Melrose Imaging Project

The Cammie G. Henry Research Center remains one of the most treasured resources of historical information in the northwestern Louisiana region. The Melrose Collection, the legacy of Cammie G. Henry (1871-1948), forms our core and premiere collection. It consists of over 250 scrapbooks, 1,400 folders, privately bound volumes containing out-of-print pamphlets, brochures, translated French and Spanish Colonial documents, American Territorial court documents; and bound newspapers from the New Orleans and Natchitoches regions dating from the 1860's.

Size alone, however, does not adequately convey the collection's value. Cammie G. Henry, the matriarch of Melrose Plantation, strived to build her knowledge of Louisiana, Western Mississippi, and East Texas. Her dedication to history becomes apparent in a quote from one of her scrapbooks, where she writes in the margin of a newspaper clipping, "Some day, someone will hunt history in these very old notices." She opened her home to anyone who wished to study and create using the resources she collected. Melrose Plantation became a haven for writers and artists of all genres.

	Historically, people living near the Cane River practiced many unique folk arts, including basket weaving, bousillage construction of houses, chair caning, and countless others. These folk arts slowly vanish from the culture as modernization increases. The Melrose Collection documents the history of folk art in the area and preserves it for use by future generations.

While Louisiana archivists and historians remain eternally grateful to "Aunt Cammie" for her foresight in collecting these historical documents, her method of preparing the scrapbooks presents challenging preservation issues. The books consist of highly acidic paper, already beginning to crumble and threatening the information contained therein. Also, each scrapbook contains a variety of document types (including paper, newsprint, photographs, and textiles) that require different preservation techniques. At this point, photocopying the books for patrons causes irreversible damage, due to the instability of the binding and the overall fragility of the documents.

	Starting with a matching grant through the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund, the Research Center staff began digitizing images of this core collection for easier access and preservation of the 250 scrapbooks of historical documents. Electronically imaging the Melrose Collection allows better access to documents related to the region's history, preserves the originals, and provides a laboratory to teach the techniques involved in electronic imaging and develop new techniques for the future.

An important side benefit of the Melrose Imaging Project lies in the staff's ability to create high quality exhibits using detailed reproductions of color maps, photographs, and even three-dimensional objects. We can send exhibits to institutions, heritage celebrations, and history fairs to reach patrons who may never otherwise visit an archives. Preserving the Melrose Collection in this fashion unleashes manifold benefits.

	At the same time, the reduction of deterioration on these unique, valuable, and heavily used documents ensures their preservation for posterity. The goal of this project remains to provide maximum access to the Melrose Collection for study by Northwestern students and faculty as well as interested scholars worldwide.

The project also provides faculty development opportunities and strengthens the connection between the University and local preservation institutions. In addition, these reproductions allow us to electronically transmit high resolution files to distant students and researchers. A public access terminal allows walk-in patrons to access these images. After a short demonstration, a patron may perform research with minimal aid from the staff.

	The project already has led to a decrease in the amount of handling necessary to view a document, while still maintaining the same level of accessibility. If a patron requests a page from a scanned scrapbook, the archives staff is able to pull only that page instead of the entire scrapbook. Also, if the patron requires a copy, the staff can simply print the digital image, a better quality reproduction than a photocopy.

In addition, we can magnify images to discover more information about the original document. To date, we hold more than 45,000 high-resolution files of digital images from Melrose Collection documents, accessible to patrons by scrapbook number and page.

Several families who once owned or currently own land along the Cane River in Natchitoches parish still hold original plantation and other business records; personal diaries, letters and photographs; and private libraries within their households. These personal manuscript collections encompass material dating from the French Colonial Period through Reconstruction; many of the letters and diaries describe close family relationships with relatives in France. This project opens a gateway for future accessions of historical documents, thereby increasing and strengthening the Cammie G. Henry Research Center's effectiveness as a center for the study of Louisiana's cultural and artistic heritage.