ABOUT BIOFILIA PROJECTS

Hello, and welcome! My name is Julia Thomas, and I am a historian, interdisciplinary researcher, writer, and curator. With over 15 years of professional experience developing public memory projects that explore the unexpected, forgotten, and contested moments in American history, I have found that the concept of biophilia captures the spirit of my work. I am always most interested in the human stories and in narratives rooted in curiosity and empathy, since I believe these can help us better understand how things happened, how we can feel more grounded in the realities of today, and how we might begin to see new options for the future.

I emphasize filia, Latin for daughter, to symbolize my deep belief in the forms of intergenerational, hereditary, and unconscious collective memory that pull us all toward the truths of our own lives and the world we live in.

Operating as Biofilia Projects, I offer consulting services for individuals, families, institutions, and communities seeking to uncover the truths of their worlds. I help clients find the stories they may not have even known they were searching for, and the uncanny, humanizing threads that connect them to our broader American history.

I am available to work with you on a range of projects, including:

• Historical exhibition research and curation
• Family history and genealogy
• Land, property, and home histories
• General historical detective work and sleuthing

MY APPROACH

Much like a detective, I focus my work on uncovering and interpreting the lost, hidden, and forgotten aspects of our collective past. From individual and family lineages to institutional and social histories, I explore narratives at every scale (hence the onion logo).

I believe that unearthing the truths of the past—and understanding why they were lost in the first place—can be a form of healing and empowerment. By integrating these truths into our own stories, we create empathy and a deeper ability to see one another’s humanity. My work also challenges accepted historical narratives, re-examining “truths” that are often more complicated than they appear.

My research methodology incorporates archives, oral histories, manuscripts, genealogical resources, and ephemera. I combine this deep curiosity with a “big picture” approach, drawing unexpected connections across space and time. While contemporary technology and digital archives make this work more promising than ever, I balance these tools with rigorous care to ensure accuracy, avoid confirmation bias, and fact-check every discovery.