Introduce yourself and meet the crowd.loc.gov community.

Hello! My name is Erin, and I'm here thanks to someone on Facebook (can't remember who) linking to a blog post (can't remember which) about transcribers being needed for Suffragist documents at the Library of Congress. I'm new to crowd.loc.gov, but not to transcribing: I'm the Senior Cataloger responsible for (among other things) 16th- and 17th-century manuscripts at the Folger Shakespeare Library, so I work with documents being transcribed in Early Modern Manuscripts Online and Shakespeare's World.

The problem with having a job that I love is that it's hard to leave it behind at the end of the work day, and I picked up the bad habit of continuing to putter away at work-related things on evenings and weekends. However, I've recently begun making a concerted effort not to think about work after hours. The enforced change of mental scenery has been good for my well-being, but took away one of my hobbies. Now, thanks to having seen the random blog post, I've got it back!

Reading 19th- and 20th-century cursive is a relaxing change from secretary hand, and I'm enjoying learning about the American women's suffrage movement -- I'm familiar with people and events related to Canadian and British women's rights, but find myself having to do a fair bit of Googling around to figure out who and what are being talked about in these letters. Also, it gives me a kick to see so many Washington, DC, addresses -- yesterday I transcribed a couple of letters that Frederick Douglas wrote to Anna E. Dickinson from a house that I walk past on my way to the bus stop after work.

Hi Erin!  Thanks for joining in!

My colleague and fellow community manager, V. Van Hyning (formerly of By the People LOC) worked on the Shakespeare's World project as part of the Zooniverse team before joining Library of Congress. We'll have to meet in person sometime as we're next-door work neighbors!

I also love the DC connections throughout the Barton, Whitman, and Lincoln documents -- but especially Mary Church Terrell's! Did you know she was still fighting for civil rights into the 1950s? She participated in integration protests at Landsburgh's Department store downtown when she was nearly 90!  The building is at 7th and F NW and has since been named for her and bears a plaque about her activism there. Her home is also still standing in LeDroit Park.

Is 7th and F the Terrell Building? I have passed it from time to time.

She also fought to desegregate Thompson's Restaurant in the late 40's to early 50's. I have just come across documents in 1934 where she and others are protesting exclusion of blacks from the House of Representatives restaurant. Can you imagine?

In 1952, she voted for Adlai Stevenson, the first time she had ever voted for a Democrat. Interesting, since she was born while Lincoln was President. She must have realized that the party of Lincoln was not helping blacks with civil rights.

This is fascinating stuff.

Have a good weekend,

Henry

Wow -- I had no idea that building was named for her. I'll have to go look for the plaque -- there's  no mention of her on the TerrellPlace.com website (though they do mention that  "the installation of large-scale reactive media on the main lobby walls and corridor portals creates an immersive experience for tenants and visitors and a sense of connection across the building's common areas." Good grief.)

The letters I'm transcribing, from the late 1930s and early 1940s, are from when she lived at 1615 S St. NW, about a 15-minute walk from my apartment. The 1930 census has her at the S St. address; the 1920 census still has her on T Street.... except that the enumerator hand-wrote it as "Tea," which led whoever transcribed from the microfilm to type in "Jea" so now I'm going down two other rabbit holes: (1) reporting the transcription error in the census document and (2) wondering when it stopped being common to spell out the names of the letter streets other than "Eye" (which is still done, to keep it from being mistaken for 1st St.) -- I've seen both "Tea" and "You" in the Mary Church Terrell Papers.

Hi Erin- I have been transcribing MCT since October. Fascinating stuff. I am doing "Letters Between Allies and Friends." I decided to start at the beginning and am now in 1934.

Yeah, the writing out of street names is interesting. It took me a while to realize what they were doing especially in the handwritten items. From what I have read, she owned 326 T St. but moved to 1615 S Street in the 10's I believe. In reading a biography, it intimated that she may have been separated from Robert(Berto) and they lived apart. 326 T is her official house but it seems to be in disrepair and is not open to visitors. 

Here is something I found online about Terrell Place.

https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/terrell-place/-hecht-company-site-african-american-heritage-trail

By the way, if you like handwritten work and are looking for something to review, I previously transcribed her diaries. Others had reviewed up to 1908. So, if you are interested, you could start in 1909. And if you want me to review your work, let me know what you have worked on.

Henry

Hello, Henry! Looks like I unwittingly dove into the same batch of  "Letters Between Allies and Friends" you've been working on. I began with Nov/Dec 1936 and kept on going through December 1954, looking for handwritten letters in order to put my Gen X Superpower of being able to read cursive hands to good use. (It broke my heart seeing Nettie's handwriting and eyesight deteriorate over the years until she was writing one line on top of another, not realizing her paper had slipped.)

I've also been doing undated letters, and reviewing, so will head into MCT's diaries to pick up reviewing your work.

Cheers,

Erin.

Hi Erin- I was wondering if someone else was working in the same area because I noticed the number of documents done was going up faster than I was doing. Actually, I'm glad we are working in the same area. You seem to be working hard and we will be able to clear the section soon. I started at the beginning of Letters to Friends and Allies and am going through them section by section. Many I have edited and they may need to be re-reviewed. Others I have approved. I am up to Jan-Apr 1935 so I will probably get to your work shortly. Keep up the good work. If you need me to check anything you can contact me directly through here. I had been through letters somewhat but I can't remember if I went through them as I have this section. I will head into Lectures once I get through this. Fun stuff. I have learned a lot and gained a greater respect for the Civil Rights effort and disgust for those who allowed Jim Crow and segregation to exist.

Take care,

Henry

Hi Erin- I was wondering if someone else was working in the same area because I noticed the number of documents done was going up faster than I was doing. Actually, I'm glad we are working in the same area. You seem to be working hard and we will be able to clear the section soon. I started at the beginning of Letters to Friends and Allies and am going through them section by section. Many I have edited and they may need to be re-reviewed. Others I have approved. I am up to Jan-Apr 1935 so I will probably get to your work shortly. Keep up the good work. If you need me to check anything you can contact me directly through here. I had been through letters somewhat but I can't remember if I went through them as I have this section. I will head into Lectures once I get through this. Fun stuff. I have learned a lot and gained a greater respect for the Civil Rights effort and disgust for those who allowed Jim Crow and segregation to exist.

Take care,

Henry