Into the JLC Archives

By: Madison Baer

Nestled in a small room in the back of the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) mailroom are shelves and shelves of records. The JLC’s Archives span all the way back to the League’s inception in 1926. The Research Library is accessible to any League member by appointment during regular JLC Building operating hours. All you need to do is call the main office and make an appointment.

I sat down with Sustainer and Archives Committee member Suzy Garvey to chat about what you can find in the archives.

Flipping through the many files housed in the library, you will find scrapbooks with original newspaper clippings, house blueprints, photographs, the original deed to the Berryhill Preservation Project in 1976, JLC newspapers, a backlog of all printed versions of The CRIER, published Junior League Cookbooks, News Releases, “Red Books” (1974-1992) and “Blue Books” (19922009) and much more.

Until 2009, physical directories that illustrated everything you needed to know about the JLC that year, were printed in compact blue and red binders, which are all stored in the archives. These red and blue books gave general information, lists of each committee and board, all annual reports, Bylaws, policies and procedures and contact information for all members along with their pictures.

The most exciting part about the archives is the JLC’s future plans. In the next JLC year, we will have a volunteer focused on making more archive materials available digitally to not only members, but the general public as well. Currently, 17 issues of The CRIER are available to the public online at https://issuu.com/ jlcharlotteinc and the JLC has plans to make all past issues of The CRIER available online in the future as well. While they may not be accessible online yet, all past publications of The CRIER are currently stored on a hard drive kept in the main office.

It was so much fun to look through the scrapbooks and imagine the grandeur of the JLC in the 40s and 50s. Skimming through the organized index of each scrapbook, I was able to see just how much the JLC has accomplished since its establishment in 1926. If you want to begin learning more today you can find an online summary of our history at https://www.jlcharlotte.org/ our-history/.