National side trip, WRHS, an experience of ?????
 

If anyone is going to the National, and plans on going to the Western Reserve Historical Society, take a look at VanOeyens baseball collection. I think you will find the photos amazing, but on the other hand, disturbing. I say that because of all the photos that lists the player as, "unknown". These photos are like a dead file, who is going to request copies of an unknown ballplayer.

Last year, I was researching a Ruth press photo collection, which led me to the WRHS. I was able to purchase a descriptive inventory list of VanOeyens collection. Almost 500 photos were listed. That was when I first noticed the "unknown" player, on many of VanOeyens photos. Photos with no names to the players, no personality, photos that have been sitting in the dark for many years already.

So I offered my services, for free, to the WRHS, to identify these unnamed players in the photos. My lack of experience was a drawback, but I at least, got the director of the Research Department to agree to meet with me.

I mentioned my project to Lance of Net54, and before I knew it, Lance was volunteering and seemed excited to clean up VanOeyens photos. With Lance, I was feeling I had a much better chance to persuade the WRHS to allow this project to proceed. Then Lance said he knew of two guys who work with the Pictorial Committee of SABR, and have experience with projects like this.

I couldn't get the emails off fast enough. First one to T. Scott Brandon, then another to Mark Fimoff. They both responded a short time later, filled with questions and positive attitude. And soon, we were a team of four. Now I had to sell this project to the WRHS. I had some marketing experience many years ago, so first I must prepare an informative package to present to the Director. I obtained resumes from everyone, and impressive they were. I then went over the inventory list and color coded, about 100 photos that needed names of, 1: the ballplayer, 2: any secondary ballplayers who may be in the photos, 3: photos that needed to be dated. Then included a detailed letter of our goals to complete the project.

I contacted the Director and informed her of the quality of the volunteers who were willing to work on this project, for free. And we agreed on a meeting date.

I made the 4 1/2 hour drive to Cleveland, and arrived at the WRHS fairly early. The director had some morning meetings, so I took the time to quickly go through, most of the VanOeyen collection, making an updated list of photos that need identifying, and dating. Viewing the collection in person, rather then from an inventory list, proved the work on the collection would take a little longer then anticipated. Many more then the 100 I found on the inventory list.
The director was busy that day, and it got to be late afternoon, but finally we sat down to talk. I presented my prepared package to her, and she was very impressed with everyone. She mentioned that she to would like to have the photos identified and have them digitized so the public could better view VanOeyens Collection. She stated, however, the program she wanted to have in place was costly and they were hoping for a grant so they could proceed. I mentioned that we could have the photos identified and ready for them, and that would be one big step completed for whenever they could begin digitize their collection. The Director agreed, wow, that was easy.

Here is where it went south. I stated we would need copies of the photos so we can enter them into our computers for identifications. She just shook her head no. The director wanted us to meet at the WRHS, go through the photos by hand, and identify them without the downloading of any photos. She stated we could bring our equipment to the WRHS, but we can't use them to download, scan or duplicate any photos.

I explained, that we all live in different locations in the U.S. and meeting would be next to impossible, and costly for us. But she thought, we could complete the project in one day. Devide and concour she stated. Well, after picking up my lower jaw off the floor, I just shook my head and told her without the computers, we were subject to human error, that the project could not be completed correctly without downloading the photos.

And with that, I started preparing to leave. The Director did say however, when it comes time to digitize the whole collection, she would like us to do the identifying of the photos, and not just photos that I identified as needing the work, but to also check the whole collection for accuracy.

Well, that was good news, but in the meantime, the unknown photos remain dead. You may recognize many of the players in those photos, but to the average collector, these will remain dead photos, until they can be brought to life. As I write this, I do not know how close they are to having the collection digitized. My guess is not close at all. I try to keep contact about every 6 months, just to let them we we are still here.

Just a little frustrated.

Here is a sample page from the VanOeyen inventory list, same list the public goes through when search for photos.

Attachment 150115

Bill- Nice write up. It's a shame more can't be done but I actually do understand their concerns. You would think there could be a way to do it and quell their concerns too. I guess if I were in their shoes, and could afford it (that is a big maybe) I would pay for ya'lls expenses for a weekend or several days, depending on how big the job is, to come onsite. Hopefully you and the other volunteers will get a chance to help in the future. I am sure they are beautiful photos and they deserve to be identified.

Thanks Leon,
I do actually recommend the trip for the photo guys. If they have not seen VanOeyen's collection, it would be a good side trip.

Here is the very next page.

Attachment 150119

I might also add that, though Bill speaks highly of me, I feel sure that Scott and Mark would be doing much more of the heavy lifting so to speak when it comes to identifying the unknowns. Having worked on similar projects with other institutions, including helping the LoC clean up many misidentifications in their own archives, they bring much more experience to the table when it comes to a Herculean task such as this. Even Hercules took 12 years to complete his 12 labors though, and even adopting the "divide and conquer" approach, it's just not realistic to expect that all of the work be completed on-site in a day or two.

I do understand their concerns with duplicating the images (believe me, I'm sick of wading through all of the cheap reprints made from Library of Congress scans that proliferate on eBay), but at the same time, there are certainly steps that could be taken to ensure that the images are useful enough for research and identification of the players depicted while not being useful for mass-reproduction. Perhaps much of that would be done during the digitizing phase, which it doesn't seem they are ready to undertake yet (financially speaking), but it's hard being patient and waiting for them to get to that point. Perhaps our interest in the collection can help spur them to action (especially considering the National is in town practically every other year), but in the meantime, it seems that many of the images will remain in obscurity and unidentified.

Lance is right, having Mark and Scott on the team was like picking up two power hitters like Mantle and Williams.
But one of the two, I cannot remember which one, did ask if I had asked Lance to help. So if Mick and Ted think that much of you Lance, don't sell yourself short
With these 3 guys leading the way, I know the job would have gone smoothly. I do not want to let the idea go, and will keep trying.
Maybe it is a copyright issue. I know Getty owns many of the Cleveland Press photo archives, but I did not see where the percentage is that great.
So maybe my next avenue would be to ask them if it is a copyright issue, if so, depending on the numbers, maybe some work could be done on sight and the images that the WRHS does own, they could allow us to download and complete those images. Then chip away on sight to complete the photos they cannot release.
I am open to any suggestions.