Mennonite memories of Pelee Island, Ontario, 1925–1950

Our research team documented the experiences of Russian Mennonite immigrants who settled on Pelee Island in the province of Ontario, Canada, between 1925 and 1950. We collected more than 200 historic photographs from over 60 former islanders or their families; interviewed 8 former residents of the Pelee Mennonite community; and synthesized selected photographs and stories into a virtual museum exhibit. Our experience of asking participants to respond to photographs of the Pelee Mennonite community prompted the provisional framework described in this article. This framework offers 8 possibilities for categorizing the stories that emerge when researchers bring photographs (or other visuals) into the inquiry. This article demonstrates the framework using stories from our Pelee Mennonite inquiry. The framework is a starting point for other researchers to use or further develop as the attention given to the visual in narrative inquiry continues to grow.