I'd love to work at the Archives, but I have a feeling that I'd be so busy opening drawers and boxes looking for cool stuff that I'd never actually get anything done!
I actually have a quick story I can connect to this article! In the late 80's and early 90's, I worked for The Ohio State University Archives as a student worker while obtaining my degree. Ninety-nine percent of the job was pretty boring, usually making microfiche from 100-year-old budget documents. But there were two fun days.
In the basement, they had so many boxes of items that it reminded me a bit of the ending of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. There was an upside-down pyramid object about 18 inches high on the floor inside a zipped up soft leather case in the middle of these stacks. My co-workers and I opened it up and found a 1984 Los Angeles Olympics torch with Jesse Owens name engraved on it. As dumb college kids, we of course ran around the stacks holding this torch and pretending to light the large, Olympic torch.
The second fun day, we were going through a new collection we received from the estate of Sir Hubert Wilkins, a famous polar explorer from 90 years ago. He and his wife hob-knobbed with the wealthy back in their day. Imagine my surprise when I opened a birthday card from Walt Disney himself, signed by Disney and with a hand-drawn image of the classic Mickey Mouse!!! It had no date on it.
We all marveled at it as the head of the archives immediately took it away. I wonder if it ever was put on display?
I'd love to work at the Archives, but I have a feeling that I'd be so busy opening drawers and boxes looking for cool stuff that I'd never actually get anything done!
I actually have a quick story I can connect to this article! In the late 80's and early 90's, I worked for The Ohio State University Archives as a student worker while obtaining my degree. Ninety-nine percent of the job was pretty boring, usually making microfiche from 100-year-old budget documents. But there were two fun days.
In the basement, they had so many boxes of items that it reminded me a bit of the ending of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. There was an upside-down pyramid object about 18 inches high on the floor inside a zipped up soft leather case in the middle of these stacks. My co-workers and I opened it up and found a 1984 Los Angeles Olympics torch with Jesse Owens name engraved on it. As dumb college kids, we of course ran around the stacks holding this torch and pretending to light the large, Olympic torch.
The second fun day, we were going through a new collection we received from the estate of Sir Hubert Wilkins, a famous polar explorer from 90 years ago. He and his wife hob-knobbed with the wealthy back in their day. Imagine my surprise when I opened a birthday card from Walt Disney himself, signed by Disney and with a hand-drawn image of the classic Mickey Mouse!!! It had no date on it.
We all marveled at it as the head of the archives immediately took it away. I wonder if it ever was put on display?
Ooh! I want to work at the Archives. Fascinating read.