Week Nine

 

 

 

 

This has been another great week at the Loyola University Archives! I find myself looking forward to coming in, but hating to leave! I have been continuing to go through the original boxes and sort the information into the appropriate files. I have grown from one box to four boxes! I have finished two-thirds of boxes (I just completed box eighteen out of twenty-seven). It amazes me how far I have progressed on this collection - especially when I look back at some of my old pictures. Here are a couple of images of my changing work desk --
        

 

 

This was my work area in the beginning stages of processing the Dorr Felt Collection. These were the original containers, stuffed to the brim with information to sort through. - The white towel on the table is to clean your hands periodically as they become black from the newspaper ink.


 

 

                                             

This is my work area now - you can see the original box on the left and the new files being created to the right. The three little boxes are plastic paper clips. There are many papers that are held together by metal pins or metal paper clips - an archivist's enemy! (Metal can rust) As I separate I remove the offending objects and replace them with plastic paper clips. This way the papers Dorr Felt intended to stay together do - yet with no chance of causing any damage to the sources. You can also see that there are two sizes of folders (acid free) which I use to sort the sources. The long white and yellow strips on the side of the box are used as dividers while filing to create a more efficient system.

                                                

 

 Here is a close up of the filing boxes. You can see that the dividers can be close together or far apart. The ones that are far apart have multiple files of sources. The box on the left contains folders such as parachuting, accidents and deaths, personal correspondence, advertising.... The middle container is some of the flyers - such as Lindbergh, Brock,Schlee, Acoste, Coste, Le Brix, Maitland, and many, many more. Most of the flyers flew in groups. The cox on the right contains more of the flyers, Chicago, and military and pre-war.


 

Week Eight

This week I realized I am half way through - and was sorely disappointed!
     As I have continued to work through the boxes of information, sorting them into files, I have not only been remembering my amazement as I first went through these sources, but continue to feel amazement. As I am filing away I notice different aspects to the sources. Dorr Felt's personal notes have a shaky quality  - and he mainly wrote in pencil. In the newspaper clippings not only are words spelled differently - but also peoples names! One week it may be MacCracken and another McCracken.
 
 

      I am also finding that Dorr Felt collected a lot of everything  and did not necessarily organize it very well. There is information about the Chicago Public Schools, Unions, and business information.Even with all the disorganization of his methods I still find it fascinating that he took the time and effort to pay a company to clip all the articles and pay for the many containers to store the articles, correspondence, advertisements, pamphlets, air mail envelopes, and so forth - as well as the personnel. It has left his proceeding generations with a wealth of information .....    

                         Thank you Dorr Felt!!                                                                    

 

 

 



 

This week I went to the Loyola University Archives page and was perusing the information and I found some very helpful links for anyone who would like more information on the field of archiving -

 

Here are the links (now added to my favorites!)



 

         Society of American Archivists

 

 

        Midwest Archives Conference

 

 

        International Council of Archives

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Week Seven

     This week I continued to file the sources into their appropriate categories. I completed several more boxes and am continually creating more subcategories for the categories. While this process is lengthy I am enjoying all of it. As the weeks go on I find myself enjoying the internship more and more.
     I was also able to help with another aspect of the archivist position this week. The nursing students are having a ceremony and requested some of the sources in the Loyola University Archives to be on presentation. I helped with the process of finding interesting areas to showcase for the display. I also learned how to set up pictures on display.
     While these items are on display an archivist must be present. The process involves finding out what is needed for the display, the preparation of the display, and preparing to deliver everything to the event. Once there, the archivist must set up, stay for the duration of the event, take down the display, and bring everything back to the Loyola University Archives.
     It was fun to learn another area involved in the world of archiving. Learning the essentials of the field is exciting and constantly piques my interest. The role of the archivist is important - and involves much more than just learning  how to categorize, organize, and preserve history for future researchers and generations to enjoy.

Week Six

     This week flew by! I have been steadily working through the boxes, getting each source where it needs to go. The files are quickly filling up with the multitudes of information. As the files fill up I am creating new files that will be subcategories. I continue to be amazed by different things I find (or re-find) throughout the collection. Some of my favorites have been a woman who was cured from being "slow" by flying, one newspaper published before and after pictures - this was definitely a moment that could only take place in the 1920's. There is a file growing on Ford - they had an airline and also manufactured airplanes. Yet the most interesting part is probably the level of competition among the nations to achieve the newest record. Even this competition did not stop them from helping each other. Every time pilots went missing, no matter what country they were from, all the other pilots would fly out to search. Sometimes countries who had ships nearby, when a plane was feared to have gone down in the ocean, would go out to the area and help in the searches.
     Another area of competition was the dirigibles - humungous blimps that carried both passengers and freight. These were also used by the military to explore the Arctic. In the newspapers there are images of the glaciers and I wonder if they are still there or if they have already melted.
     Every week I find myself enjoying this field more and more. The longer I am doing the work, the more efficient I am getting. I no longer just respect the field, but also find myself enjoying multiple aspects of it.