Garden Club of Dayton Records

Penny 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/outdoor 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.

The Garden Club of Dayton collection documents the inner workings of a civic organization. Through these papers, researchers may gain insight into club activities from the 1920s until 2011. Series I, Administrative/Organizational, 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 II, history, contains 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 III, community projects, 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 90th, 94th, and 100th birthdays; and her various lifetime achievements and accomplishments.

Series IV, fundraisers, highlights the 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 V, flower shows, illustrates 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 VI, gardens, contains gardens and sculptures 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 VII, awards, contains 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. Also included in this series is the Marie Aull Tribute Garden. The creation of the garden is well documented from the committee meetings creating the garden, photographs of the progress of the Marie Aull sculpture, and the garden dedication. The G.C.D. events subseries contains flyers and advertisements to events sponsored by the G.C.D., like the dedication of the Wilber Wright gravesite dedication.

Series VIII, 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 IX, parties and events, 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 X, photographic material, is broken down into three subseries, photographs, lantern slides, and projector slides. All document the activities 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 XI, tapes, include both audio and video. The majority of audio and videotapes relate to Marie Aull's 90th and 94th birthdays. However, two audio tapes cannot 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 XII, Garden Club of America, 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 and 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 XIII, scrapbooks, contains two scrapbooks: 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.