Lowell Sun Photography Collection - Southeast Asian Cultures and Persons
[1983-1990]

The Lowell Sun Photography Collection - Southeast Asian Cultures and Persons Collection documents the rich cultural tapestry of Southeast Asian communities in Lowell, including Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian, and people of the Philippines.  These diverse images are drawn from the annual National Folk Festival events, as well as from photographs showcasing Southeast Asian children, students, entertainers, dancers, musicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, and women's rights advocates, highlighting their engagement with the Lowell community.

This digital collection is only a small sample of the much larger Lowell Sun Photography Collection, owned by the Lowell Historical Society, housed at the Center for Lowell History.  The overall collection contains over 20,000 images, most which can only be accessed in person, by appointment, at the Center. These images were originally captured by Lowell Sun photographers to accompany newspaper stories. Photographers frequented local businesses and events to capture what life looked like in Lowell at the time.

Please Note: The selection of images in this digital collection was primarily based on the probability of featuring members of the Southeast Asian community, primarily determined by their names.  In cases where a direct link to Southeast Asian culture was less evident, photos were chosen based on naming conventions specific to their respective cultures.  We understand that this method may not always be accurate, and welcome any feedback as to images that may be unrelated.  Images include members of the Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian, and people of the Philippines communities, among others.

If you are interested in seeing the many other images in this collection that have not been digitized, please contact the Center for Lowell History to make an appointment.