For the tenth year almost in a row, local historian Greg Keith spent New Year’s recording the Space Needle’s fireworks show with his iPhone, once again sacrificing his personal enjoyment of the present moment for the benefit of future generations.
“It’s a lonely burden to bear, but if I wasn’t here to record this momentous occasion from this exact vantage point, it would forever be lost to the sands of time,” said Keith, vaunted fireworks historian. “Sure, they do this literally every year, and there are thousands of people watching here in person, and several thousand more watching at home as well from a professional live recording. But what of all my Facebook friends and Instagram followers? My sweet Snapchatters? My tender TikTokers? What of the future generations searching YouTube for “authentic iPhone7 2023 Space Needle New Years Fireworks 20 blocks away”? Imagine your own child clutching to your pant leg some day, their eyes full of wonder, as they say, ‘Papa, what of the great fireworks displays of yore? Perhaps, very specifically, at the Space Needle as the year crested 2022? Oh, if only we could have been there, my short little life would be complete. Alas, it was never recorded…’ I bet you’d like to have a tinny sounding phone recording of fireworks then, wouldn’t you?”
As fireworks displays have become more commonplace over the years, a dedicated cabal of firework historians have worked furiously to capture these unique annual public events.
“I’m just glad there are passionate historians willing to brave the cold and crowds to document these precious explosions for posterity,” said Paige Guillon, chapter president of the Guild of iPhone Firework Historians. “Can you imagine being able to re-watch the Lake Eerie 4th of July Fireworks show of ‘88? Or the inaugural Sydney Opera House New Year’s Eve fireworks show of ‘76? Our mission is to ensure that no fireworks display shall ever be lost to the turning pages of history ever again. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I’ve actually come to prefer how these raucous explosions are reduced to a weightless crackle through the dim light of the iPhone screen.”
As for New Year’s resolutions, the Guild of Firework Historians plans on archiving even more amateur recordings of all life experiences through a new partnership with the Guild of iPhone Concert Historians.
