The Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute holds over 600 scrapbooks that offer unique insights into lesser-known histories and the daily lives of people from past eras. These collections are particularly valuable for understanding women’s history, which is often underrepresented in official records.<\/p>\n
Victor Betts, a curator at the library, highlights the diverse nature of scrapbooks, which have no singular format and can reveal hidden stories. Jenny Gotwals, another curator, notes the growing interest from students and scholars using these collections for research projects and dissertations.<\/p>\n
Last spring, Betts co-taught a course on Asian American Women’s History using the library’s primary sources, complemented by an exhibition titled “Illuminate” that explored marginalized histories. One display included a scrapbook from a Japanese American incarceration camp, revealing multilingual entries that hint at the complex history of Japanese Latin Americans.<\/p>\n
Scrapbooks, rooted in family recordkeeping traditions, have existed since the mid-19th century and vary widely in content. Gotwals explains that when acquiring scrapbooks, the library considers what life stories they might reveal, who created them, and what historical narratives they can uncover.<\/p>\n
Some scrapbooks are donated as part of larger collections, while others are acquired from rare book dealers. The scrapbook of Maggie Neyland Chatman, for instance, captures social events but offers little insight into the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting the selective nature of personal narratives.<\/p>\n
Archivist Jess Purkis and her team work to digitize these complex collections, which often contain fragile and layered materials. This involves collaboration with technicians at Widener Library to ensure preservation through photography and large-format scanning.<\/p>\n