Primary Sources - a primary source is a document, recorded piece, artifact or other information source directly linked to an event or time period. It is usually produced around the time of the event, but not necessarily. A secondary source is one step removed from a primary source and usually provides interpretation or analysis.
Example: U.S. Civil War
primary sources - The Gettysburg Address, Matthew Brady photograph, Confederate currency
secondary sources - Ken Burns' film series The Civil War, Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative