Ink, Iron, and Legacy: The Final Touch on the Dolan Papers - 25JUN2025 1000 - 1800 - Supervisor: Claudia Romero

Work Description: Today, I finalized the arrangement and description of the Dolan Papers Collection by completing the finding aid and relabeling all folders to match the updated numbering system. I cross-checked each folder's contents with the new arrangement to ensure alignment with the container list and added accession numbers and unique item IDs to the processing spreadsheet. The relabeling process was thorough and systematic, requiring careful handling to avoid damaging fragile documents, particularly those in previously restored folders. I also double-checked previously flagged folders for condition updates in the finding aid to support future conservation planning. Once all relabeling was completed, I focused on formatting the final version of the finding aid for submission and uploaded the supporting spreadsheet. As a final gesture to close out the project, I selected a special item to highlight: a comic strip featuring Captain Patrick Dolan that was tucked within his unpublished memoirs. This vivid piece of illustrated narrative, full of action and wit, captured Dolan’s personality in a way the official documents could not, and it felt only right to share it.

Reflection: Seeing the Dolan Papers Collection come to completion is both satisfying and emotional. I poured hours of attention, care, and archival training into stabilizing and interpreting these materials, especially those severely damaged by age and environmental factors. The comic strip felt like the perfect parting image—a reminder that archives preserve not just dates and deeds but voices and personalities. Captain Dolan’s comic reveals a storyteller's heart behind his frontier persona, adding dimension to his official service records. Finishing this project has given me a deep appreciation for how fragments—both textual and visual—can complete a historical picture. Working through so many preservation challenges also improved my confidence in conservation-friendly processing methods and descriptive accuracy. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to the accessibility and long-term survival of this collection, and I hope it will be valuable to future researchers and the public.

Definitions:

• Accession Number: A unique identifier assigned when a collection is formally acquired by an archive or institution.
• Item ID: A secondary identifier assigned to individual items or folders within a collection to support granular tracking, cataloging, or digitization.
• Unpublished Memoirs: Personal writings or reflections that have not been formally printed or distributed to the public but are preserved in archival repositories for research and historical insight.

Summary of Work Completed:

• Completed and submitted the final Dolan Papers Collection finding aid.
• Matched all folder titles with newly assigned numbers and relabeled folders accordingly.
• Updated processing spreadsheet with accession numbers and item ID numbers.
• Verified folder contents and preservation notes for consistency.
• Selected and photographed a comic strip by Captain Dolan to highlight an underrepresented portion of the collection.