Category: Special Collections

After our visit to the Special Collections, I felt like I better understood the role of archivists and their importance. I obviously knew who they were from our class discussions, but actually hearing the archivist talk about what they do and how much politics go into it, I was surprised. It makes sense that some people pay to get their item archived first, but that isn’t really a problem I would’ve thought of on my own until she explained it. I also had no frame of reference for how long it takes to archive these items, but hearing that it took 12 full time staff and 14 part time students 6 years to digitize 60,000 pictures gives me a whole new idea of how long this can take. Archivists protect a lot of history and I’m sure after hearing about the wide range of topics that the GMU Special Collections has that they’ve saved countless professors, grad students, and undergrad students in their search for items that help with their class or thesis, or papers. The general public could also use archives to learn more about a specific part of history or to learn more about a niche subject. Archives can help anyone find out more about their topic. However, in a lot of cases government records only include people or events they believe should be remembered so that affects who is and isn’t seen in the future, as well as that evidence being historical itself because it reflects the time period and the policies of the administration ¹ . Unfortunately this means that a lot of history has been lost to us because a lot of minorities and their accomplishments of the past weren’t recorded as significant, even if they changed a lot of lives. It could also mean that their identity was left out, which changes the meaning of the work, or someone else took the credit, and the real creators name is lost. 

The archivist we met with talked about how they mostly archive photos, because it’s harder to digitize things like costumes or diagrams since those are more physical, and it’s harder to digitize documents, like the plays from the Federal Theater Project we looked at, since the paper is delicate and might rip or affect the materials it’s made of. However with all archivable items, the archivist also talked about how they have to be careful with copyright issues because those can be very complex and not always straightforward. Another issue with digitizing is how archivists preserve born-digital records-texts, images, and data created digitally ^{2 3}. In the past they’ve been able to recreate the software and hardware that the items were originally created on, but as technology advances at a faster and faster rate it’s getting harder to emulate these archives and they’re going to have to figure out another way to preserve these important items.

After looking at the archives from the Federal Theater Project I feel like I understand more about the play we looked at than before. My group analyzed the playbill for the play “The Revolt of the Beavers” which is a play for children about sharing, but many were concerned that it had communist undertones. We were able to learn a lot about the play and from each other’s analysis. One person in my group pointed out that there were pig names, and that the pigs might represent the capitalists, while the beavers represented communists and were the protagonists of the story. We also talked about how they were definitely hand folded and most were made of cheap paper which reflected the economy of the time. If we can learn that much about a play just from the playbill, it’d be interesting to see what we can learn from even more archives and more analysis.

Archives provide first hand information about the past. They serve as primary sources and evidence of significant historical events for scholars. Archive also play a role when telling stories, increasing our sense of identity and understanding of cultures (King’s College, 2019). Archives are in many cases used to carry out research, create architectural designs, as well as demonstrate knowledge and development through literature. 

According to The Artifactual Elements of Born- Digital Records, author LeFurgy explains to readers that archivists engage in the process of emulation as a way to “persevere artifactual characteristics of born- digital archival collections”.

Commonly, archivists digitize records to facilitate access. Those digitized copies may be found in multiple locations, which in turn protect and maintain the state of the original copies from improper use and or physical damage such a wear, tear, and possible binding. 

Though, various factors are considered when deciding whether or not to digitize an archive. Some include but are not limited to; the size or dimension, the context, the quality, maintenance of digital files, and the cost.⁴https://www.google.com/amp/s/peelarchivesblog.com/2017/05/31/why-dont-archivists-digitize-everything/amp/[/efn_note]

In my opinion, the digitization of archives may affect our interpretations and could consequently impair our judgement concerning past events. Though we are presented with firsthand material, we may still lack the central idea surrounding the concept’s purpose and value. 

Visiting the Special Collections exhibit bettered my understanding of the Federal Theater Project. For example, I was able to explore the archives from MACBETH, a production by the Federal Theater Project’s Negro Unit. In the collection included various photographs of actors, actresses, extras, props, and even play- goers. Other collections pertaining the 30’s were also present.

Looking through the digitized copies gave me an insight on how advanced and well organized the Federal Theater Project was described to be. Prior to such, I could not have imagine that technologies of the 1930’s were quite similar to those used today. Each archive sparked my interest as they almost seemed unbelievable. I could not grasp the fact that I was exploring such things of the past better yet, experiencing each for myself as they were well kept and maintained.

“What Are Archives?”, Kings College Cambridge, accessed November 12, 2019, https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/introduction-to-archives/a/1

“Why don’t archivists digitize everything?”, Archives @ PAMA, accessed November 12, 2019, https://peelarchivesblog.com/2017/05/31/why-dont-archivists-digitize-everything/

In our visit to special collections last class we got to explore certain objects, pictures, clothing, etc. I have never heard of special collections before; I didn’t even know it existed, so this trip was very educational for me. It was very interesting to see all the different types of special collections and the values that they hold. For example, my group looked at a file of how portable theatres were beneficial to places that did not have their own theatres. This is just one special collection of thousands that exist. I really enjoyed looking into it.

