Maryland and Historical Collections is pleased to announce a recent accrual to the Eugene L. Meyer papers of donated material from Mr. Meyers' years as a journalist. During his career, he has served as a reporter and editor at the Washington Post and contributed to The New York Times, Bethesda Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Washingtonian, Columbia College Today, CQ Researcher, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and Maryland Life. At Maryland Life, he wrote features, profiles, and the popular "Hidden Maryland" column. He also serves as editor for B'nai B'rith magazine and has published several books on Maryland and its history and culture.
Read more: New Accrual Announcement: The Eugene L. Meyer Papers
The Eugene L. Meyer papers contain a range of material about Maryland. Meyer's work took him all over the state, leading him to collect everything from restaurant menus to business cards, postcards, and maps. His research notes show his process as he engaged with each location and turned his experience into compelling and newsworthy articles. Also included in the collection are photographs, both black and white and in color, that document different places in Maryland. There are dozens of notebooks and legal pads with Meyer's detailed notes for his pieces. This collection has unique material from almost every county in Maryland, showcasing the breadth of Meyer's work from throughout the state.
Researchers will be able to use this collection to get a greater understanding of Maryland's rich culture and history. With material on such a diverse range of locations, researchers will be able to get an idea of what a place was like when Meyer visited. Unique items like restaurant menus and business cards shine a light into many different aspects of life. These snapshots provide insight into a place's culture and what its people were like not too long ago. With the bulk of the collection between 1973 and 2010, the items show a range of time periods.
Here are some examples of interesting finds from the collection. Meyer's research often led him to collecting ephemera from the places he visited. The items on the left (below) are from Somerset County. These travel brochures and visitor's guides show a little slice of life from Somerset. There is also a 1991 edition of a business directory, which contains advertisements from many different businesses organized by type. There is even a page for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. A folder in this collection might look like the one on the right, below: business cards stapled on the left side, then visitor guides stacked on newspaper, stacked on notes, everything just as Meyer kept it.
Learn more about The Eugene L. Meyer papers by browsing its finding aid. To view the collection in person, check out this guide to requesting materials. Please note that access to this collection requires requests to be submitted at least one week in advance due to restricted material which needs to be pre-screened. This collection has a preliminary inventory available to view and has not yet been fully processed.
Lottie Segal is a student in the Masters of Library and Information Sciences program and Student Assistant with the Maryland and Historical Collections team at UMD.
No comments:
Post a Comment