MRL 3: Arunodaya: The Autobiography of Bãbã Padamanjí, box 1, and folder 1, The Burke Library Archives, Columbia University Libraries, at Union Theological Seminary, New York When I was first given the very small collection of Bãbã Padamanjí (so small in fact, that it only contains one book), to process I wasn’t sure if I […]
Tag: MRL
The Beginning of a Beautiful Career: Interning at the Burke Library Archives
Scouring boxes of papers for an indication of original order, picking out rusty staples, developing an appreciation for acid-free paper, trying not to walk into film crews, eating lunch in a pristine courtyard, and translating the disturbing reports of prisoners of war: these were just a few of the things I did as an intern […]
“Such scenes are very afflicting to a European beholder…”: The Papers of Samuel Leigh
In his first letter to the Committee of the Methodist Missionary Society in London, the Reverend Samuel Leigh, a Wesleyan Missionary, wrote: While the above quote puts more emphasis on the differences of missionary work at home and abroad, it also applies to acclimating to an entirely new world and culture. Having been born and […]
Henry R. Luce Makes an Appearance
Credit to: MRL5: United Board for Christian Colleges in China Records, box 1, folder 2, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York. If you recall from an earlier post detailing the relationship between the Burke Library and the Henry Luce Foundation, the press release which announced the funding included […]
The Gripsholm Exchange and Repatriation Voyages
The Shanghai Evening Post American Edition, Dec. 3, 1943, page 1. Credit to MRL 12: Foreign Missions Conference of North America Records, Series 2B, Box 33, Folder 9, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York. The Committee on East Asia comprises a large part of the Area Committees […]
Foreign Missions Conference of North America (FMCNA) Records – Now Available
Little Boxes in the Archives – Completed FMCNA The records for the Foreign Missions Conference of North America (FMCNA), covering the years 1894-1968, are now available! This large MRL12 collection totaling 68 boxes (30.50 linear feet) comprise materials documenting inception and institutional proceedings of the organization. Established to create dialogue between missions-based action committees confronting […]
“These Are Bloody Times in Which We Live…”: The Journal of Mary Lewis Shedd
June 17, 1918 One of the first collections I processed at Burke was MRL2: Mary Lewis [Mrs. W. A.] Shedd Papers, 1918. This journal made an impact on me not just because of the first-hand account it provides, but also because this copy appears to be completely unique. The collection is comprised of a 42-page […]
“We will never forget this ride of terror”: Translating the Reports of German Missionaries to Cameroon Taken as Prisoners of War
Credit to: MRL1: German Missionaries in Cameroon Reports, The Burke Library Archives (Columbia University Libraries) at Union Theological Seminary, New York. One of the great benefits of interning at the Burke Library Archives last spring was the opportunity to fuse several of my skills in the various projects I undertook. One of these projects was […]
Luce + Archives
While processing the materials in MRL and WAB, we try to keep a special eye out for any collection which includes materials related to Henry Winters Luce. Henry W. Luce and his wife Elizabeth Root Luce were Presbyterian missionaries and educators in China during the early party of the twentieth century. Henry R. Luce, who […]
The Why
Now that you know a little more about the MRL and WAB collections, as well as the Luce Foundation, I thought it would be useful to explain the reason behind needing this project in the first place. Most, if not all, archives and libraries have what we call "backlog." Our collections are continually growing: we […]