by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu It’s been a long week and–guess what?–I’m still going through slides. I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about the ways in which plastic can deteriorate after a couple of decades. Did you know that something can be sticky and greasy at the same time? Go figure. … Continue Reading Outdoor Sculpture in the Medical Center […]
Gratuitous Use of the Slide Scanner
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu I’ll be honest: This post is just an excuse to play with a new toy. We recently acquired a new slide scanner: It’s pretty exciting. The HRC has lots of slides and negatives squirreled away in various collections but they have been pretty much inaccessible until now: We would… Continue Reading Gratuitous Use of the Slide Scanner […]
Surviv-A-Life Resuscitator
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu I’ve noted several times that mystery objects are a common part of our jobs (there wouldn’t be Thingamjigs without them!). Last week, our couriers arrived bright and early in the morning with an armload of returned books, newsletters to be stored away for safekeeping, and this: I had not… Continue Reading Surviv-A-Life Resuscitator […]
Public Health and Christmas Seals
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu You know I never pass up an opportunity to scan something. We received an image request early this week that sent me scurrying off to look into Institutional Collection 34, the San Jacinto Lung Association[1], a collection with which I had never before had occasion to work. Oh, my. … Continue Reading Public Health and Christmas Seals […]
Thingamajig follow-up
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu It looks as though the verdict is still out on last week’s Thingamajig. Suggestions have included rib cutters, a very small bottle opener, and tonsil guillotines. Tonsil guillotines strike me as a good guess but I think these might be a bit small even for those. One of the… Continue Reading Thingamajig follow-up […]
Thingamajig
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu We haven’t had a Thingamajig in awhile but, luckily, we just got a new donation, and new donations often mean new mystery objects. We can thank the estates of Drs. Robert G. McCorkle, junior and senior, for the following: There are two of them, left and right. They’re about… Continue Reading Thingamajig […]
Letterheads: Introduction
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu I’ve been suffering with computer-related ailments for the past week, but our tireless and good-humored IT department has me back up and running. So, really, this week’s blog post is made possible by them. Thanks, y’all! When I re-boxed some of the Hermann Hospital Estate papers five years ago,… Continue Reading Letterheads: Introduction […]
The Office, 1920's
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu Let’s take a look at office life, circa 1924. This is the building that housed the Hermann Hospital estate in the 1920’s. The estate was responsible for the business and funding aspect of running the hospital. Here’s a closer view. It seems that road construction was a favorite local… Continue Reading The Office, 1920's […]
Blair Sanitarium
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant Marie Brannon, one of our volunteers, has been doing a great job sorting through some of our intimidating collection of photographs. What is the first lesson learned by projects such as this? Always document your pictures. I repeat: Always document your pictures. Few things are more frustrating than being confronted… Continue Reading Blair Sanitarium […]
Thingamajig, Part III
by Alethea Drexler, archives assistant mcgovern@exch.library.tmc.edu I’m pleased to announce that we have cause to revisit the most recent Thingamjig! I did what I often have to do when faced with an object about which I know so little I don’t even know where to start looking: I send emails. Lots of emails. A few… Continue Reading Thingamajig, Part III […]