REVEALED: Treasures found in Hidden Collections PACSCL Meeting December 13, 2010
PACSCL/CLIR Hidden Collections Processing Project Process and/or make accessible approximately 200 hidden collections in 23 repositories Minimally process 114 collections (roughly 4,000 linear feet) in roughly 2 hours per linear foot Create EAD finding aids for 82 additional collections (roughly 6,000 linear feet) Create a single access point for these newly created collections and hopefully more
82 Collections Processed From William Nicholson Taylor papers at Haverford College From Schuylkill Navy records at Independence Seaport Museum Academy of Natural Sciences Bryn Mawr College Chester County Historical Society College of Physicians of Philadelphia Drexel University Archives and Special Collections Drexel University College of Medicine Legacy Center Free Library of Philadelphia Haverford College Independence Seaport Museum Library Company of Philadelphia Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Temple University Urban Archives Wagner Free Institute of Science
Now More Accessible Project website: clir.pacscl.org PACSCL finding aids: findingaids.pacscl.org
Project Team cour Megan Good and Forrest Wright Christiana Dobrzynski Grippe and Megan Atkinson Courtney Smerz Eric Rosenzwieg and Laurie Rizzo Garrett Boos Forrest Wright and Leslie O Neill
Today Laurie Rizzo, Horace G. Richards papers at Academy of Natural Sciences Christiana Dobrzynski Grippe, Samuel George Morton papers at Library Company of Philadelphia Courtney Smerz, Samuel X Radbill papers at College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Horace G. Richards (1906-1984)
Repository: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Creator: Richards, Horace Gardiner, 1906-1984 Title: Horace G. Richards papers Date [inclusive]: 1928-1984 Extent: 41 linear feet
His Life
The Collection Correspondence Atlantic Coastal Plains Project (ACPP) International Union of Quaternary Research (INQUA) Annotated Bibliography of Quaternary Shorelines (ABQS) Professional Societies Travel Presentations Radio scripts Writings Academics Certificates Student papers Scrapbooks and newspaper clippings Notebooks Audio Images
Correspondence, Reports, Articles, Bibliographies
Photo Albums, Scrap Books, Note Books...
... And Slides
The Significance
Samuel George Morton (1799-1851) Philadelphia physician and natural scientist Image courtesy American Philosophical Society
Papers from 1832-1851 mostly correspondence (more than 400 letters) ethnology and physical anthropology human skull collection and comparison for racial science
Why I liked the collection Strong ties to Philadelphia Member and President of Academy of Natural Sciences Attended and later taught at the University of Pennsylvania Extensive correspondence covering personal and professional topics Publication process of scientific works notes, research, drafts, sketches
Most importantly
The Morton papers complicated my notion of history. It s easy to dismiss uncomfortable aspects of our past if we don t examine them but history is supposed to be messy!
Samuel X Radbill papers Dr. Rita Smrcka
The Tip of the Collections Iceberg From the Hilles family papers at Haverford From the Bowles family papers at Haverford From the Philadelphia Flower Show slides at Pennsylvania Horticultural Society From the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod records at the Lutheran Theological Seminary From the Evening College records at Drexel University Archives & Special Collections From the Anny Elston papers at Drexel University College of Medicine From the Philadelphia Club of Advertising Women records at Bryn Mawr
Collection Information: Visit our project website (clir.pacscl.org) Many blog posts on specific collections, the project, and minimal processing Manuals, worksheets, methods, etc. Visit the PACSCL finding aids site (finding aids.pacscl.org) Finalized finding aids from 9 repositories (more are being added all the time!)