What We're Saying / Archives in Action

What We're Saying

People of Remembrance

In my last blog post, I told you a little about the Episcopal Archivists, an advisory group to the Archives of the Episcopal Church and about their new website which can be found at http://episcopalarchivists.org/.

The whole purpose of this group is to provide resources and professional expertise to those within The Episcopal Church who are tasked with the duty of caring for church records and for protecting the Church’s documentary heritage – thereby preserving the Church’s story. Read more »

New Website for Episcopal Archivists

I wanted you to be the first to know that the Episcopal Archivists,
an advisory group to the Archives of the Episcopal Church,
has just launched a new website. 

EA

http://episcopalarchivists.org Read more »

The Spirit of Christmas

Last year in the spirit of Christmas I shared five Christmas cards sent out by the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Herbert H. Gowen.  This year I'd like to share a few more:

Christmas  1934

Behold, behold!

the Babe that brings the Age of Gold!

In Light celestial arrayed,

Yet in earth's cradle lowly laid!

O Earth, from fear awake to sign

Praise to the new-born King! Read more »

Showing Off: Exhibiting the Archives. Part 2

As promised, in this blog I’m going to take you step by step through the preparation of this year’s Archives exhibit at diocesan convention. 

I began by thinking about the convention theme, “Living Our Baptism,” and about how to express this theme through an Archives exhibit using signage, photographs and other archival material. 

Once I’d thought it through, I sketched out a possible design and wording for signs and captions.  Then it was time to set up the display unit and begin laying out the exhibit.  Read more »

Showing Off: Exhibiting the Archives

It’s almost time for diocesan convention and for me that means it’s time to prepare the Archives exhibit!

Exhibit Read more »

“Beyond Borders:” SAA in San Diego!

San Diego Read more »

Space Age Christianity: The Diocese of Olympia and the Seattle World's Fair Part 3

Now that the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church has drawn to a close it’s time to return to our series on Space Age Christianity and the Diocese of Olympia’s role in Century 21, the Seattle World’s Fair.

Christian Witness Pavilion

http://www.cardcow.com/viewall/68623/ Read more »

General Convention: A Look Back cont.

We Listened; We Heard; We Acted!  So read the headlines when the 1967 General Convention in Seattle adjourned.  Producing “a series of actions unparalleled in the history of the Church,” Convention ’67 was pivotal in moving The Episcopal Church to the forefront with regard to the social, political and economic issues of the day. Read more »

General Convention: A Look Back cont.

San Francisco was the setting for the 1949 General Convention.  The Presiding Bishop was the Rt. Rev. Henry K. Sherrill, the Bishop of Olympia was the Rt. Rev. Stephen Fielding Bayne, Jr.  and Dean Sprouse was elected President of the House of Deputies.

GC 1949 Cartoon 1 Read more »

General Convention: A Look Back

As all eyes are currently on General Convention in Indianapolis, I’m putting off my next segment on the Seattle World's Fair in favor of a look back at some earlier General Conventions, beginning with New York in 1913.

This was the first General Convention where Olympia participated as a fully fledged diocese - that status having been achieved at the 1910 Convention in Cincinnati. 

Bishop tuttle

The Rt. Rev. Daniel Sylvester Tuttle, Bishop of Missouri, was Presiding Bishop and Read more »

Space Age Christianity: The Diocese of Olympia and the Seattle World's Fair Part 2

As a follow up to my previous blog on the Seattle World’s Fair – The Century 21 Exposition  which featured the ‘Space Age Christianity’ forum, I thought I’d see if I could find additional information on how our diocese and its congregations participated in the Fair. 

Seattle, St. Paul - All Saints' Chapel (postcard) Read more »

Space Age Christianity: The Diocese of Olympia and the Seattle World's Fair

For those of you not from the Seattle area you may or may not know that this year is the 50th anniversary of the Seattle’s World Fair – The Century 21 Exposition – which ran from April 21, 1962 through October 21, 1962.  The Fair’s emphasis was on the future with science and technology at the forefront.  It was a major event in Seattle’s history with the now iconic Space Needle as its centerpiece.

Spcae Needle

Photo by Diane Wells Read more »

Archives Basics: Part 3

Sorry it’s been a while since my last post but I’ve been out and about the diocese visiting some of our congregations and talking about – guess what? – Archives and History. 

Monroe, Church of Our Saviour Read more »

Archives Basics: Part 2

Well, here we are again.  By now, you’ve searched the church, gathered all your records together in one place and have begun to sort and categorize them. Right? Right! 

Tacoma

Sorting Archival Records, Tacoma, Christ Church Archives
Read more »

Archives Basics: Part 1

Before you begin the process of caring for your archival records, look over my previous blog for a brief introduction.  The last paragraph sums up what you should have in place:
•    people (you, of course) to do the work
•    administrative support (to obtain support you should formulate a plan and an archives and records policy that you can take to your vestry or bishop's committee.  See file attachment for sample policies) Read more »

Taking Care of the Treasures: Archives Basics

Now that we've taken a look at a few of our archival treasures, it's time to learn how to take care of them.  As promised, with this post I'm starting a how-to series on church archives beginning with basic preservation practices.  I encourage all congregations in the Diocese of Olympia to maintain their own church archives and I'll be featuring several of them in this series of posts.

Trinity 1

Seattle, Trinity Parish Archives Read more »

Treasures in the Archives

When the Rev. Dr. John McCarty kept a journal of his travels in the Missionary Territories of Oregon and Washington, he did us a great service.  For if John McCarty, and others like him, had not kept journals and diaries, written letters, made drawings or taken pictures documenting their time and place, we would simply not know what their lives were like. 

Vancouver, St. Luke Read more »

... A Field of Labor of Great Extent and Full of Promise

...a field of labor of great extent and full of promise.  This is how early missionary, the Rev. John D. McCarty, D.D., described the possibilities for mission work in the newly created Washington Territory - but it could just as easily be used to describe our archival mission.  Read more »

New Year's Resolution: Let's Get Organized!

Here’s one New Year’s resolution you can keep! 

You can go from this:

Records - Before Processing

 

to this:

Records - After Processing

in just a few easy steps!!  Read more »

Merry Christmas from the Archives!

In the spirit of Christmas, I’d like to give you a gift.  A gift from Christmases past – greetings actually, from the Rev. Dr. Herbert Henry Gowen, a priest in this diocese from 1897-1960.

Gowen card 1943 Read more »

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