Gurr, Steve

English

DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University

Georgia ArchiveVolume 3 | Number 1 Article 5January 1975Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of anHistorian/ArchivistSteve GurrGeorgia Southwestern CollegeFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archivePart of the Archival Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in GeorgiaArchive by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@kennesaw.edu.Recommended CitationGurr, Steve, "Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/Archivist," Georgia Archive 3 no. 1 (1975) .Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archive/vol3/iss1/5COLLECTING FOR CLIO -----THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN HISTORIAN/ARCHIVIST Steve Gurr In the swmner of 1973 an ambitious, but in many re-spects ill-defined, project was begun at Georgia Southwestern College. The project, the Southwestern Historic Inventory, was the outgrowth of a proposal designed to join local his-torical society interests, national funding sources for lo-cal historical society projects, undergraduate and graduate students interested in local history and what appeared to be an obvious local need for the location, cataloging, and col-lecting of the resources in the field of local history. The Southwestern Historic Inventory sought to draw out and to make available information on and locations of the historical sources for the eight southwestern Georgia counties comprising the Middle Flint Area Planning and De-velopment Commission. Georgia history students, assigned in groups to individual counties, were to seek out sources of historical data--maps, photographs, manuscripts, local printed histories, as well as church records, official county and city documents, data on historic sites, and legends and folk tales--whatever might help document the past of any given community. The Sumter Historic Preservation Society made a generous grant for the project with the understanding that efforts for Sumter County would include building a local collection in Americus for the Society. A local his-tory archive then became an important secondary goal. Having determined in general terms what to look for, methods were formulated for reaching the desired objectives. During the swmner of 1973 student teams were assigned Dr. ~urr is a member of the History Department at Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Director of the Southwestern Historic Inventory, and a member of the Editorial Board of GEORGIA ARCHIVE. 30 1Gurr: Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/ArchivistPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 1975Photos - Post Cards -Letters - Maps - Etc. Information about especially the downtown area and the Windsor. The Sumter Historic Preservation Society and tl'\e South· western Historic Inventory are seeking the above items which illustrate what Americus was like in the past. We do not want to keep these items but are interested in making copies for our collections about the history of the area. We would be most interested in interviewing people who have special recollections about the city or the county. If you have items or information about items that we might examine please contact: Steve Gurr Phone: 924-6111, ext. 264 Or write % Division of Social Science Ga. Southwestern College Americus, Ga. 31709 Advertisement for Southwestern Historic Inventory, from Americus Times-Recorder, September 4, 1973. 2Georgia Archive, Vol. 3 [1975], No. 1, Art. 5https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archive/vol3/iss1/5counties with lists of suggested types of materials to in-vestigate, When feasible, students personally visited connnunities, but in some instances individual students made inquiries through correspondence with county officials and with state-level sources such as the state archives. In two of the counties students made photographs of historic sites and copied manuscripts and other photographs. Elsewhere, connnunity citizens were concerned about materials being taken outside the connnunity. For every county, certain specific categories of . information could be reported with a high degree of regu-larity and finality. It was possible to check off the loca-tion of extant microfilm copies of newspapers, printed local histories, public library holdings in local history, and official county and city records, all of which were housed in repositories or offices open to the public. A similar situation existed for church records, although there were instances of lost records or hearsay evidence that could not be definitely corroborated. As expected, it was the private holdings which most frequently eluded the search teams. A few old photographs surfaced, copies of letters were occa-sionally shared, and tips on individuals who had or knew of important sources were forthcoming. For the most part, how-ever, in the good old southern tradition, the prominent fam-ily of the connnunity kept to itself, reluctant to share or even to acknowledge its hidden treasures. In Sumter County, a public request for records was made through a newspaper advertisement in hopes of bringing privately-held sources to the surface. The attractively designed and prominently displayed appeal in a small, widely read local newspaper resulted in but two responses. In retrospect, the impersonal nature of the appeal may have done more .harm than good for the project effort. The per-sonal identification of the project director seemed to be the most effective means of unearthing fugitive materials in Sumter County. No amount of impersonal solicitation could do the work of a short conversation between the direc-tor and local sources. In the end, results from the several counties were uneven, leading to some confusion on the part of the student participants, and thus, no