Finding New Homes for Old School Stuff

Inspired by Linda Stufflebean's recent blog post about captioning and donating old school class photos, I checked with my Sis about the possibility of donating our elementary school class photos and our mother's old school stuff. She agreed we should look for a good home outside the family, to preserve these items for the future.

Mom, JHS class of 1933

Daisy Schwartz (later Daisy Burk, 1919-1981) graduated from Junior High School 60 in the Bronx, New York at the end of January, 1933.

She kept a leather-bound autograph book in which she recorded her name, school, graduation date, teachers, and then asked classmates to sign.

Because of the names, dates, and good condition of this autograph book, I want to donate it to a suitable institution like the Bronx Historical Society. 

Match item(s) to repository

The Bronx Historical Society collects a variety of artifacts related to the history, culture, and development of this New York City borough. To my mind, materials related to Bronx educational institutions and the names of those who taught and attended classes at these schools could fit in the society's collections.

I prepared a brief summary of what I have (autograph book, other school yearbooks and commencement programs) and emailed the librarian of the society, emphasizing the connection with Bronx history. I included three photos, as shown in this post, and a description of the condition and contents.

Ask about interest in specific items

My email asked whether the society would be interested in accepting these materials as a donation from my family. No repository wants items brought or mailed to its location without being carefully considered by management in light of collection priorities. Usually repositories explain their collecting priorities and provide a contact for inquiries, but not this Bronx society.

If accepted, ownership passes out of my family

If the society decides to accept, it will ask me to sign legal documents indicating that the society will own any donated items. Before I complete this donation, should it be accepted, I'll be sure to digitize all of the items for my family history. 

Accepted! And maybe more

Very quickly I heard back: the Bronx Historical Society is definitely interested, having nothing in its collection about JHS 60. At their request, I submitted a complete inventory of all Bronx school items I have, to check against their collection in case they are interested in additional artifacts from my family's history. And again, they accepted every item on my list. All will be carefully packed and shipped to the society next week, available to researchers and for displays about school days in the Bronx. 

Thanks to Linda Stufflebean for sparking the idea for donating school items. I feel good about having these 20th century items go to a good new home, for research and safekeeping.

Mother-Daughter Autograph Books

On this Sentimental Sunday, I'm looking at autograph books from family history.

Nearly 90 years ago, my mother (Daisy Ruth Schwartz, 1919-1981) graduated from junior high school (which was then grades 7, 8, and 9). 

She was 13 years old and moving up to high school for grades 10, 11, and 12.

Mom kept her graduation autograph book in great shape! 

As shown above, she wrote her name, the school number (J.H.S. 60 in the Bronx, New York), the principal's name (Anna V. McCarthy), her graduating teacher (Miss Hammond), and the date of graduation (January 31, 1933). 

A January graduation was the norm then. Mom graduated from high school three years later, in January of 1936.

At right, a page from Mom's autograph book, with a cute rhyme that was still in use decades later. "There are all kinds of ships, wooden ships, and steel ships, but the best ship is friendship." Signed, "your sister grad-u-8, Anna Kratzer." I've been able to find many of these classmates in Mom's high school yearbook, as well.

Although I attended school decades after Mom, my autograph book from grade 6 graduation also included signatures and inscriptions from classmates, some sentimental and some funny. I attended PS 103 in the northern Bronx, NY.

At left, one of my best friends included an affectionate notation based on 2+2=4. This same "equation" appears at least three times in my autograph book!

Another inscription used more than once in my autograph book is..."For dirty people only." Turn the page, and the inscription continues: "Use soap! Happy graduation from ...." (no LOL or emoticons of course). 

Best of all, these handwritten messages from the 20th century are well preserved in an archival box and will live on through the 21st century. If future generations can still read basic cursive handwriting, they'll be able to decipher the messages!

This is my post for the September 2022 School Days "Genealogy Blog Party."