Linfield’s archivist and student technicians are preserving rich history in the Linfield Archives. They are also documenting the fascinating story of the wine industry of the state through the Oregon Wine History Archive

Mileham, Mardi

English

DigitalCommons@Linfield

Linfield Magazine Volume 9 Number 3 Winter 2013 Article 5 Winter 2013 Discovering Linfield's Hidden Treasures Mardi Mileham Linfield College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine Recommended Citation Mileham, Mardi (2013) "Discovering Linfield's Hidden Treasures," Linfield Magazine: Vol. 9 : No. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine/vol9/iss3/5 This article is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. 6  -  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  Winter 201313-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  6 2/11/13  1:41 PMWinter 2013  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  -  7Discovering Linfield’s hidden treasuresArchivist Rachael Woody’s excitement is palpable as she leads visitors into the archives. Motors from the climate control system send out a constant hum, keeping the temperature below 67 degrees and the humidity around 35 percent to protect the miles of photographs, documents and artifacts housed in the 1,274-square-foot room. Motorized shelves stretching more than 11 feet in the air move at the push of a button, chugging along tracks to open different sections of the archives to unveil another aspect of history.  The archives is not a stale, dank place. It is teeming with activity and serves as a laboratory for students, who work side-by-side with Woody to explore, catalog and document a mountain of material that has been collected over Linfield’s history. Curiosity is an innate attribute of each of the four students who serve as archive technicians. “They love the mystery in history and have an affinity for immersing themselves in the connections between Linfield’s past and present,” Woody said. A section in a student thesis titled “Linfield’s Victory Bell” caught the attention of Jeremy Odden ’15 and led him on a quest to see if the bell still existed. The brief entry documented the history of a bell that hung in Pioneer Hall for over 100 years. It signaled athletic victories and successful fund drives until a crack was discovered in 1961.  Entering the Linfield College Archives is like opening a treasure chest.You might not find gold or silver, but you will find irreplaceable riches. Like a hand-painted Wildcat tie, made for the late Win Dolan, professor and president emeritus. Two books that date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Others that chronicle the history of the Pacific Northwest and the people who settled here including those of the Baptist faith. Hundreds of theses written by former Linfield students, dating back to 1917. There are dolls and nursing uniforms from the former Good Samaritan School  of Nursing and thousands of photographs tracing the 155 years of Linfield College. And the newest gem – the Oregon Wine History Archive, documenting the history of the wine industry in Oregon.Making information accessible In addition to material that is uploaded to DigitalCommons@Linfield, Woody and the students use  social media and the web, including a Tumblr page (linfieldarchives.tumblr.com/) and a Historypin project (historypin.com/channels/view/8284201/) using Google technology to make information more accessible. For example, images of the Old Oak have been pinned to Google maps so people can see the historic images next to the Google-provided images. Students post weekly updates on their projects on the Tumblr page to provide transparency, chronicle their evolution in a professional capacity, and to get feedback into how the public is interpreting and interacting with the collection. Archivist Rachael Woody, left, stands in the Linfield Archives special collections section that holds the oldest material, some of which dates back to the 15th century. Linfield has one of the best collections of Baptist history in the region, which includes Bibles, hymnals, missionary reports and publications dating back to the 1850s. Inset: Four student technicians work with Woody including, clockwise from left, Mitra Haeri ’14, Jeremy Odden ’15, Terran Sobel-Smith ’15 and Julian Adoff ’16. 