October is American Archives Month! American Archives Month is a collaborative effort to highlight the importance of records of enduring value and is organized through the Society of American Archivists.
Found it in our Florida Archives!
Original Note with photos: "Another batch of 'stuff I didn't want to just toss so I hope someone there will be [able] to find a good use for it. ... Perhaps [the curator] can fin[d] a home for them in the archives. Added PS: "(Curator), these look like Cumberland (Istand] photos." Added PS PS: "Dropped on my desk last year... when I was in DC"
Unfortunately, the answer is No. Our previous Curator could not find a home for these prints, as they fall greatly outside of our collecting policy. Of course, the park's current curator confirmed they have originals and backups in their collection!
Florence Nightingale Carnegie was the youngest daughter of Thomas and Lucy Carnegie, and married Frederick Curtis Perkins at the Dungeness Mansion in 1901. Dungeness was commissioned by Thomas and Lucy in 1884. The mansion was built on the foundation of an earlier Dungeness owned by Nathaniel Greene. Although the mansion was mostly destroyed by a suspicious fire in 1959; remnants of the building remain on the island as part of the historic landscape.
But wait, that's Georgia, not Florida! True. Although the images were captured in Georgia, they (almost) ended up in a Florida Archive! Cumberland Island - which is only accessible via watercraft - lies across the St. Marys River, which serves as a portion of our state line.
However, it's always good practice to keep on favorable terms with your neighbors. During the Carnegies' primary ownership of the island, guests would often ship their luggage (and vendors their supplies) to Fernandina Beach, FL. These were then delivered to Cumberland Island. These coastal islands (and many more) share a rich and storied history, stretching far past the Carnegies, which includes "Frau Doktor Nancy Stafford" of the Stafford Plantation, influence of the Gullah Geechee culture, and stewardship by Timucua.
Submitted by: Cara DeSimone, Southeast Archaeological Center
Rollins holds in its special collections a rare Buddhist manuscript that was donated by Dr Howard Kelley of John Hopkins in 1932, which he acquired from the family of Henry Harkness, an employee of theBritish East India Company. Produced in the early 19th century, this leporello book was made from naturally cream-colored mulberry bark paper in Thailand. The large folding manuscript contains the Chanted Poem of the Monk Phra Malai (Phra Malai Klon Suat) in Thai language written in Khom script. The document also includes multiple folios with paired paintings depicting Buddhist deities andscenes in Buddhism. Traditionally recited during funeral wakes and other important occasions, the Buddhist book of merit tells the legend of the monk-saint who, thanks to accumulated merit and advanced meditation skills, was able to travel between the Buddhist realms of heavens, hells and the human world.
Submitted by: Wenxian Zhang and Rachel Walton, Rollins College
The Palm Beach State College Library Archives has created an Online Exhibit and Resource Guide to honor and recognize the contributions and history of Japanese Americans at Florida’s first public community college. The Yamato Colony was a pioneering farming community of Japanese settlers who came to the Boca Raton area to join Jo Sakai, the leader who started the colony in 1905.Today, Yamato Road and Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens stand as a testament to Palm Beach County’s pioneering Japanese Americans.
Link to the Online Exhibit and Resource Guide: https://palmbeachstate.libguides.com/yamatostudentsofpbjc
Submitted by: Janet DeVries Naughton, Palm Beach State College
On July 10, 2023, JM Family Enterprises launched an updated internal social networking platform on Microsoft called Viva Engage. This new tool helps associates to stay connected to one another, share information across departments, and get the latest news from the company.
The Corporate Archives launched their own Viva Engage community to engage associates about the history of the company. The first post simply asked associates, “What do you want to know more about in the Company Archives?” Simple responses yielded great results, such as, “What is the largest object stored in the Archives?” as well as, “What’s the smallest object stored in the Archives?” By responding with photos of the largest and smallest items, we were able to gain followers of our page and continue our outreach efforts.
JM Family Social Pages
https://www.facebook.com/JMFamilyEnterprises https://www.instagram.com/jmfamilyenterprises/ http://www.linkedin.com/company/jm-family-enterprises/
Submitted by: Michael Zaidman, JM Family Enterprises Corporate Archives
Submitted by: Allison Mason, University of North Florida
Submitted by: Carol Ann Moon, Saint Leo University
In 1893, Danish-born labor leader, journalist, and land promoter Louis Pio published The East Coast of Florida: Its Climate, Soil, and Products. Originally written in Danish to promote Florida to Scandinavian audiences, Pio distributed about 50,000 small circulars and 10,000 books from his office in the Florida State Building at the Chicago fair. This circular features an advertisement for Linton Manufacturing Co., a Michigan-based lumber yard managed by politician and businessman William S. Linton. Linton, like Pio, was interested in land development in Florida. In 1896, Linton purchased land from the Model Land Company, a subsidiary of the Florida East Coast Railway, and founded a small settlement of Florida’s east coast: the town of Linton. Following several financial troubles in 1898, however, Linton abandoned the town, and it was quickly renamed Delray.
Submitted by: Kayleigh Howald, Delray Beach Historical Society
The mission of Martin Digital History (MDH) is to encourage the appreciation of Martin County’s unique history by collaborating with community members and local organizations to collect, present, and interpret relevant digital content.
The project, orchestrated by the Martin County Library System, is the result of the planning teamwork of several far-sighted community members and organizations, including Sandra Thurlow, Historical Society of Martin County, Black Heritage Initiative, Stuart Heritage, The Library Foundation of Martin County, and many others. So far, we’ve added almost 1,500 digital images and are continuing to add more every week. Please visit the project at http://www.martindigitalhistory.org/
Submitted by: Georgen Charnes, Martin County Library System