I recently received a message from my friend Bland Nace who purchased a scrapbook at an auction several years ago. It contained all types of ephemera related to York County, Pennsylvania history including newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, and much more. Blanda loves history and has enjoyed leafing through the pages, but realized it was time to pass it on to another. I’m extremely grateful he chose me as the one to take care for it.

With a simple label marked “York Scrap Book”…

There are no indications showing who the original owner of this scrapbook was, but it’s obvious they had a passion for York County history. The blue 3-ring binder contains a simple label on its cover with “York Scrap Book” written in blue ink, while the spine contains typed labels listing some of the books contents.

The magic of the scrapbook begins the moment you open the cover. The first pages appear to be a handwritten index of the books contents, although I haven’t checked the accuracy of that statement. While flipping through more of the black construction-paper pages you begin to see yellowed newspaper articles, billheads, postcards, photographs, and a number of other items all connected to the area’s history. Some items are taped to the pages, while others are secured by clear plastic sleeves.

• newspaper articles contain a high amount if acid which decay the integrity of the paper
• the acidity of the construction-paper pages is unknown
• ephemera is fastened to the with scotch tape which could damage the them

Upcoming plans

In the coming weeks I’ll be researching the items contained within this scrapbook and sharing my findings on Preserving York. There are some very interesting and unique pieces that will surely make for great stories. I’m also going to work hard and try to determine who the original owner was using clues that are scattered throughout the book.

While I’d like to maintain the original integrity of the scrapbook and keep it in its current state, I’m exploring options that will further preserve it for years to come. This will likely include taking the time to scan each and every page to maintain digital copies.

Once again I’d like to thank Blanda Nace for allowing me to add this interesting scrapbook to my collection. His unselfish generosity will allow countless others to learn about its contents and the fascinating history of York County.

I invite you to visit my York County Memorabilia page, where you can learn more about my collection and the items that interest me. If you have pieces of local history that you would like me to write about, or have items that are need of a new home, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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