13-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  7 2/13/13  11:35 AM8  -  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  Winter 2013This scrapbook with a hand-painted cover from the early 1900s is just one example of books, artifacts and other collectibles that have been donated to the Linfield archives. The scrapbook includes a variety of materials (inset) including invitations, dance cards, programs, photos and clippings. Since Rachael Woody joined the staff, more alumni are donating materials to the archives, providing a rich new angle of Linfield history from the alumni perspective.Right: Dick Erath, left, and Terran Sobel-Smith ’15 review materials that Erath has donated to be included in the Oregon Wine History Archive. The Erath Family Foundation has provided financial support for the Oregon Wine History Project, which was launched to preserve the papers and other materials from the pioneers who established the Willamette Valley wine industry in the 1970s. Numerous photos and slides (inset) have been donated and are being digitized and identified for inclusion in the digital archives.The bell was removed from the Pioneer Bell Tower in the 1970s and disappeared into obscurity. Now, thanks to Odden’s diligence, the restored bell is on display in Riley Hall.   Students are getting graduate-level experience in an undergraduate setting. Woody, who did a four-year stint at the Smithsonian Institution, is teaching the students everything she learned in graduate school and on the job.“It’s very rigorous, and they are very much up to learning it, ” she said. “We have tried to harness their passion.”Because archivists operate under the “do no harm” philosophy, Woody and the students do nothing to a document or object that could cause more harm in the future. Much of the work is minimal – removing rusty paper clips or staples – but some is far more involved. Any documents with mold must be isolated so the mold doesn’t spread. Buffer paper is inserted between many papers to aid preservation. Students learn how to repair torn documents using Japanese tissue paper to create a stronger bond.  Once a collection has been sorted, organized and catalogued, documents are placed in labeled folders and filed in special archival boxes. Students create a finding aid, a massive online document that provides detailed descriptions of the collection’s contents. Other materials, such as maps and photographs, are also digitized and uploaded to the DigitalCommons@Linfield, making them accessible to the public and researchers.  Linfield has been very mindful of its own history, collecting and storing materials for more than 150 years. But it’s also aware of the greater community. One portion of the archives has been dedicated to the Oregon Wine History Archive (OWHA), an example of how Linfield also takes ownership of local history, Woody said.     “The Oregon wine industry’s history could go undocumented if Linfield didn’t step in,” she said. “The traditional view is that something isn’t history until it’s at least 50 or 100 years old. Here we are actively collecting contemporary documents showing where the wine industry is going and   decisions that they are making now. It’s a nice paradigm shift in my own profession and one that I think is really smart on Linfield’s part.” More wine history donations are continually sought and Woody has oral commitments from eight new donors who are expected to yield more materials early this year.13-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  8 2/14/13  3:43 PMWinter 2013  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  -  913-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  9 2/11/13  1:41 PM1 0  -  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  Winter 2013Changing directionsTerran	Sobel-Smith	’15	wasn’t	looking	for	a	life-changing	experience	when	he	applied	to	be	an	archive	technician.	He	was	just	looking	for	a	summer	job.	 This,	like	most	of	his	Linfield	experiences,	was	serendipitous.		“Most	of	my	opportunities	have	not	been	planned	or	even	expected,”		he	said.	His	work	on	the	wine	history	archive	and	at	the	International		Pinot	Noir	Celebration	is	opening	new	doors.	Having	met	wine	makers	from	around	the	world,	he’s	now	contemplating	spending	time	in	Burgundy,	France,	to	learn	first	hand	about	winery	management.			 Reading,	scanning	and	digitizing	documents	and	photos	from	the	Linfield	archives	and	from	the	various	wine	collections,	has	brought	history	to	life	for	Sobel-Smith.	 “These	are	real	people,	there	are	real	experiences	behind	these	materials,”	he	said.	One	of	his	favorite	finds	was	a	touching	letter	to	Dick	Ponzi	from	his	daughter.																		 “When	I	meet	the	wine	pioneers,	they	are	30	years	older	than	the	photos	I’ve	been	working	with,	so	it	really	brings	me	back	in	time,”	he	added.	“In	the	archives	it’s	easy	to	get	lost,	you	forget	what	era	you	are	living	in	because	you	live	within	a	certain	time	frame.”	 