MS-288 Garden Club of DaytonIntroductionPenny Haddick donated the Garden Club of Dayton collection on behalf of the club on 24 February 1999. The collection spans 1903-2004 and is approximately 12 linear feet. Areas of strength in the collection are not within any one particular series but in the last twenty-five years when there has been better record keeping. This collection would be particularly useful in researching Progressive Era women's clubs and the garden/outdorr movement. Researchers will find a wealth of photographs, projector slides, and latern slides spanning the entire collection. Anyone wishing to publish material from this collection must obtain permission to do so from the Garden Club of Dayton. Outline of series present in the Garden Club of Dayton collection:
Organizational SketchKatherine Talbot founded the Garden Club of Dayton on 29 June 1922. There were twenty charter members in the club, including Mrs. Talbot, and it was the club’s goal to promote and encourage beautification of their privately owned gardens, and the environs of Oakwood and the surrounding Dayton area. Original club members held flower shows, planted flowers, and sold seeds at cost so women whose households were on a financial budget could still profit from the willingness of the Garden Club to make Dayton a beautiful city. The club’s civic duties did not go unnoticed. In 1926, the Dayton Garden Club became an official member of the Garden Club of America. Since its beginning, the Garden Club of Dayton has played a major horticultural role in Dayton. From holding flower shows to planting flowers, the club has tried to attract peoples’ attention to the importance of gardening and the environment. One of the very first attempts at this came during the Arbor Day celebration in 1924 when the club planted flowers in an empty lot. The club developed their own educational programs such as S.E.E.D. as well as partner with other organizations for programming such as Aullwood Audobon Nature Center and Farm, Wegerzyn Garden Center, and Cox Arboretum. The Garden Club of Dayton hosted annual meetings for both the Garden Club of America and the Zone X district of the Garden Club of America. For the former, the Dayton club hosted the national annual meeting in 1928, and for the latter, meetings were hosted in 1958 (still considered Zone VII at that period), 1968, 1984, and 1999. In addition to club meetings, the Garden Club of Dayton organized meetings where public officials and citizens came together to discuss environmental issues such as Green Downtown Dayton. Present members of the Garden Club of Dayton belong to a club that has made it its duties to beautify, educate, and promote the wonders of gardening and the environment. This collection provides a tremendous wealth of information about the club’s history and its members, and involvement with the community of Dayton proper. Many different types of documents and various represented periods will hopefully make this collection a valued resource tool for any interested in women’s clubs, horticulture, and the City of Dayton. Scope and Content NoteSeries 1, Administrative/Organizational: This series contains the administrative and organizational records of the Garden Club of Dayton (hereafter referred to as G.C.D.). Besides the Article of Incorporation, the Constitution, and by-laws, there are numerous files for the minutes and reports. Any researcher using this series must take into account that records for the minutes and reports are scarce and sporadic. For example, there are no minutes prior to 1953 and only a few monthly minutes exist per year in the 1990s. A good subseries is the president’s reports because it contains one of the more chronologically complete time frames in the series. Another notable feature is the directories for the G.C.D. though only the last quarter of the twentieth century is best represented. Lists that record the names of committee and/or board and/or officer names are present for various years during the 1960s through the 1980s. Small categories of directories included in the administrative/organizational series are the directories for the Garden Club of Dayton/Garden Club of America; only three years from the early-1930s are represented. Other aspects included in this series are a bankbook and expenses list, monthly program summaries for the years 1978-1992, and records for two annual G.C.D. meetings; the 1998 annual meeting is comprised of photographs only. Also, there is correspondence from the president of the G.C.D. from the years 1980-1998 (1988-1994 missing) to G.C.D. members. Other miscellaneous, though still important items include: activity flyers and a questionnaire once used to be admitted into the Club (or at least that was its most probable use). The reminder postcards sent to members from the mid-1940s to the early-1950s of upcoming meetings and the planned programs are of use too. Series 2, History: The records pertain specifically to the history of the G.C.D. An invaluable file in this series is the recent publication (1997) of their history book. Earlier attempts were made to produce a club history, but none were published. There is a file that has a summary of monthly programs from 1980-1991. However, unlike the summary of monthly programs in series one (files 5-8), this summary contains additional records that have been interspersed throughout and relates further information about the club’s programs. One other file of particular interest is entitled “Club Memories” with different members who have contributed their memories of what the G.C.D. has meant to them. Series 3, Community projects: The G.C.D. has always participated in community projects. This series reflects that involvement with such subseries categories as beautification, educational, and environmental community projects as well as community projects at Cox Arboretum, Aullwood, and related to the Founder’s Fund and Veteran’s Administration Center (located in Dayton, OH). Located within the Aullwood subseries are files about its founder, Marie Aull; her 90 th, 94 th, and 100 th birthdays; and her various lifetime achievements and accomplishments. Series 4, Fundraisers: