Kingsport: Love the One You’re With

Or, maybe what I should title this post is “Life after the Spoden Collection.” Not every collection is going to be filled with early American history or WWII love letters (or both) but in order to learn enough about a collection so that you can help future patrons and in order to take proper care of a collection that you are processing, you have to appreciate it. You even have to come to like it.

This week I started processing a new collection that will be titled The Business and Professional Women’s Club, KCMC 541. There is one large box of file folders and another of scrapbooks. The first scrapbook that I looked at is going to require some extensive conservation (remove rusty items, remove flammable matches!) and we’re not sure how it will end up surviving the process. So, we thought it would be a good idea to scan it, first. The pages have a lot of three dimensional items on them, like the aforementioned match books, pins, and even a braid of tobacco. The scans turned out better than we ever thought they would.

I decided to share one of my favorite items from this first scrapbook. A little memento from WWII created by the Office of Civilian Defense.

OCD cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

This might be my favorite page. Since the US has an entire army to clothe you might be stuck with a bad fashion choice for the duration!

 

Most rumors are started by Hitler’s spies, so don’t spread them!

It’s a conspiracy. Some how being good at home is going to help children in France win the war.

For the most part, the booklet was easy to read, understand, had ideas that were easy to implement, and was cleverly drawn. But I really look forward to learning more about how  women in East Tennessee sought educational opportunities for themselves and networked to help other women earn a living and gain respect.

I think I am going to love my new collection. It will be an Archiventure!

 

 

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