Mitra	Haeri	’14	said	that	the	archives	add	a	historical	element	to	her	education.	 “That’s	the	nice	thing	about	being	at	a	small	school,	you	can	combine	things	to	find	that	special	niche	you	want,”	she	said.	 Haeri	has	continued	research	begun	by	Rosa	Gimson	’12	who	organized	the	current	exhibit	on	display	at	the	Linfield-Good	Samaritan	School	of	Nursing	in	Portland.	The	photographs	have	given	Haeri	an	inside	view	of	the	changes	in	the	medical	field	and	nursing	profession	over	the	past	100	years.		At right, Mitra Haeri ’14 carefully handles the oldest item housed in the archives special collections. It is a detached leaf from a 15th century French Book of Hours. It is written in a fine Gothic hand on creamy vellum, with alternating initials of blue and burnished gold decorated with fine line penwork. Above, clockwise from top left, other artifacts include a ceremonial medallion worn by the president at commencement and other events; a leaf from the French Book of Hours; planting notes from a vineyard manager in the Dundee Hills; and a hand-painted tie that was presented to Win Dolan, former professor, dean and interim president. What’s in the archives?The	Linfield	College	Archives		still	holds	a	great	deal	of	mystery,	with	only	between	5	and	10	percent	of	the	collection	closely	examined.		 It	houses	a	diverse	assortment	of	materials.	The	oldest	is	a	leaf	from	a15th	century	French	“Book	of	Hours,”	written	in	a	fine	Gothic	hand	on	creamy	vellum.	Another	is	a	printed	“Book	of	Hours”	from	the	early	16th	century	by	the	Parisian	printer	Antoine	Verard.	There	are	Baptist	Bibles,	hymnals,	missionary	reports	and	publications	dating	from	the	1850s	through	World	War	II.	Linfield	has	one	of	the	best	collections	of	Baptist	history	in	the	region.	Other	old	volumes	cover	topics	such	as	slavery,	immigration	and	women’s	roles.	There	are	student	scrap-books	from	1901	and	class	registers	going	back	to	1890.	A	flour	sack	reading	“Go	to	College,”	which	hung	on	poles	around	town,	is	one	example	of	student	recruitment.		 A	large	section	of	the	archives	houses	college	presidential		papers,	including	dozens	of	boxes	of	correspondence,	programs	and	documents	for	ceremonies,	minutes	of	meetings,	menus	for	dinners	and	special	events.	There	are	thousands	of	photographs	covering	the	history	of	the	college,	some	of	which	have	been	identified,	catalogued	and	digitized	and	others	that	are	waiting	to	be	processed.	About	250	historical	photos	have	been	digitized	and	are	located	on	the	DigitalCommons@Linfield.	 Since	Woody	joined	the	staff	in	2011,	a	number	of	alumni	have	donated	photos,	scrapbooks,	and	fraternity	and	sorority	paddles	used	for	pledging	back	in	the	1950s.		 “Materials	that	have	never	been	in	the	archives	before	are	finding	their	way	here	and	adding	a	nice	new	angle	to	Linfield’s	history	from	an	alumni	perspective,”	Woody	said.	“You have to be meticulous in the archives because if you have anything wrong, it could throw people off for the next 30 years.”13-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  10 2/13/13  11:38 AMWinter 2013  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  -  1 113-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  11 2/11/13  1:41 PM1 2  -  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  Winter 2013	 “The	medical	process	has	changed	so	much	and	what	I	find	in	the	photographs	is	so	strange	and	different	that	I’m	getting	an	insight	into	a	very	different	world,”	Haeri	said.	Skills that transferGimson	’12,	who	organized	the	nursing	exhibit	from	start	to	finish,	has	put	the	skills	she	learned	to	use	in	AmeriCorps.	She’s	assigned	to	the	REACH	Project	in	Seattle	working	to	improve	the	lives	of	individuals	who	are	chronically	homeless	or	face	drug	and	alcohol	addiction.	Her	technical	skills	and	ability	to	write	reports	and	proposals	have	allowed	her	to	take	the	lead	on	projects.		 “My	work	in	the	archives	showed	me	that	I	love	working	with	projects	and	planning,”	she	said.	“I	am	looking	at	graduate	schools	and	I	am	seriously	thinking	about	nonprofit	management	or	public	administration	–	interests	I	had	not	previously	explored.”	 Odden	has	learned	the	importance	of	accuracy	after	working	on	the	Sokol	Blosser	winery	collection,	consisting	of	25	linear	feet	of	materials.		 “You	have	to	be	meticulous	in	the	archives	because	if	you	have	anything	wrong,	it	could	throw	people	off	for	the	next	30	years,”	he	said.	 Sobel-Smith	also	tackled	some	of	the	thousands	of	photos	in	the	Linfield	archives,	matching	photos	to	a	series	of	index	cards.	And	while	the	work	can	sometimes	be	tedious,	it’s	given	him	a	sense	of	something	much	larger.		 “You	feel	you	know	the	collection	as	an	entity	or	person	because	there	is	so	much	information.	