Today was a most unusual day in the archives. I experienced two lasts and one first! I took the last bit of ephemera from the Miscellaneous Papers series to the paper conservator and now she can finish making the neat “trinket” box that she has designed. Actually, Anna from the museum, whom you met last week, and Katie both have had a part in this effort. Also, I took the last of the photos from the Photo series to Russ for conservation. He has cleaned, remounted, and housed dozens and dozens of photographs and negatives for me. The “first” to which I refer is that I had a visitor. My daughter Anna flew in from Tennessee and toured the CHL with me!
Anna and Brittany in the open stacks looking for books in Korean and about Korea.
I really thought I would be done with the Correspondence series, today, but I found two more boxes. Much of what remained were greeting cards. I wanted to share with you some of my favorites.
Clockwise: These cards are from 1912, 1909, and 1907.
You also might like to see what happened to letters between America and Great Britain during WWII. Here is one of Hugh C.’s letters home. Click on the image to make it full sized.
If you look closely at the third page, you'll notice that the censor removed so much material, he or she ended up taping Hugh's letter back together.
I promised an update on how the processing was coming. I would say that I am a little more than halfway complete. I labeled all the remaining boxes today with a series name so there will be no more surprises. I also returned the conserved photos to their correct non-photograph series folders and physically arranged the actual Photograph series. These three steps made me feel closer to my goals and soothed my nerves a bit.
The top two shelves are all processed. The bottom shelf will store what I was working on today...the last of the Correspondence series.
By the way, if you were wondering how I am able to work so intensely while so far from home, I am staying with a very good friend and her family, the Blotters, who listen to my stories each evening, ask me how much I processed at the end of each day, and read my blog and share the link with friends. They are the best!