doubt, weakening our effectiveness. At present only a cursory compilation of our findings for three of the four counties of the study has been made. More attention, however, has been given to the fourth, Sumter 32 3Gurr: Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/ArchivistPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 1975County. This attention derives from the peculiar relation-ship of Sumter County to the project. A major adjunct to the initial project became the effort to establish an archive of local history for the Sumter Historic Preservation Society. In this connection, attempts were made to secure photocopies of materials relating to the history of the county as they were uncovered in the larger survey. The meager beginnings of the archives have fallen into two major categories: archival materials relating to the Society itself, being the "self-creating" portion of our collection, and the local history collection, encompass-ing a wide variety of materials, but as yet lacking signifi-cant depth. Through the cooperation of Georgia Southwestern College, these materials are housed in the rare book and map room of the James Earl Carter Library. The "self-creating" category includes clippings files of newspaper accounts of Society activities and pro-jects, copies of the newsletter, legal documents relating to the incorporation of the Society and the securing of its tax-exempt status, by-laws, certificates of recogpition for Society activities, awards and plaques, and finally, corre-spondence files and minutes of meetings. This portion of the archive is obviously the most manageable and complete, and in the long run may well be the Society's most signifi-cant archival effort. With its interest in local history, the archives has accumulated an interesting assortment of "remembrances of things past." The major divisions of the local history col-lection are: manuscripts, tapes, color slides of existing and recently-demolished sites, maps, historic publications, photographs, local publications revealing of the past, his-tory oriented clippings, and two special family collections--the Stephen Pace Collection, donated by the widow of the late Congressman from the Third District, and the Eldridge Col-lection, a gift of Eldridge descendants in the community. Both of the family collections include a variety of photo-graphs, manuscripts, memorabilia, and printed materials. These are considered unified collections, and the components are not housed in the various physical subcategories of the general collection. A portion of the archival holdings includes items that fit somewhere between "self-creating" and local history materials. Among these are research notes on a hooklet 33 4Georgia Archive, Vol. 3 [1975], No. 1, Art. 5https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archive/vol3/iss1/5history of the Windsor Hotel, a local turn-of-the-century landmark, as well as research files for the homes of our annual spring tour of homes. Tour brochures and copies of the Windsor booklet are included in this section. The survey project and the effort to establish an archive generated problems which should be discussed for the benefit of those considering similar efforts . As the pro-ject unfolded, the participants were both impressed and dis-mayed to find that solutions to problems often led to yet other problems. The entire process unfortunately became an exercise in trial and error. Six of the problems proved to be especially difficult. 1. Basic was the task of getting hidden sources out in the open. The project, for the most part, did not call for the surrender of valued family treasures or imagined treasures. Searchers simply wanted to locate and establish the existence of materials in an effort to help others avoid needless dupli-cation in the quest for research materials. Privately held materials proved extraordinarily elusive, even an acknowledge-ment of their existence. 2. Burdensome was a lack of expertise in the handling of an unusually wide variety of physical objects which turned up. Both phases of our project brought out materials such as silk shawls, stick pens, tintypes, and parchment, which demanded the attention of a person knowledgeable in conservation. 3. Storage and maintenance of materials, closely related to the preceding problem, created questions of its own. For example, after the technical issue of initial treatment and care of the materials had been solved, the real problem of storage remained, involving security and accessibility as well as space. 4. Cataloging of both ordinary and unusual materials in the collection presented a challenge. The difficulty was one of reaching a decision that must be lived with, perhaps forever. 5. Conflicts in holdings caused concern. Even in a small coUD11unity situation involving strictly local items, conflicts needed to be minimized with other coUD11unity efforts--library, church, school, civic club--all seeking to perform service similar to that of the archives. State, regional, and national 34 5Gurr: Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/ArchivistPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 1975conflicts could compound the problem. 