It’s	been	very	insightful	for	me	to	live	within	history,”	he	said.	“The	most	important	thing	about	the	archives	is	that	it	is	much	larger	than	yourself.	It’s	little	pieces	of	people	and	when	you	put	them	together	it’s	a	huge	collection	of	memories	and	experiences.”		 Haeri	said	processing	documents	has	honed	her	research	skills.	“I’m	gaining	an	understanding	of	how	to	look	at	documents	and	evaluate	how	they	might	be	useful,”	she	said.		“I	think	about	the	scholarly	process	and	what	would	be	the	easiest	way	for	people	to	find	what	they	are	searching	for.”		 Julian	Adoff	’16	splits	his	time	between	the	archives	and	the	Linfield	Center	for	the	Northwest.	He’s	working	closely	with	Woody	and	Jeff	Peterson,	LCN	director	and	associate	professor	of	sociology,	conducting	research,	assisting	with	oral	histories	and	creating	exhibits.	He	is	currently	researching	the	influence	of	Latinos	in	the	wine	industry	for	an	exhibit	at	the	2013	International	Pinot	Noir	Celebration	at	Linfield	in	July.		 Adoff	is	finding	the	work	may	re-shape	his	future.		 “I	came	in	with	a	very	solid	idea	that	I	wanted	to	teach	and	that’s	changed,”	he	said.	Now	he	may	be	interested	in	pursuing	archival	work	as	well	as	digital	publishing.	His	latest	project	is	to	bring	back	the	Linfield	yearbook,	but	to	publish	it	digitally.		 With	more	treasures	still	waiting	to	be	discovered,	Woody	anticipates	plenty	of	interesting	and	engaging	work	in	the	archives	will	await	students	for	generations	to	come.– Mardi Mileham“The most important thing about  the archives is that it is much larger than yourself. It’s little pieces of  people and when you put them together it’s a huge collection of memories and experiences.”Funding the Linfield Archives	 The	Oregon	Wine	History	Archive	(OWHA)	had	its	origins	in	a	project	of	the	Linfield	Center	for	the	Northwest	(LCN)	in	2010.	 Students	and	faculty	chronicled	the	growth	and	development	of	Oregon’s	wine	industry	and	mounted	an	exhibit,	“Bringing	Vines	to	the	Valley,”	with	support	from	the	Erath	Family	Foundation.	Video	interviews	with	winemakers,	photos,	land-use	planning	maps	and	other	historical	records	were	included	in	the	temporary	exhibit	and	made	permanently	available	through	DigitalCommons@Linfield.	 The	OWHA,	housed	at	Nicholson	Library,	was	launched	in	2011	to	preserve	the	papers	and	other	materials	from	the	pioneers	who	established	the	Willamette	Valley	wine	industry	in	the	1970s.	Grants	from	the	Erath	Family	Foundation	and	the	Oregon	Cultural	Trust	have	supported	preservation	and	program	activities.	Contributions	from	alumni	and	wine	industry	leaders	provided	initial	funding	for	the	college	archivist.	Endowments	are	sought	to	fund	the	position	on	a	permanent	basis.		 OWHA	continues	to	solicit	and	receive	materials	from	vineyards	and	wineries	throughout	Oregon	and	seeks	funding	to	support	students	and	projects	described	in	the	accompanying	article.		 “The	Linfield	archives	is	a	tapestry	of	all	of	Linfield’s	past,	that	includes	photographs,	yearbooks,	newspapers,	alumni	magazines	and	presidential	papers,”	said	Susan	Barnes	Whyte,	director	of	Linfield	libraries.	“What	makes	Linfield’s	archives	unique	is	the	Oregon	Wine	History	Archive	because	we’re	looking	towards	the	future	by	collecting	the	documents,	maps,	journals,	photographs	and	publicity	that	paint	the	picture	of	this	signature	Oregon	industry.”	 LCN	and	the	OWHA	continue	to	utilize	faculty	and	students	to	collect	oral	histories	from	winemakers	and	produce	exhibits	relating	to	the	wine	industry	for	events	such	as	the	International	Pinot	Noir	Celebration	held	annually	at	Linfield.13-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  12 2/13/13  11:38 AMWinter 2013  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e   -  1 3Rachael Woody and Terran Sobel-Smith ‘15 review slides that will be identified, digitized and archived. Numer-ous slides and photographs have been reviewed and archived in the Oregon Wine History Archive. Student technicians have started working on the thousands of Linfield photos that have been collected and stored over the years, including many dating back to when the college was chartered. About 250 photographs chronicling the history of the School of Nursing have been digitized and added to the DigitalCommons@Linfield. As other college photos are identified and digitized, they will also be added and available for public viewing. 13-0021 LC_Magazine_27.indd  13 2/11/13  1:42 PM

Discovering Linfield\u27s Hidden Treasures

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Discovering Linfield\u27s Hidden Treasures

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