The Hirschi Herald is a digital archive devoted to preserving the handwritten journals of Grandma and Grandpa Hirschi. It transforms fragile, century-old cursive manuscripts into a calm, searchable reading experience the whole family can enjoy. Pages once locked away in attic boxes are now brought together in one place, faithfully transcribed and carefully dated.
The archive is built for the extended Hirschi family — children, grandchildren, cousins, and the generations still to come. Anyone with a connection to the family can browse the volumes, follow events along a visual timeline, search the journals for names and places, and read side-by-side views of the original handwriting alongside its transcription. It is a quiet, intimate space meant for remembering, not for scrolling.
We build and maintain The Hirschi Herald as a family project, with volunteer effort from relatives who care about keeping these records intact. Transcriptions are refined collaboratively, and where handwriting is difficult, an extra set of eyes is always welcome. Our goal is simple: that the voices recorded in these pages remain readable, findable, and loved for many years to come.
Faithful to the original
Every entry is paired with its source scan so the handwriting is never far away.
Searchable by all
Find names, places, and phrases across every volume in seconds.
Built by the family
Maintained by relatives as a shared labor of love, not a product.
Calm by design
A book-like, distraction-free reading room, modeled on a 1940s newspaper.