I mean, it’s all a bit Indiana Jones. In fact, the Hollywood’s favorite fictional archeologist advised his students that most archeology was done in a library, but in a later sequel, shouted at a student (while driving through a library on a motorcycle), that if he wanted to be a real archeologist, “you have to get out of the library!”

Solid advice, Dr. Jones. Historians will find treasure troves in archives and libraries. But good historians, move beyond the documents, and immerse themselves in the history. This means that we have to visit the places where history occurred, walk through their homes, visit their graves, and interact in the space where they lived.

But before we can start these adventures, we have to build relationships with the people connected to that history. This comes in many forms, but usually the first step in this journey is to build a relationship with a local archivist. Local archives and history centers have nurtured relationships with community members that are integral for your research. As an educator, we often call these “soft skills;” tools that we want our students to learn before they start their professional careers. Picking up a phone, addressing an email, and *pearl clutch* building relationships with community members all fall under the “soft skills’ designation. I am not a fan of this name, as I find these skills to be a MUST HAVE in my work as a historian.

It takes work to get people to talk to you. Trust must be developed, and that does not happen overnight.

EXAMPLE ONE: When I was writing my dissertation on G. Gunby Jordan’s impact on educational policies in Columbus, GA, I knew that I needed help getting a better handle on local history. I found THE COLUMBUS HISTORIAN, and sent him a series of emails letting him know that I appreciated his work and that I would love to chat with him if he got the chance. And then I waited, and waited, and nothing happened.

But I kept going to the archives, making friends with the archivists, and eventually the archivist at Columbus State University instructed me that I should check out a few resources recommended to me by THE COLUMBUS HISTORIAN. Why didn’t he reply the me directly? The archivist told me that the historian had called to archives to check in on me, to make sure that I was doing my homework, that I was a serious researcher. Once all that was confirmed, then he was willing to help me. Historian’s gatekeep more than J-Lo’s security guard y’all. The only way to break through those barriers is to get to know people!

EXAMPLE TWO: I am currently writing a biography of a very disreputable character—Mildred Rutherford—and while she is from Athens, GA, this lady is no Georgia peach. She has been dead for almost a hundred years, which means that the only people still connected with her directly will be her family members. Tracking down people connected to unsavory characters comes with its own set of challenges—usually, what are they going to think about me writing negative things about this person??? It can been a very sticky situation. And I had no idea how I would be able to find any of Rutherford’s family members willing to speak with me.

Then, as luck would have it, I attended a conference in Athens, GA and saw an exhibitor booth for a historic home bearing her mother’s family name. I started chatting with the representative, and found that the house was right there in Athens. Thirty minutes later, I am being given a private tour of the home by the home’s curator and taking selfie’s with some seriously bizarre artifacts connected to Miss Millie.

After setting up a day for follow-up research, I am presented with a box of books belonging to Rutherford. And after a few more trips, one of the archivists sets up a phone call with one of Rutherford’s descendants! Fast-forward to this past weekend, where I got a chance to visit her descendant in Charleston, SC and came back home with a crate full of family scrapbooks!

The lesson to learn from both of these experiences? It is important to build relationships with archivists. Besides being superheroes of historic preservation, they are key in connecting historians with the local historical community. So much history lies in the oral traditions of society. If we don’t take the time to get to know the people preserving the history, well then, I’m afraid you are limited to only what is in the archives/library. And while archives are havens for historical research, so much history does not make it into the archives. For those stories, we need people.

So send the email, start a conversation, MAKE FRIENDS! These things are all just as essential to your research as that sexy little Hollinger box!

What is a Hollinger Box?

About twenty years ago, I landed the greatest part-time job around for a up-and-coming historian—I was a records processor for the National Archives! Now, I am not talking about the tourist attraction in Washington D.C. that houses the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, this was the southeastern regional office—deep in the trenches of historical research, and I was ecstatic! I sorted through documents, pulled materials off the shelves, and assisted archivists on various projects.

This was my Meet-Cute with the ALLURING Hollinger Box.

Hollinger boxes were created by William Hollinger in 1945. Founding the Hollinger Company, he worked in collaboration with the Library of Congress to create a kind of box that was acid-free and could house pictures, letters, and other archival manuscripts without damaging the paper. While they can come in all shapes and sizes, the typical Hollinger box is blueish grey, and roughly 10 inches tall, 12-15 inches wide, and 6-3 inches deep. The boxes have a hinged-top, where acid-free folders could be stored, and a handy-dandy looped string on the bottom—where you can easily remove the boxes from the shelves without disturbing the 100s of other boxes tightly crammed next to them. While other archival box brands exist, the prevalence and importance of the Hollinger boxes in archival history has resulted in most acid-free boxes simply being referred to as “Hollingers,” regardless of brand.

