The Los Altos Historical Commission and the Los Altos History Museum are co-sponsoring the 36th annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest, open to third- through sixth-graders who live in the area and/or attend local schools.

A photograph can capture a moment in time and preserve it for future generations. Photos help us remember special occasions, loved ones, and family traditions. J. Gilbert Smith, an orchardist who built the 1905 Smith House at the Los Altos History Museum, was also a photographer. Mr. Smith and his wife, Margaret, enjoyed traveling around California photographing the natural beauty of our state. A few examples of his photography and cameras of the time will be on display in the upstairs gallery of the Smith House from mid-January through early spring. If you wish to visit, the Museum and the Smith House are open Thursday-Sunday, from 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Do you enjoy looking at photographs of when you were young? Have you seen photos of your parents, grandparents or other loved ones from years past? Were those photos in color or in black and white? Are these photos in frames, in albums, or on your parents' cell phones? How do these photographs help to tell your family's story?

The deadline to submit essays is March 6. Public school students should submit their entries to Los Altos School District teachers. For the detailed essay prompt, click here. For the essay rubric, click here. For the cover sheet, click here.

For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org.