With the processing of the manuscripts record group now finished, I have also wrapped up the initial finding aid for the collection. The metadata for this collection guide is the result of the past three months' work of inventorying and describing the collection as it grew from a few recovered objects to a larger, more formal historical collection. I utilized tags from DACS (describing archives: a content standard) and Dublin Core Metadata Standard to describe the overall collection in the finding aid. While the present form of the finding aid is as a searchable PDF, the document could easily be transformed into EAD (encoded archival description) for web presentation in the future if the association procures the necessary equipment to support this kind of finding aid. In the meantime, the finding aid now provides a comprehensive introduction to the overall collection with the most emphasis being given to the manuscripts group, which is described further in the attached container list.
I am providing a selection from the finding aid below to show the descriptive information that I have generated for the collection: Finding Aid: Shafer/Motherway Collection Creators: Hamilton Willard Shafer, Mary Hamilton Shafer Motherway, Nora Margaret Shafer, and others Title: Shafer/Motherway Collection Date Range: 1869-1995* Extent: 8 Linear Feet (14 Boxes) of Manuscripts, 177 objects, 81 textiles/apparel items Languages: English, Spanish Acquisition: Acquired in 2016 with the Hamilton Willard Shafer House and Farm Accruals: Continued accruals will occur as more objects/manuscripts are recovered Photographs: None AV Materials: None Copyright: Burkittsville Preservation Association Processed By: Jody Brumage (Spring 2017) *The date range does not include undated objects which may pre-date 1869. The date range provided in this finding aid most accurately describes the manuscript group. Introduction: The Shafer/Motherway Collection incorporates the personal and professional records of two generations of the Shafer family in Burkittsville, Maryland. The collection provides strong research potential in rural business and agriculture, women’s advancement in professional careers in the early-20th century, and the life of a farming family during the Great Depression. Beginning with the acquisition of the property in the fall of 2016, the collection has been recovered from the Hamilton Willard Shafer house and farm as the structures are cleaned out to prepare for significant preservation and restoration projects. In addition to its research value, the collection will support the interpretive design for the Hamilton Willard Shafer house and farm as the site is further developed to welcome visitors to the Crampton’s Gap Historic District. Scope and Content: There are three main groups in the Shafer/Motherway Collection: Manuscripts, Objects, and Textiles/Apparel. The collection as a whole documents the life of the Shafer and later Motherway families who resided at the Hamilton Willard Shafer house and farm from the last-quarter of the 19th century until the turn of the 21st century. While the bulk of the collection details the life of Mary Hamilton Shafer Motherway (1900-2004), other members of the family are also represented, including Nora Margaret Shafer (1896-1963), Dr. Ralph Alexis Shafer (1890-1964), Hamilton Willard Shafer (1860-1919), and Sarah Margaret Arnold Shafer (1858-1939). The Manuscripts Group contains all documentary (bound and unbound) records in the collection, ranging in date from 1869 to 1995. There are six series in the group: Books, Periodicals/Newspapers, Prints/Artwork, Sheet Music, Hamilton Willard Shafer Papers, and Mary Hamilton Shafer Motherway Papers. The latter is further divided into four subseries: Correspondence, Financial Records, Personal Records, and Professional Records. With the exception of the Personal Records subseries of the Mary Hamilton Shafer Motherway papers, all of the group’s series and subseries are arranged chronologically within their respective sections. The Objects Group contains all three-dimensional objects including those comprised of metals, wood, glass, and other natural and man-made materials. The Objects Group has been inventoried but will undergo further processing before becoming available for research purposes. The Textiles/Apparel Group contains all objects made of fabrics, including household items such as sheets, table cloths, and other decorative scarves and clothing. The Textiles/Apparel Group has been inventoried but will undergo further processing before becoming available for research purposes.
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AuthorJody Brumage is a graduate student in San Jose State University's Masters of Archives and Records Administration program. This project is fulfilling the MARA 295 course requirements for an Organizational Consultation Project. Archives
May 2017
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