What’s the Deal with Acid Free? Why Does is Matter?

Most paper products are going to contain some level of acid. Usually the cheaper paper (like newspapers) will contain a HIGH amount of acid, and more expensive paper (like cardstock for a birthday card) contains less.

THIS MATTERS because paper breaks down over time—this is not groundbreaking information, but an archivist’s job is to protect the integrity of those documents for as long as possible. Hence acid-free folders, boxes, and sometimes gloves are used to protect documents as much as possible—WHILE STILL GIVING THE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THEM. I cannot say this enough. Archives are where the general public gets to interact with history. It isn’t behind a glass case, it’s not a copy, it’s the real thing! I mean, it is truly magical.

So Why am I So Obsessed with these Boxes?

Mostly because I have worked in “Archives” without them.

Hollingers follow a system that historians are trained to execute. Order the documents, place ordered documents in folders. Order folders. Place ordered folders in Hollinger boxes. Place inventory of items in box (or finding aide). Place label on box. Place on shelf. When we don’t follow those rules, we get something like the above pictures. With boxes so stuffed that they are difficult to lift. Papers stacked on top of more papers, High-acid materials placed next to low-acid materials (damaging the low-acid materials). And in the case of this “archive” above, a shopping cart and a mattress separating me from the filing cabinets that I needed to access.

So the next time you hear an archivist gush over a this gorgeous little box. Remember, there is a reason for it. Here’s to you William Hollinger! Thanks for helping to preserve history one box at a time.

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Ever Get Frustrated by How Little People Understand of History? Maybe, We historians are to Blame..

Any working historian can remember the first time that they stepped into an archive. When we had the opportunity to form our own opinions about history instead of just reading the work of others. I certainly remember mine—mostly the feeling of being utterly clueless as to what I was supposed to do and what rules I was supposed to follow. Georgia State University, Spring Semester 2003—Histography. Dr. Glenn Eskew sent us to the University Archives to research Georgia singer and songwriter Johnny Mercer. Dr. Eskew told us that Mercer’s “papers” were there (whatever that meant) and we were to schedule an appointment with the “archivist” and do “research.”

I had no idea who Johnny Mercer was, but after some internet searching, I discovered that he wrote the song “Moon River,” and being a die-hard Audrey Hepburn fan, I was immediately on board. But I still hadn’t a clue what I was doing. I was given a “finding aide” (which by the way—does a more poorly named resource exist? you can never FIND anything), and chose a few random boxes to pull items from. Armed with some gloves, a paper bookmark, and a few pieces of paper, I randomly started pulling out items that I thought might be interesting.

Unsure on how to document what I was going, I wrote down EVERYTHING. And in a world were digital cameras were not yet the norm, this took a very long time. The result of this initial “research” included a lot of letters copied verbatim from people, I had never heard of (except one unexpected Christmas card I found from Bing Crosby!), and a bunch of wasted time, copying materials that were of no use for my project.

Now, I know that this is standard practice. At every university archive I visit, it is easy to identify the students sent there for the first time by a professor to try their hand at the archives—I offer no shade to hardworking professors who aim to have their students experience the magic of Archives for the first time. Archives are intoxicating. Artifacts are not stored behind glass partitions as they are in museums, and you can actually TOUCH HISTORY!

But is there a way that we might be able to make this process a little more user-friendly? Create guides to make archives and the work of historians more welcoming? An informed society, one that appreciates its history, needs archives. Not just knowing that they exist, but that they are able and capable of researching history themselves. I have a PhD, research and write about history for a living, teach students how to conduct research and teach history to their own students, but my right to use an archive is no greater than anyone else’s. Let’s demystify history and the work of historians.

Goals

-Demystify History and the Work of Historians by discussing the Historical Research Process. From start to finish, outline the tools, tricks, and methodology behind what we as historians DO.

-Create a Space where students of history, history nerds, researchers, genealogists, and anyone else with an interest in historical research can ask questions of someone who “is already in the biz.”

-Build a Forum where history educators and social studies pedagogy experts can discuss issues and trends within both fields.

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Professors and Historians have lives that are constantly in flux dependent on their current workload. With that in mind, subscribers to this Substack should expect 3-4 posts per month. Subscription is Free (as are MOST archives), so spread the word, and help make the world a little more historical.

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