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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
Gertrude was born in 1902 in Aiken, SC, into a family with two older siblings, Sara Jane “Janie” Sanford and Stephen “Laddie” Sanford. Below are a two scrapbook pages from the children’s early years.
Aiken, 1913
Aiken and Atlantic City, early 1900s
Gertrude’s sister, Sarah Jane (“Janie”) Cochran Sanford, married Italian diplomat, Mario Pansa, in 1937. Pansa played polo with Stephen Sanford, and served as a social adviser to Benito Mussolini before and during World War II. Below are images of the couple, as well as images from Mario’s time in fascist Italy and Germany during WWII.
We are still in the process of identifying some of the men in these photographs. If you recognize someone, let us know (mchughck@cofc.edu)!
Jane (left) and Mario Pansa
The Pansa’s wedding invitation and portrait
Jane golfing in Palm Beach, Florida
Mario and his polo team
Mario with his elephant trophy, 1930
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (in white), Mihai Antonescu, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, (2nd from right) Mario Pansa (6th from left), others unidentified
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, Mussolini (center), and Pansa (second from center), others unidentified
Mihai Antonescu, June 1943
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, others unidentified
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)
June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)
Galeazzo Ciano (center), Foreign Minister of Fascist Italy from 1936 until 1943 and Benito Mussolini’s son-in-law.
June 1943. Mihai Antonescu (center), Mario Pansa (front left), others unidentified
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!
“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
This collection was originally kept in an “archives room” at Gertrude Legendre’s former home at Medway Plantation in Goose Creek, SC. After the Legendre family donated the materials, a team of archivists from College of Charleston’s special collections painstakingly labeled, tagged, boxed, and moved the entire 176 linear foot collection to its new home at the Addlestone Library.
Main house at Medway
The “archives room” at Medway
Temporary storage at the College of Charleston’s Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library