The Adventures of My Scrapbooks                 2 3

several times while I was in the hospital. In a low part of the cellar
were stored the fourteen or sixteen cases and trunks containing my
scrapbooks. I noticed a dried water mark on the two bottom cases.
I was hastily informed that a little water had gotten into the cellar
but it did not seem to have reached into the cases.

On the contrary, later examination showed the two bottom
cases to be practically paper-mud and mildew inside; very few of
the items in the books were salvagable. Naturally I was heart¬
broken. And yet I was grateful that the collection as a whole had
been saved from the auction-block.

When what was left of the scrapbooks and books was stacked in
my $6-a-week room, I decided to remove all Negro items from
scrapbooks that were not essentially Negroic and to add them to
the Negro collection, as that part had suffered least damage. As I
worked, I kept before me the goal of making this part of the
collection a far-reaching historical item of Negroana, with each of
its volumes so fine and selective in its make-up that no other col¬
lection could even hope to equal it.

I also decided that my collection should be finally placed where
it would be safeguarded and where it would be of more extensive
use than I could offer, and it was presented to the Columbia
Library. In 19501 became dangerously ill again. When I recovered
and could leave the hospital, the Columbia Library gave me grants
to sort and complete my material. I worked on it until last summer,
when I had gone beyond the set retirement age of the University.
Now I am retired.

I have labored toward my goal for more than fifteen years.
Whether or not I have succeeded, I do sincerely hope that the
collection will be useful for serious historical research, and will
remain an abiding incentive to those who try to make scrapbooks
on any subject.