Greater New Orleans Archivists
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Winter 1999 The GNOA Newsletter is
published three times each year in the Spring, Fall, and Winter. Next Meeting: |
Our Winter Meeting is being hosted by Tulane University’s Special Collections, on Monday, December 13th, at 5:30 in the evening. Special Collections is located on the second floor of Jones Hall. The agenda will include discussing the survey on continuing education and the various needs of members.
1999 Fall Meeting
The GNOA held its fall meeting in the playhouse of Longue Vue House and Garden. President Susan Tucker welcomed the group. She thanked Florence Borders of SUNO for hosting us in April and thanked Lydia Schmalz for hosting our fall meeting. Susan also reported briefly on her trip to Iceland and the types of archives they have in Reykjavik.
Rob Sherer gave the treasurer’s report, noting that we have a balance of $3,065.41. Since this is our largest balance ever, Rob suggested we think of ways to spend money. He mentioned the use of funds to help subsidize refreshments at meetings and scholarships for attending workshops and professional meetings. Lester Sullivan moved that the stipend for food at the GNOA meetings be raised from $50 to $75. Carol Bartels seconded it. The vote was unanimous. The allotted amount for refreshment reimbursement is now Seventy-five dollars.
In terms of using the money for scholarship, a discussion followed about the need of money for other publications. With some dissension, the majority of members seemed to feel that we should wait and see if a guide to architectural records can be compiled.
Susan then distributed a survey of continuing education needs sponsored by the National Forum on Archival Continuing Education (NFACE), a project developed by the Council of State Historical Records Coordinators (COSHRC) in partnership with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) and funded through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Susan volunteered to tabulate the results of the survey for our group alone and report back to us on our reported needs. In addition, she will mail the surveys to NFACE.
Rob Sherer reported briefly on SAA noting that Pittsburgh was an impressive site and that the meeting was informative.
We then heard a brief report on the Guide to Jewish Collections. Kathy will be taking books to two conferences this fall and sales continue briskly.
Irene Wainwright then presented the web page to the organization. It was noted that the web page contains our membership list, our by-laws, a listing of our joint projects, with some links, and a new press release for the “Jews of New Orleans: An Archival Guide.” The web page will go public tomorrow and all agreed that Irene and Carol had done a great job.
Lee Miller’s father died and a card was sent from the GNOA.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 and members were invited to tour the house with Lydia and her volunteer Jane Ayres.
Members attending:
Susan Tucker, Lydia Schmalz, Eleanor Burke, Siva Blake, Mike Williams, Lester Sullivan, Collin Hamer, Irene Wainwright, Carol Bartels, Rob Smith, Wayne Everard, Irwin Lachoff, Cathy Kahn, Sally Reeves, Raymond Nusbaum, Art Carpenter, Sister Dorothy Dawes, Barbara Vaughn, Norbert Raacke, and Phillip Macleod.
News From The Archives
Amistad Research Center at Tulane University
NEH Grant – Amistad received a $170,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to arrange, describe, and catalogue ten of its Civil Rights Movement and political collections. The ten collections include the papers of New Orleans Mayor Ernest “Dutch” Morial, U.S. Representative from Louisiana William J. Jefferson, sociologist Dr. Hylan Garnett Lewis, U. S. Senator from Michigan Carl Levin, Detroit Councilman Rev. Nicholas J. Hood II, journalist and former NAACP board member Joseph Madison, social scientists Dr. Preston and Bonita Valien, civil rights attorney Armand Derfner, anthropologist Inez Adams, and The Urban League of Greater New Orleans.
IMLS Grant – Amistad also has been selected as a recipient for the 1999 National Leadership Grant Awards given by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The grant award of $180,000 will fund a preservation and digitization project titled "The American Missionary Association and the Promise of a Multi-Cultural America: 1839-1954." The Center in collaboration with LSU's Digital Library will digitize 5,000 rare documents and images related to the historic Amistad Incident case and the committee of defenders from which the AMA developed.
New Staff Appointments:
Ms. Nikki Alia Wilson has joined Amistad as coordinator of Academic and Public
Programs. A Graduate of Loyola
University with a BA in English and a MS in Secondary Education, Ms. Wilson is
an accomplished dancer and artist/educator.
Dr. Michael Polushin joins the staff as a research fellow. A graduate of Tulane University with a Ph. D. in history, Dr. Polushin will aid in the processing of the ten civil rights collections made possible by a grant from the NEH.
Ms. Maria Hernandez-Lehmann joins the staff as a part-time, temporary archivist. A graduate of LSU’s Master of Library and Information Science program, Ms. Hernandez-Lehmann is also currently a reference librarian with the Jefferson Parish Public Library.
Exhibits:
” A Hidden Treasure: The Art of Frank Wyley” exhibit will be on display
December 6, 1999 through May 2000.
Frank Wyley a porter and self-taught artist was born in Mississippi, but
moved to New Orleans as a child and remained here until his death. Wyley drew inspiration from the works of
Paul Cezanne, Georges Roualt, Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy and others. His works were exhibited in Atlanta and New
York and several of his works were part of the Works in Progress
Administration (WPA) Federal Arts
Project. An opening reception was held
on Saturday, December 4th.
