Why this exists
An artist's history goes far beyond their official releases. It lives in old photographs, deleted posts, merchandise, videos, obscure websites, collabs, and countless other details.
Much of this knowledge is scattered across the internet or held by people in their memory. As websites disappear, accounts are deleted, and communities move on, parts of that history disappear with them.
Modeseum exists to bring this knowledge together, preserve what we can, and make it accessible to everyone. This knowledge gives future generations of artists more to discover, draw inspiration from, and build on. It also allows fans to explore the connections and stories behind the artists and culture they care about.
The goal is to create a platform that becomes more complete and more useful with every contribution. A place where anyone can explore an artist's work, understand its history, and discover the connections between it all.
How it works
Modeseum is organised around artists and collectives, bringing together releases, merch, posts, images, videos, and other material into a connected archive.
Records contain information, media, sources, and links to related material. Connections between records are a vital part of Modeseum, and allow an interconnected graph of knowledge.
Anyone can contribute missing records, make corrections, add sources, or improve existing information.
Contributions are reviewed, and information should continue to evolve as new evidence emerges.
Who's behind it
Modeseum was founded by myself (Tom) and is being built as a collaborative project by a small team.
Alongside developing and maintaining the platform, building the archive involves researching material, reviewing submissions, verifying information, and working with contributors from the communities it documents.
The ambition is bigger than any one person. Modeseum is built to grow through the collective knowledge and efforts of the people who care about preserving this history.
Get involved
There's always more to discover, document, and preserve.
If you know something that's missing, have information to add, or notice something that needs correcting, contribute to the archive. The contributor community is the reason Modeseum exists.
For questions, feedback, issues, or anything else, please feel free to get in touch!