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Archives For November 30, 1999
35mm slides
ByThe Gertrude Sanford Legendre collection boasts nearly 13,000 35mm color slides. Most of these slides are of Gertrude’s travels in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and to islands in the Atlantic. Though many printed pictures of her expeditions are showcased in her scrapbooks and photo albums, there is much more to be found in the slides! Below are some images of the cataloging and rehousing process, equipment used to view slides, and well as photos of some of the images on the slides.
Pana-Vue Automatic slide viewer
Natives with downed elephant, French Equatorial Africa, 1952
Natives with downed elephant, French Equatorial Africa, 1952
Robert F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, 1968
Robert F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, 1968
Barn kitten, undated
Medway Plantation (SC), undated
In addition to small portraits and cabinet cards, this collection includes a wide variety of formats from the mid-late 1800s- early 1900s. Here are a few examples:
Hand painted prayer verse
Correspondence between Ethel Sanford (GSL’s mother), John Sanford (GSL’s father), Carola Sanford Dow (GSL’s aunt), Gertrude Ellen du Puy (GSL’s grandmother), and others, 1890-1915
Hand painted memorabilia, 1890
Dried flowers
Dried flower souvenir from the Julian Pass in Switzerland
Invitation for the Inauguration Reception of Ulysses S. Grant, 1869
Dinner invitation extended by President Benjamin Harrison to the Sanfords, 1892
Dinner invitation extended by President Benjamin Harrison to the Sanfords, 1892
Hon. John Sanford’s personal business papers
Some of the oldest items in the Gertrude Sanford Legendre papers are daguerreotypes, tintypes, cabinet cards, and sketches created in the early 19th century. Daguerreotypes and tintypes represent some of the earliest known versions of photography, and were used primarily from the 1840s-1870s.
Unknown painting, September 28th, 1813
Shown with pencil for scale
Sarah Jane Cochran Sanford (Gertrude’s paternal grandmother) cabinet card
Stephen Sanford (Gertrude’s paternal grandfather), undated
Tintype image case
Leather tintype image case
Ethel Sanford (Gertrude’s mother), undated (mid 1800s)
Ethel Sanford, undated (mid 1800s)
This collection includes a large number of detailed scrapbooks Gertrude compiled over the years.
Gertrude funded expeditions for National Geographic and the American Museum of Natural History, during which they would collect specimens to display at Medway Plantation and in various museums.
These images are from some of her earliest expeditions to Africa, Abyssinia, and Indochina (1928-1932) and include Gertrude, her husband, Sidney Legendre, her brother, Stephen “Laddie” Sanford, and her brother-in-law, Morris Legendre.
Thanks to the project’s digital library assistant, Rebecca McClure, for these beautiful scans! These scrapbooks (and many more) will soon be available in a digital exhibit via the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Africa, 1927, and Abyssinia, 1928-1929
Indochina, 1932
Africa, 1928
Africa, 1928
Take a look at some photos of an interesting autograph book kept by Gertrude’s relatives (circa 1866). Autograph books were traditionally kept between friends and relatives and were used to collect small sketches, poems, pieces of verse, and other mementos — kind of like a yearbook! Calligraphy is such an art!
Both Gertrude and her mother, Ethel Sanford, commissioned their finest garments from designers in Paris and New York. Take a look at these beautiful hand-drawn patterns, complete with original swatches!
New York, c. 1930
New York, c. 1930
Paris, c. 1880
Paris, c. 1880
Paris, c. 1880
“The life of Gertrude Sanford Legendre is more like that of a fictional character in a Hollywood film than reality: socialite, heiress, world traveler, spy, game hunter, and philanthropist. In fact, it has been said that Mrs. Legendre inspired Katharine Hepburn’s character in the 1938 film Holiday. Certainly, she was not the average 20th century American woman…”
Read the full article in the fall 2012 issue of Discovery, the newsletter of the College of Charleston Friends of the Library.
Since this collection was organized and kept arranged by an archivist during its time at Medway, most of the materials were already placed in archival-quality boxes and had its own unique arrangement system. Check out a few photos from the initial survey — this collection spans over 3 generations and includes over 15 different formats!
Lots of film formats
Polo balls…Gertrude’s brother, Stephen “Laddie” Sanford was a well-known polo player and horse breeder!
Correspondence from Hon. John Sanford, Gertrude’s father, c. 1880