6. Finally, limits on the collection had to be con-sidered . Where does the collector draw the line in accepting materials when, for instance, one rejection of a "worthless" item may jeopardize future prospects for obtaining important items? Collectors will have to find their own effective solutions to these six problems. But our experience offers the following suggestions: A. Rely upon personal contact . Find a readily avail-able individual who is willing to put in many hours before civic organizations, clubs, high school students, groups of all kinds. In communities the size of Americus, and in those smaller, there is a distinct advantage to having a per-son readily identified in the community who is highly visible, patient, grateful, personal and personable, and is available for small talk. This person can be your major asset in un-covering those hidden sources. B. In-house problems, such as physical treatment, stor-age, maintenance, and cataloging require detailed and patient attention, preferably by one or two individuals who will be associated with the project efforts for the foreseeable fu-ture. We have found considerable aid in the publications available through the American Association for State and Local History. These provide well-written instructions on museum management, as well as technical information on the treatment and cataloging of manuscripts and on the ephemera that gathers in most collections of this type. Manuscript appraisal, the treatment of paper, wood, and textiles, and display tips are among the many topics covered by AASLH publications. C. In dealing with most of the problems mentioned above, it is a good idea to establish a proven method or routine, whether in the gathering, storage, cataloging or use of the collection. Routine procedures will expedite collection management and help in establishing a reputation for stability and dependability, both important in securing additions to the collection. Look into the suggestions offered by AASLH, the Society of American Archivists, and the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Discuss alternatives with your board members and make decisions that will be lasting and workable for your situation. 35 6Georgia Archive, Vol. 3 [1975], No. 1, Art. 5https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archive/vol3/iss1/5D. The problems related to conflicts with other collec-tions and decisions about limiting the nature of your collec-tion are central. Locally, try to reach understandings with other collecting agencies. If they are already engaged in a particular project, carefully consider the possible effects from competing with them. Let them know what you are con-templating. Such caution could well gain a valuable ally instead of creating a serious enemy. Seek out the opinions of archivists and collectors beyond the connnunity. Consider seriously the negative implications of a local collection. Does the retention of local materials conflict seriously with the aims of a major state project or university effort? Faced with a real problem of having potential donors unwill-ing to deposit except in a local collection, permission eventually may be secured for copies to be deposited else-where. If the local collection unearths otherwise buried materials, it could be of great service by making the exis-tence of the material known. Establish a policy of report-ing on your accessions to the major collections in the state and to those publications which inform the public on the status of collections. GEORGIA ARCHIVE and the Georgia Historical Quarterly should receive regular reports on additions to holdings. E. A final and critical concern is whether or not to limit the collection by drawing lines as to what will be accepted. For the present no limits have been placed on our collection in Sumter County. Given the experience of almost two years, we believe that the rejection of any materials would not have improved our collection and in fact very likely would have generated attitudes which the project has sought to overcome. By the same token, the archives could not in some cases accept all offers. For example, the Har-rold Papers, recently given to Emory University, were physi-cally too -voluminous for local storage. Nonetheless, each offer must be considered on its own merits to avoid the very real danger of encouraging the continued hording of materials by private sources. The newly installed president of the American Asso-ciation for State and Local History, Richard D. Williams, said in an editorial in the October, 1974, History News: Time has come • to redefine and to reassess old, slightly deragatory ideas about a "professional" vis-a-vis an "amateur." Unless we do reexamine our 36 7Gurr: Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/ArchivistPublished by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University, 1975preconceptions, we may misunderstand relationships influenced by events in the last twenty-five years: the remarkable increase in America's educational level, the intense specialization in knowledge and professions, and the very success of the AASLH's program in increas-ing standards of performance. At the turn of this century, profes-sional historians with Ph.D. degrees and training in Germanic methodology dismissed local history by amateurs as "antiquarian"--lacking perspec-tive and critical rigor. As with other traditional relationships--husband-wife, employer-employee, teacher-student--the professional-amateur dichotomy needs new insights. Dr. Williams' remarks have special relevance for those in-volved in collecting for the local historical society, who must develop a thoughtful perspective on the archivist-citizen dichotomy. What should a particular society be collecting? That depends on its purpose. It can determine its purpose partly by looking at the efforts of others. Let others know what is being attempted and why. What should not be collected? Consider carefully those items which may be more valuable on deposit elsewhere. Be receptive and flexible within a framework of established purposes and goals. 37 8Georgia Archive, Vol. 3 [1975], No. 1, Art. 5https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/georgia_archive/vol3/iss1/5

Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/Archivist

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&amp;context=georgia_archive

Collecting for CLIO; The Perspective of an Historian/Archivist

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University