Week Fourteen

     This week I finished creating files for the series. I have begun to divide all of the folders into series. To do this I get  to spread the folders into piles across the gigantic table and use post it notes to label each pile as I go. I am almost finished creating the series. Once this is finished I will continue on with the process and create finding aids. Some of the series will be gigantic, such as aviators. There were two boxes of files just on this topic - not including the women aviators.


     I am amazed at how quickly time has gone by while working at the Loyola University Archives! Each day that I am there I learn new skills and aspects of an archivist's job. I find that the longer I am at the Archives the more I wish I could spend my entire week there. The best part of my experience has been finding out that my goal to work in the archives field is exactly what I want to do in the future.

Week Thirteen

     This has been a very rewarding week - I finally finished the very last container. Now that I have finished putting everything into files I have six boxes of files! In order to make it easier to organize the Dorr Felt Collection into series I have begun to take the files and narrow the subjects into even more files. This process is going quickly and I am able to have a good idea of how the series will be set up. I should be able to work on those soon. Once I have the series set up I will begin to work on finding aids for the collection.

     Working at the Loyola University Archives has taught me many things. The most important being that I love it! I am able to learn about the responsibilities and attributes in the archival field, as well as discuss the field and the available opportunities with experienced archivists. The amount of information, insights, and advice that I have received is invaluable.

Week Twelve

This week I continued the process of sorting the sources into the proper folders. I completed twenty-six of the containers, leaving just one box to finish! I am sharing my space with another worker and between the two of us the space is getting very crowded!

The five filing boxes are mine while the rest is not. I have one more box on the other side. I was so excited to be down to the last box that I took a picture of that as well.

 

 

   As always, there are many interesting things to be found in the boxes. This week its a poem by Rudyard Kipling that was published in the newspaper.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                

                     I love the planes flying around the poem! Here is a close-up of the beginning of the poem -

 

 

As you see from the introduction to the poem plane races were a big deal in the 1920's. Along with the races the collection includes several flyers, both male and female. Not only were the flyers important, but the planes they were flying as well. During the period covered by the collection there were many types of planes created. My favorite is the dirigible.

 

 

I copied this picture from online images. The Graf Zeppelin traveled all over the world, transported people, delivered airmail, and created many records. It is amazing to see how massive these were. The dirigibles were also used for scientific purposes in places such as the Arctic.

 

This has been another great week at the Loyola University Archives. I am not only learning about the career and responsibilities that go with it, but also an appreciation for the 1920's and the incredible growth of aviation that occurred.

Week Eleven

      This week I continued to sort through all of the information in the boxes. I have finished twenty-two boxes so far. That leaves me just five boxes - and I am half way through with one of those. I have had to add another box for my files, now I am up to five of those.
     
      In the Dorr Felt Collection there is one picture so I was able to learn about the differences in  the folders that the pictures are stored in. These folders are even more protective than the normal archiving folder, which is acidic to protect the documents.
    
     Once I am finished separating the boxes I will begin to create finding aids for researchers looking for information. There are so many topics covered in this collection - it will be a challenge....
                                                         and nothing is better than a challenge!

       I find myself amazed every week how much I look forward to going in to the Loyola University Archives. I am getting ready to begin week twelve and I wish it could be week two! Doing this internship at the Loyola University Archives has helped me to realize that my goal of becoming an archivist is perfect for me!

Week Ten

This week I continue to sort the Dorr Felt collection. I emptied a couple more boxes - these ones packed to the point they don't close! As I was sorting into the various folders I couldn't get over the creativity on one hand and the similarity to our own time on the other. Here are a  couple examples...

"The First Airplane Model That Had Feathered Wings, Shown In England"! There are several examples of inventors trying to create more birdlike planes. Here is a close-up of the plane picture

 

 

Another favorite for the future of flying is ships - Literally!

 

 

 

 

Not all of their ideas were so outlandish though. One article is could be a headline in todays news - in fact, I'm pretty sure I recently heard about this on the news!

 

 

Who doesn't want to have a party on a plane with a bunch of electronics? I don't think many people realize that television on airplanes was thought of in the 1920's - that's one of the reasons I love being in the Loyola University Archives. Never again will I look at contemporary and historical times in the same way!

 

Another area I find to be interesting is the pilots themselves. Lindbergh was compared to everyone!

Even Amelia Earhart....

 

 

And another interesting thing about Amelia - she came from Chicago. You would think the city would advertise the fact more - possibly even have an Amelia Earhart day...we could all have a day off to fly airplanes???

 

 

 

I am still enjoying every moment in the Loyola University Archives. Not only do I find out interesting historical facts (and science fiction), but I am gaining real world experience - and loving it! There is nothing better than looking forward to going to work!