The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Archives document the planning, design, construction, and furnishing of the Main House, Gardens, and Village. Collections include 24,000 pieces of historic correspondence, 3,000 historic architectural drawings, 3,000 historic photographic prints, and a library with 800 volumes.
SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE CORRESPONDENCE COLLECTION
Vizcaya’s Correspondence Collection includes approximately 24,000 letters and telegrams from 1910 to 1953, though most correspondences were sent and received between 1914 and 1922. The letters and telegrams are not personal in nature, and instead are business correspondence about the details of building the Main House, Gardens, and Village.
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writings
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writingsWORKING DOCUMENTS
When looking at the letters and telegrams in the Correspondence Collection, it immediately becomes clear that these were working documents. The sender or receiver may have included sketches, notes, and other written marks on them. Later, the collection was reviewed and notes about the topics discussed in the letters were written directly on them in red pen. While not at all considered an archival best practice, this was done in an attempt to provide access to the information in the letters and is now part of the story of the letters. In addition to red pen marks, there are marks that show that some letters were damaged by water, some by burns, and others by paper clips that rusted and damaged the paper.
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writings
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writingsCURRENT CARE OF THE COLLECTION
All correspondence records are stored according to current archival best practices. This means that they are kept in acid-free folders and boxes, and are stored in climate-controlled rooms with strictly-managed temperature, relative humidity, and light controls. It also means that access to original records is limited, to reduce wear and tear on these irreplaceable documents. As Vizcaya continues to digitize the Correspondence Collection, a broader audience will be able to study and learn from these important records without risking damage to the originals.
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writings
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writingsMETADATA CREATION
As letters and telegrams are digitized, in addition to creating an image, metadata is also created about each letter. Metadata is information about the individual item that helps researchers locate the best archival items to study and that will help them answer their research questions. This information includes who wrote the letter or telegram and when, who it was sent to, and topics discussed in the letter. It also includes information about the physical letter, including its dimensions, condition, and storage location. Metadata creation is a critical aspect of processing a collection since it increases the likelihood that the correct resource will be discoverable by the researcher who is looking for specific primary source information.
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writings
Tap on the letter to see secretarial practices: shorthand writings
