Houston Council of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. Records
The collection arrived in generally good order and condition. Some material from the late 1950s to early 1960s was very brittle, and has been placed in protective mylar. The collection includes an almost complete run of minutes, financials, and yearbooks.
The collection includes several large, typical scrapbooks and several smaller types of scrapbooks. These scrapbooks were compiled and submitted for various awards at the local and state levels. Most of the information on the Council’s two major activities, the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Lighthouse for the Blind Garden Club, as well as smaller projects, are contained in these books. The scrapbooks contain photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, ribbons, correspondence, newsletters, and other material documenting the Council’s involvement in various community service projects.
The large scrapbooks were in very fragile condition. Items had been glued or taped onto the pages, most of the tape was no longer sticky, and items were loose throughout the books. The pages were very acidic and some had torn; some of the photographs had begun to discolor. Several of the scrapbooks contained loose material at the end. These scrapbooks have been disassembled for preservation purposes: pages with newsprint copied onto acid free paper, tape removed if possible, acid free tissue paper placed between the pages of the most fragile scrapbooks. The other type of scrapbook is a small, three-clasp pocket folder. These pocket folders have been disassembled and the material kept in original order.
The collection is divided into five series: Administrative, Projects and Activities, Awards, Yearbooks, and Memorabilia. The material in the collection has been arranged, for the most part, chronologically.
Dates
- 1943-2003
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian. Reproduction decisions will be made by Special Collections staff on a case-by-case basis.
Extent
5.0 linear feet
Historical Information
The Houston Council of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. was organized and federated April 22, 1943. A number of Houston garden clubs united to establish a Council with the responsibility of coordinating the activities of local clubs at the state and national levels. A Constitution and By-Laws were adopted at the second Council meeting, in May 1943. After sixty years, the Council dissolved in June 2003 due to decreasing attendance of member clubs.
The Houston Council of Texas Garden Clubs was very active in the community throughout its existence. The Council’s two major community service projects regarded the United States Veterans Administration Hospital and the Lighthouse for the Blind Garden Club. These were ongoing projects over many years. The Council was involved in several activities at the hospital. Beginning in 1951, the Council provided weekly flower arrangements at the hospital chapel, maintained planter boxes, and created several gardens for use as garden therapy for the patients. The Council sponsored the Lighthouse for the Blind Garden Club, founded in 1949. The club provided transportation and activities for its members and Braille transcriptions of club rosters. The Council was also involved in smaller community service projects over the years.
For much of its existence, the Council met once a month, September through May, at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Officers were elected for two year terms, with elections held in May. Activities included instructional programs and presentations at the meetings, and annual flower shows.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donation by the Houston Council of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc., 2003
- Title
- Guide to the Houston Council of Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. Records
- Author
- Joanie South-Shelly
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections Repository
University of Houston Libraries Special Collections
MD Anderson Library
4333 University Drive
Houston TX 77204-2000 USA
713-743-9750