The Pink and Green

What can we learn from documents?  Obviously, they show us the words written on a sheet, but we can learn so much more — from the parchment to the ink.  For the 13th Annual Marilyn Crandell Schleg Lecture, Dr. Marie M. Baxter, ’87, presented “Parchment, Pedagogy, and Periwig-Makers: Discovering the Longstreet Manuscript Collection.”

What is the Longstreet Manuscript Collection?

The Longstreet Manuscript Collection consists of about 40 legal documents dating from 1591-1803.  It was donated by William Longstreet, class of 1894.  The documents consist of indentures (i.e., contracts), wills, and schedules for property transfer from throughout England.  With such a large time span, we can learn not only  about changes in legal processes, but also, class, gender, and societal norms.

Below are photos from the lecture.  It was a great success!  Thanks to everyone who came!