Discovering the Church Program Collection
Having grown up collecting church bulletins throughout my years in youth choir, it was fitting that I would spend a week doing the first big push on describing the HCL Special Collections collection of event and church programs. I have been struck, time and again, by the concern for presentation that these churches have invested in both regular Sunday bulletins and commemorative booklets celebrating milestones for the church.
There are quite a few programs from First Congregational Church, and a good portion of them for anniversary events. Some programs date back to 1883! But one that caught by eye particularly was the Souvenir Program for their Fiftieth Anniversary.
The church, as a body of people, predates Minnesota’s existence as a state and this booklet offers a glimpse into the history of its establishing members.
Photos like these are throughout the booklet and while they are not all in the best shape, the paper has held up remarkably well. Sadly, like many other ephemeratic memorabilia, it is beginning to fall apart as a result of the lack of permanence of the glue and the strain caused by old staples. But, for all that, they are still delightful surprises to uncover amidst more standard Sunday bulletins.
This post was written by Special Collections intern Melissa Lowe. In March, Melissa created metadata for hundreds of church programs, noting performers, location, format, and other relevant information. The early programs will eventually be digitized and available to search and browse online.
