Exploring The Power of Pre-Adoptive Artifacts

By Ellen Reeve

The objects in our lives can help tell our stories: who we were, who we are, and who we could become.

For adoptees, even the smallest artifact from before adoption can feel like a fragile bridge to our beginnings, a tangible clue to identity that words or records alone can’t capture.

Ellen Reeve understands the power of these objects on many levels. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from Lesley University, where she focused on the power of pre-adoptive artifacts—photos, documents, letters, and personal heirlooms—to illuminate adoptee identity. She also is an Adoptee Mentoring Society 2025 Ambassador.

Her article “The Archeology of Adoption: The Danger and Power of Secrets,” appears in Adoption Quarterly. (Ellen Reeve (08 Sep 2025): The Archeology of Adoption: The Danger and Power of Secrets, Adoption Quarterly, DOI: 10.)

From the abstract:

“Adoption narratives often merge fact and fiction, leaving gaps in identity. My own story includes six undocumented months between birth and adoption. This research advances adoption studies by examining how pre-adoptive artifacts illuminate hidden truths. Guided by material engagement theory, I conducted a qualitative study with 12 adults, ages 21–68, all adopted in childhood under closed settings. Over four months, we analyzed records, birth certificates, letters, photographs, birthmarks, clothing, and DNA results. This critical engagement revealed concealed dimensions of identity and origin, deepening adoptees’ understanding of self, beliefs, values, relationships, and cultural narratives.”

By documenting the ways adoptees engage with pre-adoptive artifacts, Ellen affirms what many in our community have long felt: the smallest traces of our origins matter. Her work ensures adoptee voices are heard, valued, and respected in both scholarship and society.