Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As St. Patty's day is ending and I'm punching away at writing my thesis, I came across a quote from Mrs. Suzanne Cassidy that was quite timely. In her interview we spoke about the Sisters and their stories. Here's a little of what she told me...

"And then Sister Mary Julia. Actually, she was first called Sister Nora before she took her final vows and she was just, she was wonderful with us. There were maybe 20 to 25 girls up there and she had come from Ireland and she'd play Irish music all the time. She had us all in on st. Patrick's Day. She'd make big green bows out of crepe paper and put on each one of us. She was just lovely."

Hope your day was full of laughter and sweet Irish melodies :)

Another interview and needed information found...

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott County Historian Ann Bolton Bevins. We met early and had a lovely talk about Cardome's history, further back even than its days as Cardome Academy of Visitation. She was such a help and even sent me some extra information after the interview! Things are coming together and I'm working on my first draft as I write this little note.

Still a few more interviews - just to complete my information and get a few more opinions. We're closing in on the finish though!

A quick hello!

I just wanted to give an update on what I've been working on lately. I'm currently working on my senior thesis as this is my last year at Georgetown. My thesis, as did my internship, is all about the Cardome Academy of Visitation. I am continuing to do interviews with those persons who were involved with the Academy, or who have become involved in more recent years.
The thesis is going well. I'm currently working on my first draft (due March 19th, yikes!) and still compiling research. Wish me luck!

A Late Notice

This post is a few days late, but the installation is complete! On August 1 the finishing touches were added so, there is now an exhibition dedicated to Cardome Visitation Academy on display in the Cardome Center's main building. Come and see!

A Sneak Peak!

Since the exhibition is up (minus the wall texts) I thought I'd give you a little sneak preview. These are a few of my favorite items from the exhibition. :)



This was actually a last minute find. I opened a desk in the archives the other day and found a goldmine. This belonged to a graduating senior in 1924 and was a book for her to record all of her graduation memories. Next to it is an invitation to her graduation.



There are a few items in this picture and each is a favorite. It was interesting to find items that belonged to or mentioned the same students during my research. In this photo you see a framed diploma, a composition notebook and a grade book. Both the notebook and diploma belonged to a girl named Mary Elizabeth Gilmore, who graduated in 1910. Her grades for the 1909-1910 school year can all be found on the first page of the grade book. Mary Gilmore must have been an exemplary student, according to the grade book she made solid A's her final year at Cardome.

An Exciting Update!

I just arrived back from an afternoon of accomplishing work at the Cardome Center. I am proud to say that the majority of the exhibition space has been organized and cleaned, and is nearly ready to be viewed. There are a few things I have yet to accomplish before it is completely ready. There is the matter of buying stands for some of the items that will be on display and, most importantly, I must write the wall text to accompany all of the memorabilia.
It is wonderful to see this project begin to really come together. It is my sincerest hope that those who were a part of Cardome during its academic years will appreciate the exhibit. There are many more items I would have liked to include in the displays, but I had to work with the room provided and have tried to cover the Academy and Sisters of Visitation from beginning to end. Of course, there is the room in the basement that is also dedicated to the history of Cardome, and will always be available for those who wish to view more. I am planning on organizing that room to be more viewer friendly.

Another update: I have finished one interview and have a few more in the works, if everything goes as planned. I interviewed Linda Boots and she was absolutely wonderful, and excited to help with the project. I am in the midst of transcribing her interview into text and will post it here when I am finished. There was a problem with the digital recorder, so it was necessary to alter this portion of the internship just a bit. We learn to roll with the punches and it will be wonderful regardless. It was a pleasure to get to meet her and learn about her experiences. I'm sure no one will be disappointed!

Beginning of the End

Since this blog has been largely devoid of pictures, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some. I have chosen some of my favorite items in the archives to photograph. Most are not self-explanatory, so they will be accompanied with short explanations.



This is a placard of awards, as well as a photography of the first girl, Ann Pryse Rieth, to receive the award.



Here are some pieces of artwork done by Alice Thompson, Class of 1955, and pottery from the Indian room.



My favorite photo album. The pictures are all from the 1940s and display a very nice idea of what Cardome was like for its residents, a solid mixture of learning and fun.



I believe this is the only remaining portion of the original Cardome house, built by Violetta and benjamin Stuart Chambers in 1821, a two-story building that faced East and was destroyed in a mysterious fire.

I have been able to get in touch with a few alum and we are trying to work out times for the interviews. I left messages with others and, hopefully, they'll get back in touch soon. Maybe my next update will be an audio of their oral history. :)