Found in this series are various fundraisers that the G.C.D. have held from 1963-1991. Only one fundraiser is represented from the 1960s and another in 1990s; two fundraisers are represented in the 1970s and again in the 1980s. Series 5, Flower shows: The majority of this series revolves around flower shows the G.C.D. have held in the 1980s and 1990s. There are three untitled flower shows 1955, 1979, and 2004 in the collection; all other shows have a particular theme for the year it was held. Also included are general records that researchers will be interested in if they wish to further their knowledge about flower arrangement and how to judge flowers. One other item is a list that names all flower shows the G.C.D. has held from 1983-1992. Series 6, Gardens: The majority of the gardens in this category were sculptured by famous or well-known landscape architects during the first quarter of the twentieth century for some of the twenty original charter members of the G.C.D. (e.g., Olmstead or Zehrung garden). One of the more interesting features is the collection of projector slides (copies of the lantern slides found in series twelve), which feature the gardens of various original club members. Photographs of original club members’ gardens can be found also in three newspaper clippings dating from 1928-1931, and the publications, Beautiful Homes of Dayton and Homes and Gardens: Dayton and Vicinity, 1935-1936. Both publications date from the mid-to late 1930s. Series 7, Awards: Civic and flower shows awards, and nominations for awards given by the Garden Club of America, are represented in this series. There are only a few awards or nominations per category of type of award, so one is not able to interpret clearly how many more awards were won or nominations were made on behalf of G.C.D. members. Included are a few individuals who were made honorary members for their achievements and work on behalf of the G.C.D. Series 8, Publications: Publications are divided into six main categories: material published by the G.C.D., planting and reference guides, the National Horticultural Magazine journal, bulletins from the Arnold Arboretum, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and single issues from various bulletins. The most pertinent publication by the G.C.D. is the history book from 1997 (located under the history series). The planting and reference guides, though scarce in number and generally prior to 1950, offer advice for any researcher interested in planting tips. The main, and most inclusive, journal in this series is the National Horticultural journal; only a few issues are missing from that period. The bulletins, which date from the 1930s and as early as 1903, present planting tips as well. Series 9, Parties & Events: This series contains records on G.C.D. Christmas parties, other parties, and events. Christmas parties are primarily from the 1990s, with the exception of a Christmas invitation from 1982 and a list that contains the party themes for the years 1984-1991. Approximately half of the documents are paraphernalia collected from the 1994-1996 Christmas parties. Other parties include a cookbook tea event and a garden tables event. Events include field trips to outdoor educational centers and private gardens. Series 10, Photographic Materials: This series is broken down into three subseries, photographs, lantern slides, and projector slides. All document the activies and gardens of the club's members. The lantern slides are in excellent condition and show the beauty of many of the early members' gardens. Due to their age and fragility, a duplicate set of the lantern slides were made into projector slides (box 16, file 4). Series 11, Tapes: The tapes include both audio and video. The majority of audio and videotapes relate to Marie Aull’s 90 th and 94 th birthdays. However, two audio tapes can not be placed with any other series in this collection; is labeled “unknown” and the other “M. Aull and J. Woodhull.” All video and audiotapes listed under this series in the inventory are cross-referenced to their corresponding series with exception to the two miscellaneous tapes. Series 12, Garden Club of America: Records in this series are subdivided into meetings and general information. Even though records are present for the Garden Club of America, it should be noted there are not many records for this series. There are pamphlets from the national and Zone X meetings; the former, pamphlets exist from 1928-1938, and for the latter, pamphlets are sporadic between 1967-1993. Only one record by the Garden Club of America is addressed specifically to the G.C.D. Other general information includes awards given by the Garden Club of America, a few articles about the national club, and booklets from national flower shows (though not many are found in this collection). Also included are miscellaneous records such as a record from 1961 that entails the Garden Club of America’s history up to that year and another record that explains the advantages as a member of the Garden Club of America. Series 13, Scrapbooks: Two scrapbooks exist in this series: one from 1923-1929, and the other from 1930-1952. Both books provide valuable information about the G.C.D. While some other series lack in-depth records or fail to cover these periods at all, these scrapbooks fill in the chronological gap with newspaper clippings, advertisements, bulletins, etc. The scrapbooks may not provide administrative/organizational information, but they still offer the researcher some information that lacks elsewhere in the collection. Additional note: The Four Seasons Garden Club (MS # 131) relates to this collection as a similar organization at the same time in Dayton. Additional collections in the Wright State University Special Collections and Archives that relate to the Garden Club of Dayton include the numerous women’s club collections throughout the 20 th century. Container Listing Series 1: Administrative/Organizational
Series 2: History
Series 3: Community Projects
Series 4: Fundraisers
Series 5: Flower Shows
Series 6: Gardens
Series 7: Awards
Series 8: Publications
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