Fancy Borders and Fashion Plates

In 1903 "the vogue was to embellish groups of portraits, with fancy borders, of which these are typical". How far we have come in 106 years!

What Happens on Thin Ice

Thanks to Barbara McDowell for the "Life Lessons" books!

Kansas City Women in 1901, by Barbara's Grandpa

Picking up the Scrapbook

So, tomorrow I have an appointment with the folks at Hudson Microimaging to pick up the original scrapbook and to drop off Gaga's letters to Bibsy & Brad, Dean & Trudy and John, Suzy, Lyd, Betsy-Liz and Lin...So happy to have some of the letters together at last!!!! We'll see what they will do for us.

Well placed home, 1850 Kansas City

So the house on the hill becomes the storefront on Main Street in 50 years.

Gridlock 1901

Could this possibly be the first illustration of gridlock?

1901 Story Illustration

The next page in the scrapbook...

1901 Story Illustration

The next page...

Introduction to the Scrapbook

I am finally able to upload some images for everyone to see. We have had wonderful results from the digitization of the scrapbook, and this is just the beginning. Please let me know what you think, and make sure to pass this along to any and all who might be interested.

Scrapbook has been digitized!

Over the weekend I received the DVDs of the scanned scrapbook from Hudson Microimaging and am excited to let you know that we can now look at Gaga's cartoons from newspapers published in 1901 and on, close-up, on the computer. I have to find out if we can make copies of these DVDs etc, but imagine we can, since they are ours. Everyone who has contributed to the fund will get their copy soon! If you still haven't sent in your addition to the pot, you may mail a check to "AB Chapin Preservation Fund, 1492 Roses Brook Road, South Kortright, NY 13842! I will be posting images shortly.

Archival Storage

Yesterday I ordered an album, protective sheets, tissue paper etc to start the process of preserving Gaga's letters and cartoon originals. I ordered from Gaylord, a firm based in Syracuse, who gave us a box to store the scrapbook in on it's travels to Hudson Microimaging. They also had told me about a discount I could get because of my association with the Upstate History Alliance and the Museum Association of New York. I couldn't find the discount online, but they let me know I would get about $40.00 off the total order. If anyone would like to purchase archival storage for their ABChapin collection, check them out at www.gaylord.com and let me know. I will try to get you the discount too!

Today I received a package from my Aunt Bibsy, down in Naples. She has made a book of the letters Gaga wrote to her and her family over many years. I don't know how many letters there are yet, but it is exciting to start the process of preserving them for many years to come. We will be getting them stored digitally, so that we can all enjoy the pithy comments, funny illustrations, and get a sense of what life was like for our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Actually, as the generations are growing, it goes all the way to great-great-great-grandparents! I will be taking them to Hudson Microimaging to have this done. Here is the link to their website:
www.HudsonMicroimaging.com

Letter to Elizabeth Foye Hickox on the birth of Lin Barbara, her 1st sibling

Here she is, Mary Sunshine!

Her she is! Miss Mary Sunshine. Next, I will post the letter Gaga wrote to me when Lin was born, telling me the story of these two girls.

Meet Sally Scowls!

This is an old family favorite. Now we need to find her sister, Mary Sunshine.

End of the Detour

We used this cartoon for Pepa's graduation announcement. Part of the reason I'm interested in doing this project is so that we can all have the opportunity to access these wonderful, timeless observations of life.

The Night Watch

Although created almost fifty years ago, the sentiment of this cartoon continues to resonate with parents today and fifty years from now.

Welcome to Gaga's Blog site

Just a quick note, to let you all know that I will be keeping this site updated as to the progress on scanning Gaga's scrapbook and cartoons. At this time, the scrapbook and some copies of his diaries are at Hudson Microimaging, near Kingston NY. As I become more familiar with blogging, I will post links and images so that you can all follow along and let me know any information or interesting tidbits we can add to the project. We have a fund set up, called the AB Chapin Preservation Fund, with donations from the Bakers, Eldridges, Fishers, McDowells, John Phelps and Lin Sigler. The Grobs have also pledged to contrribute, and so I will keep you all up-to-date with any expenses or contributions to that. So far we have $600.00! The cost so far will be around $300. Hudson Microimaging has taken an interest in Gaga's handwriting, so they are doing some experiments with that and giving us some services for free. As soon as I hear from them, I will let you all know.