New Weekly Blog: Archive Highlights

As the repair and catalog of our archives continues, each day comes with a new discovery. While we continue cataloguing our materials, it is not yet possible to search every item we hold. And there are many to look at! So, as we continue gathering data, we want to share some of our favorite finds from our archives.

In this series, we will share one or two highlights from the past week’s archival work. This may be a book, letter, painting, or small object from our collection. The purpose of this series is to share with the public the depth of Irish American history, taking directly from our archives. The blog will be published every Monday (unless it is a holiday) and reposted to our social media. If you have any further information on any of the finds we publish, please don’t hesitate to contact our Archivist.

This week, we kick off our series with two great finds! Both personal documents, this week’s post shows the humanity and warmth within our archives.

Recipe Scrapbook from Mrs. Thomas (ca. 1899)

This book, which we date to around 1899, comes from our collection of scrapbooks. This page features two pickling recipes.

The scrapbooks in our collection are often focused on newspaper articles, aligned with our society’s general interest in preserving local and national history. However, occasionally we also see smaller scale preservation. Recipe scrapbooks—a combination of cutouts from published books and personal recipes—provide a quick look into the smaller focuses of historical records. This book, owned by a Mrs. Thomas, is so substantial that it is impossible to close fully and the binding is strained. Still, the pages themselves are well preserved, and are now cared for on our dedicated scrapbook shelf.

Letter from J. [Jennins] to Ellen T. Flanagan (1971)

“My advice to you—pine away—pick at your food sigh a lot make patriotic statements when it gets really cold remark on how pleasant the weather must be in Berkeley + how you mourn for fresh veggies + fruits”

This letter, sent to Ellen T. Flanagan in November of 1971, is a touching conversation between young friends. In it, the author describes the end of her relationship, saying that this time they have broken up “forever + ever,” and recounts her meeting with a therapist. Read the full letter here.

Both of these objects showcase the importance of archives, not only for their cultural ties, but for the personal stories within them. As we continue this series, we will look at materials that span from brief personal letters to world changing news. Thank you for reading this week’s blog, and we look forward to seeing you next Monday!