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Re: A Description Dilemma



I would say that it sounds like binder 19 contributes to that complete
picture of life in rural Virginia before, during, and after the Civil
War.  They should be left as part of the collection.   They are
illustrative of this family, just as the other documents are.

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> I've been processing a large and, at times, quite personal family
> collection at The National Civil War Museum, made up of 26 binders
> containing between 75-99 documents each.  The date range is 1826-1891
> and covers the letters and documents written by three generations.
> Family members have been, for lack of a better term, housewives,
> elected officials, lawyers and merchants.
>
> Until now the documents contained in the first 18 binders have given
> me, and will give our researchers, a fairly complete picture of life
> in rural Virginia before, during and after the Civil War.  Describing
> them has been pretty straight forward...until now.
>
> Binder 19 contains three documents that I would describe as filthy,
> and none of them are signed.  I'm not just talking about the kind of
> filth that can be removed by dry cleaning.  Portions of the letters
> are sexually explicit and not too kindly phrased.  I don't know why
> the family has kept them for well over 100 years!
>
> I've never come across stuff like this before and wonder whether any
> of you have, and if you have, I'd really like to know how you've
> described them, for describe them I must.
>
> All replies and advice would be gratefully accepted.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Elayne Goyette
> YEGoyette@aol.com

**************************************************
Michelle Mumaw Gage
Archivist/Librarian
Minnetrista Cultural Center
& Oakhurst Gardens
765.282.4848 ext. 168

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