Recent Acquisitions:
Constance Bradford Harse collection - 1959-64 (.4 linear ft.)
Mrs. Bradford Harse is a graduate of Tulane's Newcomb College for Women. She
was very active in the civil rights movement in New Orleans and Alabama during
the late 1950's to 60's. She now resides in Ohio. The documents and memorabilia
include writings of Mrs. Harse for the CORE newsletter, Core-lator,
photographs of boycotts of McCory’s on Canal Street and on Tulane University’s
campus against nuclear weapons, photos of St. Charles Avenue and a visit by
General DeGaulle of France, CORE buttons, March on Washington button from November
15, 1969, Alabama flyer about integration, SCEF brochure, and an invitation for
a CORE banquet at Dooky Chase’s restaurant.
Betty “Talibah” Tillman papers, 1985-86 (.4 linear ft.) Ms. Tillman is a New Orleans born artist and education. A graduate of Dillard University, she has also taught high school English in the New Orleans Public Schools and in California. She founded the Bay Area Black Artist Connection and is also active in other theater groups in California. She currently resides in Oakland, California. This donation of papers is primarily the newsletter of the Bay Area Black Artists titled, “Talibah Speaks.” Betty Tillman’s stage name is Talibah Tillman.
Archdiocesan Archives
In November, the Archdiocesan Archives published Volume 14 (1729-1721) in its Sacramental Records series. Charles Nolan and Dorenda Dupont edit the volume.
New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Division
The City Archives has completed processing of the Records of District B Councilman Oliver Thomas (1994-1996; 11 boxes). The finding aid for the records has been added to the Archival Inventories page in NUTRIAS. Online access to the Louisiana Division photograph collections continues to grow. Currently in progress is the digitization of the C. Milo Williams Photograph Collection (85 prints). Williams was an architect and engineer in New Orleans, as well as an amateur photographer, whose work dates from the period ca. 1890-1910. Also new in NUTRIAS is “Recent Additions to the Louisiana Photograph Collection,” a page designed to make recent acquisitions available to researchers. Online photographs can be accessed at www.gnofn.org/~nopl/photos/photolist.htm
The Louisiana Division created a small exhibit for the occasion of the rededication of the Broad Branch as the Rosa Keller Branch on October 21. The exhibit honors Mrs. Keller’s twenty-six years of service on the NOPL Board of Directors and her contributions to the cause of equal rights for all. An online version of the exhibit can be seen in NUTRIAS at www.gnofn.org/~nopl.
In October and in November Wayne Everard delivered his talk “Wayne’s Top Ten Neglected, Non-Traditional, Unexpected, or Unusual Sources for Information on Your French Ancestors in the City Archives and Louisiana Division of the New Orleans Public Library” to the Genealogy Interest Group of Baton Rouge’s Cajun Clickers Computer Club and to Genealogy West in Algiers.
Sisters of Mercy Archives
The Mercy Archives covering the service of the Sisters of Mercy across the South have been transferred to the Mercy Regional Archives in St. Louis. Most of the Special Research Library Collection housed in New Orleans through the years has been transferred to the Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri. There the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have established a fine special collection concerning the lives and work of women.
Mary Hermenia Muldrey, RSM who has served as local Mercy archivist for many years, is to be the archivist for Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Center. This facility is located at 5600 General deGaulle Drive, New Orleans, La. 70131. It is unusual in that it is being erected by seven religious communities for use by sixteen congregations of sisters, brothers, and priests. In early December more than eighty patients will be moving into the multi-acre facility, which is adjacent to Holy Cross College and the Mary Joseph Nursing Home.
Touro Infirmary Archives
Catherine C. Kahn, archivist of Touro Infirmary, has been installed as President of the Southern Jewish Historical Society at their annual meeting held in Richmond, VA. November 5-7. At this same meeting Lester Sullivan presented a paper and slide presentation, “Judah Touro’s New Orleans in Black and White.”
Tulane University Newcomb Archives, Center for Research on Women
The Newcomb Archives cordially invites all GNOA members to its Open House, December 2. Join us from 5-7 p.m. for finger foods and good conversation.
The Vorhoff Library has been the site of the Newcomb/Tulane Clothesline Project. The clothesline will hang in the Seltzer-Gerard Reading Room on the first floor of Caroline Richardson Hall from October 18 until December 6. The Clothesline Project puts a face on the statistics of violence against women. Survivors and family and friends of women whose lives have been affected (or ended) by violence – including assault, stalking, child sexual abuse and incest, lesbian bashing, and sexual assault are invited to participate by contributing a shirt. Shirts will be accepted until December 6.
University of New Orleans Archives and Manuscripts/Special Collections
Marie Windell presented a paper at the National Native American Heritage Festival, New Orleans, November 23, entitled, “how the mighty have fallen: antebellum Louisiana Indians, from landowner to occupant.” Marie also presented papers at the annual meeting of the Society of Southwestern Archivists in Austin, Texas in May and an expanded version at the ALA in New Orleans in June. These papers explore the question, “Why was there less prejudice against Jews in New Orleans in the 19th century than elsewhere in the country?”
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