Archival Adventures in Small Repositories
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Archival Adventures in Small Repositories
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Like the rest of the city, the staff of HCI-PSAR is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis in Philadelphia this weekend. In preparation for His Holiness, we decided to take a look back at some of the more spiritual collections we’ve encountered through the project. From Episcopal research centers to Jewish synagogues to Christian missionaries, HCI-PSAR has surveyed a slew of small repositories with religious collections the Pope might be interested in paying a visit to. Check out a few of them below!
The School in Rose Valley can be found at the end of a winding, woody road in Delaware County on a farm-like campus, full of nature and life,where the school has been located since 1933. The campus includes not only classrooms, but a chicken coop, a wood shop, and gardens. As a progressive school for children in preschool through sixth grade, The School in Rose Valley places on emphasis on leaning through experience in their classrooms and throughout their wooded campus.
Located in the northwest section of Chester County, West Nantmeal Township is a small, rural community with an interesting history. The area was originally populated by settlers from Radnorshire, Wales between 1700 and 1710. The settlers named the area Nantmell, or Natmel, meaning “sweet water” or “land of the sweet stream” in Welsh. In 1739, the area was divided into East and West Nantmeal. Yet again, in 1789, West Nantmeal was once more divided, with Welsh settlers remaining in West Nantmeal and Scotch-Irish community in the area that became Honey Brook Township.
Over the past few years, mustaches and beards have made a comeback as the must-have facial hair accessory. Handlebar, English, Walrus, and Imperial mustaches, to name a few, grace the faces of men young and old on today’s streets and screens. However, many of these facial accessories pale in comparison to the hirsute men of the Historical Society of Frankford. Within their collections, one can find some truly inspiring mustachioed and bearded men. Organized in 1905 and chartered in 1920, The Historical Society of Frankford is located in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia.
The Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia is exactly what its name suggests: a home to the arts. From theater and film to music and dance to museums and galleries, some of the city's and state’s finest art organizations call Broad Street home. Included in these organizations is the Wilma Theater, a non-profit theater with the mission to create living, adventurous art.
Tucked away on the second floor of Malvern Borough Hall, the Malvern History Center is home to the Malvern Historical Commission and its impressive collections.
Back in February, we announced the beginning of the Small Archives Forums, a series of free programs designed to explore archival concepts and build connections among Philadelphia area small archives. The forum series aims to teach new archival skills while also fostering community among small archives and laying the groundwork for ongoing knowledge-sharing and cooperation. Starting with our first event in February 2015, programs have covered topics such as digitization, preservation, and processing.
In 1895, a group of fourteen women in Bucks County, Pennsylvania joined together to improve the quality of life in their community, forming the Village Improvement Association (VIA). Twenty-eight years later in 1923, the same group founded the Doylestown Hospital. Today, the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown is over 120 years old, has over three hundred and fifty members, host annual fundraisers, oversees a retirement community in addition to Doylestown Hospital, and continues to support projects improving the quality of life in Bucks County.
Although it is now a neighborhood in the northwest part of Philadelphia, Germantown was founded by German Quaker and Mennonite families in the 17th century as an independent community. It was the first permanent Mennonite settlement established in this part of the world. In 1708, the Mennonites built the first Mennonite Meetinghouse in America along what would become Germantown Avenue. This meetinghouse is no longer standing, but the Mennonites built a “new” meetinghouse on the same spot in 1770.
This past winter and spring HCI-PSAR facilitated an internship program that paired emerging archivists in need of hands-on experience with small repositories in need of processing assistance and large repositories willing to train and supervise the intern. We matched intern Diane Biunno with Radnor Historical Society and Independence Seaport Museum. Diane reflected on the Edward Brownlee collection, the Musical Coterie of Wayne records, and her other experiences in the blog below.
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