The following information on recent archival processing work at Manuscripts and Archives (MSSA) was written by Alison Clemens, Head of Processing.
As I mentioned in my posts for October and July 2020, I usually share quarterly updates about collections and additions to collections for which MSSA has recently acquired and completed processing. Since October, MSSA processing staff have had occasional access to the Sterling Memorial Library (SML) building and have therefore processed both traditional and born-digital archival materials (i.e., materials that were created in computer environments) over the past several months.
Since my last post in October, MSSA staff have made available the following collections and additions to existing collections, which we look forward to making available for research when our reading room reopens:
Noriaki Tsuchimoto Papers (MS 2115)
The collection, totaling 43.67 linear feet, comprises the papers of Noriaki Tsuchimoto, a Japanese documentary film director, who directed films on various topics, including environmental issues, nuclear power, corporate history, and Afghanistan. The collection includes manuscripts and documents about his films, including annotated scripts, production notes, shot, and budget sheets; research materials of various topics, including documents on the science of mercury poisoning; location and on-the-set photos; publicity materials; and film stills. It also contains Tsuchimoto’s correspondence with colleagues, as well as decades worth of his datebooks. The topics in his papers vary and include items ranging from labor union newsletters to court documents on cases involving colleagues.
The collection, totaling 38.78 linear feet, includes administrative files, records from Technoserve presidents Edward P. Bullard and Peter Reiling, files and grant information related to Technoserve’s work in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and newsletters. Administrative files contain business records, meeting and committee files and notes, financial records, and correspondence. Records from the Office of the President include administrative files, correspondence, and writings and speeches by Edward P. Bullard and Peter Reiling. Country files and files relating to grant agreements contain business records and correspondence regarding Technoserve’s work in countries of the developing world. The collection also includes Technoserve’s newsletters documenting the organization’s outreach.
Jean M. Conklin Papers (MS 2057)
The Jean M. Conklin papers, totaling 30.33 linear feet, document the life of a Japanese American family that settled initially in San Francisco, California and later in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Included in the collection are materials created and collected by Jean Conklin about the Morisuye (Jean’s father’s line) and Hasegawa (Jean’s mother’s line) families, of which Jean was among the first generation born in the United States. Also included among the material is documentation about Jean’s father, Masanobu Moriuye, and his efforts to establish the first Japanese American Boy Scout troop in San Francisco, as well as materials documenting Jean’s childhood, college years, and life as the wife of Yale anthropology professor Harold C. Conklin. Also included are pieces of Jean’s artwork, Jean’s public school and college papers, family correspondence, family scrapbooks, 8mm-film footage of family travel between the 1930s and 1960s, VHS tapes, photographs, slides, and research materials related to her family’s genealogy.
Cuban Slavery Collection (MS 2116)
Official documents, totaling 0.42 linear feet and dated 1848-1889, pertaining to slavery in Cuba, mostly from Matanzas, Cuba. Documents include death certificates for enslaved people, petitions for freedom from slavery, documentation of disputes, prisoner correspondence, and arrest warrants. Some death certificates specify the cause of death, the plantation or enslaver, and the enslaved person’s origin in Africa.
Chinese Indentured Laborers in Cuba Collection (MS 2117)
Official documents, totaling 0.42 linear feet, regarding Chinese indentured laborers, often referred to as “asiático” (Asian), in Cuba in the nineteenth century. The documents include death certificates, new contracts, official petitions to the court, documents outlining the movement of workers, documents concerning fugitive people and imprisoned laborers, arrest warrants, and identification documents.
Josephine and Antonio Bouzas Papers (MS 2112)
The Josephine and Antonio Bouzas papers, totaling 1.63 linear feet, contain photographs, legal documents, and correspondence documenting the history of the Josephine and Antonio Bouzas family and their experiences during the Spanish Civil War.