Seen are examples of archivable items: a Knight of Columbus, Owensboro Council, No. 817, banquet program dated April 22, 1906; a reel-to-reel tape; a First Communion photograph from St. Rose in Cloverport, dated June 1,1913; and a letter from Bishop Cotton, dated September 22, 1949. COURTESY OF ARCHIVES
Do you have diocesan history in Grandma’s attic? (Part II)
How to determine if your items are archives-worthy
BY EDWARD WILSON, ARCHIVES
As I mentioned last month, this article will give examples of archivable items to help you determine whether you have something that the diocesan archives might accept for preservation. Though entire books have been written on appraising possible archival items, I will try to keep this article brief. This is not a complete or exhaustive guide. Some examples are as follows:
Anything very old having to do with local Catholic churches and institutions: Any item that you have that is older than the mid-1930s relating to the local Catholic Church is something that you should contact us about. Simply because of the age and their status as pre-diocesan, these items are much less likely to be extant in our holdings.
Any minutes books, or records of local Catholic institutions or groups: These are likely one-of-a-kind items that could contain information that is useful in constructing a more complete picture of our local Church. Groups like the Knights of Columbus, the St. Hubertus Society, the Catholic Students Mission Crusade, as well as countless others, all have such records.
Old physical media: Any reel-to-reel (audio or video), cassette tape (audio or video) etc. that contains local Catholic media. This goes beyond a production that was mass produced by the diocese. For example, we know that certain priests had daily or weekly radio spots. We have reel to reel of a few of these, but many we do not. If more of these have been preserved, we would absolutely accept them! Also, around the time Bishop McRaith was installed, he was interviewed by Mother Angelica on her television show. It is likely that someone taped this, and it is still laying around on an old VHS tape. Artifacts like these are absolutely archivable. The timeline is urgent, as well, as the media deteriorates.
Photographs, memorabilia, and correspondence: Photographs and memorabilia of, or correspondence with, local bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and sisters are all very welcome and historically valuable.
These are just some examples to help. Notice that all of these are local and Catholic. If an important item is from another diocese, it belongs there. Contact us and we will be happy to help you get it where it needs to go. Likewise, if something is archival but it is not Catholic, say Civil War items, we will also help you get it to an archive or museum where it can be preserved. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the archives. We are happy to help!
Edward Wilson is the director of the Diocese of Owensboro’s Archives and the Archives of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. Comments and questions may be sent to [email protected].
Originally printed in the February 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
