Welcome!
The Local Arrangements and Program committees invite you to join us in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the Fall 2004
MARAC meeting as we explore The Golden Triangle: History, Archives, and Records
Management.
This confluence of disciplines will occur from September 30 through October 2, 2004, at the historic Omni William
Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, a vibrant, modern city with a colorful and eventful past.
Tours have been arranged to provide you with glimpses of the diverse attractions Pittsburgh has to offer. Visit an underground archival storage facility beneath the Western Pennsylvania hills. Our "Holy Pittsburgh" tour will take you to two
of the city's most famous churches: St. Anthony's Chapel, with over 800 reliquaries, and the Maxo Vanka murals of St.
Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church. You can tour the ethnically diverse Nationality Rooms and French Gothic-style
Heinz Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Perhaps a behind-the-scenes tour of the Andy Warhol
Museum, with its famed Time Capsules, will pique your interest? We will also offer a walking tour of the Allegheny and
Homewood cemeteries, and pay a visit to Clayton, Henry Clay Frick's restored mansion. Of course, Pittsburgh offers a
wealth of sites and activities beyond our programmed tours. See the On Your Own Activities section of this program for
a glimpse of what is available.
To celebrate our theme, "The Golden Triangle: History, Archives, and Records Management," the program will feature
sessions focusing on advances in archival preservation, tracking the lifecycle of records, African American photographers,
the musical roots of Pennsylvania, and special issues regarding collections of ethnic history materials. Additional sessions
will address identification and preservation of early nineteenth century photographs, the rewards and pitfalls of collaboration,
distance learning and archival education, the records of philanthropy, records management in a digital environment,
and how religious archivists face mergers, acquisitions and scandals.
The plenary speaker, J. Wesley Cowan, describes himself as a passionate explorer of "the grand panoply of American history." Regularly seen on Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives, Cowan will address how recent television shows, such
as CSI and a number of PBS documentaries, have increased the public's awareness of the importance of maintaining the
historical record and thus can be used to promote archives. Rick Sebak, our luncheon speaker, produces engaging nationally
distributed documentaries on local topics for WQED-TV. Much of the visual appeal of his work is due to heavy use
of archival materials. He is sure to entertain us with tales of his research adventures.
Conference attendees will gather at the beautifully restored Omni William Penn Hotel, built in 1916 by industrialist
Henry Clay Frick to attract the elite to downtown Pittsburgh. Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, located in the middle of
the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland, will be the site of our Friday evening reception. Built in 1910 to honor
the memory of the soldiers, sailors and marines from Allegheny County who served in the Union Army and Navy during
the Civil War, its auditorium, banquet hall, library and archives serve as an historical center and museum. Do not be surprised
to find "Civil War families" encamped on the grounds of this elegant building when you arrive, or mingling with
us in the Hall. Our gathering coincides with Civil War Living History Days. Special entertainment for the evening will
include period music by Homefront, a group of musicians from among the re-enactors.
We hope you are intrigued and will join us as MARAC celebrates The Golden Triangle: History, Archives, and Records
Management.
Back to Top
|
Ed Galloway, University of Pittsburgh