Archivists play a very important role in special collections. In the interview titled “Bias, Perception, and Archival Praxis” with Thomas Padilla and Elvia Ramirez, they talk a lot about the importance of archives. Elvia says, “Archival work requires an ethics of care for the deeply personal and the deeply political.”. ⁵. This interview lets us know all that work that goes into the archival process. First off, archivists are someone who assesses whether a given piece of information is of value, then maintains and stores the information in the appropriate manner. Secondly, they have an important job of deciding whether a material should be digitized or not. They decide this by first seeing if the material can even be digitized, some objects that are more 3D like are not meant to be digitized because it takes away the meaning. However, digitizing a certain collection or material can make it much easier to access and explore. The con to digitizing is that with most items, you cannot get the full experience online. An archivist must decide that if the item is digitized, will it lose value or not. In the article by Susan Manus, “the Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records” she talks about the importance of preserving content and material. She says “while preserving the informational content of born-digital material requires its own distinct processes, preserving the artifactual elements of digital records a unique set of intellectual and technical challenges.”. ⁶.

The materials we reviewed in class provided me with information for the period of the Federal Theatre Project. It made me consider where the data came from and how it gained its importance. The documents that my group looked over help me gain knowledge on why they wanted the portable theatres to exist and why the encouraged it to happen. These small portable theatres were funded by the FTP and helped people gain interest in certain entertainment. I also learned from the sources the physical data differs from digital data, and that physical date is better because we are able to interact with it in person.

Instead of holding a lecture at our normally assigned meeting place, last Wednesday our class had the opportunity to visit the Special Collections Research Center located at Fenwick Library and study firsthand a number of artifacts within this collection.

When our class began, we were introduced to the the collection’s research services coordinator Brittney Falter. During her presentation, Falter provided our class with information on archives (the locations where permanent records are held), archivists (those responsible for organizing, maintaining, and digitizing artifacts), and the politics that surrounds archiving records and artifacts.

Falter, informed our class that archivists hold priorities for archiving and maintaining artifacts. She stated that those artifacts of greatest priority are those which are deteriorating but these artifacts (although of great importance) may be given lesser priority based on outside factors. These factors include the ambitions of well-known or influential donors and the donations that they provide to the collection.

Prior to this event, our class was asked to read several articles pertaining to the subject of archiving. In an interview between Thomas Padilla and Elvia Arroyo-Ramirez entitled “Bias, Perception, and Archival Praxis,” the two discuss the biases that exist within archives. Arroyo-Ramirez informs Padilla that much of the bias that archivists struggle with is their own (much of which has developed from their own Western culture)⁷. To help eliminate this bias, Arroyo-Ramirez suggests that archivists must learn to recognize their own biases and work to eliminate them from their work.

The artifacts that our class examined during our class period were from the FTP. Our small group examined flyers for a production of Hamlet that was performed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1939. It was interesting to consider the effects of digitizing these artifacts, as some flyers contained notes that were not present on others. Our small group wondered what information would be lost had only one of these flyers been digitized.

In her article “The Artifactual Elements of Born-Digital Records, Part 1” Susan Manu states that some of the appeal of artifacts is viewing them from our own time period.⁸ In the case of our small group’s flyers, I wonder how an archivist would go about archiving the large, digital displays advertising performances in Times Square.

Our class visit to the Special Collections Research Center was a wonderful experience. Seeing these artifacts in person and analyzing them gave me a unique perspective into the work that archivists perform and the challenges that they face.

Getting to experience the Special Collections archive at Mason was a really cool experience. I had no idea that archive existed and that our campus has access to such great historical resources. The significance and role of the archive for scholars is to assist them in research that they’re doing, along with helping them gain more knowledge along the way. Many scholars do projects, so these archives are the best way for them to retain that information. The general public’s significance with archives is that many people have a general interest in archives, or some people have archives of their own to give to scholars. Museums such as the Smithsonian provides those in the general public who have an interest in archives a place to go and see a lot of different archives.

Archivists make decisions on whether to digitize materials on not based on their significance. If a certain material is in high demand, digitizing it is a great idea because it makes it more accessible instead of having a lot of people having to travel to a certain location to see it. This affects our interaction with the materials by changing the way it might look. Digitizing doesn’t allow someone to see the same features that one might see by viewing it in person. I think seeing materials in person is a better way to really experience the materials because you can pick up on so many more details.

My understanding of the FTP changed after viewing the materials we saw in class by giving me a better understanding of the different plays that people on along with how normal it was to take a lot of pictures of the actors. ⁹ I didn’t expect there to be as many pictures of the actors, the set, and the audience than there was. It made me realize that it was really important for people in the FTP to be able to document their plays and the entire experience of it all. I also realized how pretty their costumes were that they wore. I’ve been to a fair amount of plays nowadays, and the costumes in the pictures I saw had a lot more character and beautiful design to them. The materials my table evaluated was from Macbeth in Harlem, or the Voodoo Macbeth ¹⁰ I remember learning about that play in class, so getting to see materials from it in person was really cool. The costumes that the people wore were absolutely beautiful. Getting to experience the materials from the FTP really brought what we learned to life and I appreciated it a lot.

Works Cited:

“Federal Theatre: Melodrama, Social Protest, and Genius  :  Articles and Essays  :  Federal Theatre Project, 1935 to 1939  :  Digital Collections  :  Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress. Accessed November 12, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/collections/federal-theatre-project-1935-to-1939/articles-and-essays/federal-theatre-melodrama-social-protest-and-genius/.

“The Play That Electrified Harlem  :  Articles and Essays  :  Federal Theatre Project, 1935 to 1939  :  Digital Collections  :  Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress. Accessed November 12, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/collections/federal-theatre-project-1935-to-1939/articles-and-essays/play-that-electrified-harlem/.

The Federal Theatre Project has been one of the most interesting WPA projects we’ve studied so far. Knowing that the George Mason “Special Collections Research Center began operation originally as the repository for the records of the Federal Theatre Project” further instilled my interest in the project.¹¹ Going back to one of our earlier classes we discussed what could be gained or lost through the digitization of materials. An example of what is lost can be found in Ian Milligan’s article where he talks about the impacts of the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star being digitized. Before digitization most newspapers were cited around the same amount. However, after the Toronto Star was digitized, it was cited far more frequently than its non-digitized counterparts. Due to its digitization making it so easily accessible, other sources such as the Ottawa Citizen were being ignored, creating an unnecessary hierarchy of sources.¹² The special collections opens up so many research opportunities as it makes studying documents and archives easy and accessible. Although it may not be as easy as the Library of Congress or other online sources, being able to do a quick search and have documents broken down by box and folder makes finding them easy to find and access. Being able to actually see these documents in real life also brings about an entirely new feeling to the document. It makes them and the events of the time feel more real and not just a random part of history.

My understanding of the Federal Theater Project before our classes was that it was similar to many of the other WPA projects as it was intended to increase the employment rate of a group of people, actors in this instance, during the depression. However, after last week, I now understand that it had a much greater cultural impact than just creating jobs for the unemployed. The Theatre Project gave a voice to previously underrepresented artists such as the African American community, promoting diversity in the arts. The all-black version of Macbeth, the “Voodoo Macbeth, solidified the shaky reputation of the Federal Theatre Project.”¹³ Although controversial, this project, in my opinion, was probably one of the most progressive and important for American culture and society as it completely changed the future of American theater.

The Federal Theater Project, while heavily criticized, was one of the only (if not the only) occasions when the government actively supported and put money into the arts. Our visit to special collections and exploration of certain artifacts from the Federal Theater Project allowed us an in person look at actual materials that were created or written regarding or for theatrical performances for the FTP. My own opinion was genuinely affected by being able to see actual artifacts from the FTP because the article that my table paid particular attention to was a proposal by someone talking about the importance of the FTP and the arts, and it made me realize even more how little the government puts funding into the arts and values the arts and theater. Even when there was a government funded program for theater, people involved in theater/arts were still trying to convince people to care about it. The archive also serves as a means to research and gain a better understanding and appreciation for the effort of those involved in the Federal Theater Project productions. For example, when reading about the voodoo Macbeth play in the Library of Congress’ article, the reader gets the idea of the impact of the play, but not necessarily the effort or what the production looked like.¹⁸ So with archives such as Special Collections in the George Mason University Library, researchers are able to physically hold and see real life artifacts from actual productions. 

Something that was significantly interesting about our visit to Special Collections was that archivists do have a say in what gets digitized or not, but only to a certain extent. When money is involved, certain items can get digitized faster or be prioritized over other items. This could be because they were paid to digitize them faster, or it could be because they were given to Special Collections from a donor to the archive, and so of course they get priority. This did spark a question in my head about how money influences history, not only in Special Collections, but in all archives everywhere. Aside from that however, archivists do get to decide sometimes if items are just genuinely unimportant or important. They also get a say in how something will be digitized, however it’s generally a photograph if it’s a 3D object. They also make sure to have rules and regulations concerning the access to the items in order to protect their quality.¹⁹ This ensures all researchers are able to look at whatever artifacts they want to see and know that they’re in good condition and similar conditions to the way they were when they were produced. 

Special Collections proved to be valuable to us as students, and their importance to actual researchers is far greater. Our visit demonstrated to me just another reason as to how technology is an important aspect of the recording of history and the impact of digital history today.