Visiting the Archives at Spelman

During Spring Break, I went to the visit the archives to see the Audre Lorde papers at Spelman College. In Box 1.1.002, I found a card Lorde received from her daughter Beth for Mother’s Day. This object interested me because I am interested in mother-daughter relationships and I had already seen some of the cards and correspondences between Shange and her daughter Savannah in the Shange papers in the archive at Barnard.

If I had to write a caption for this object it would read:

Mother’s Day card dated 5/8/88 received by Audre Lorde from her daughter Elizabeth. In the card, Elizabeth thanks her mother for all she has done as well as highlights ways in which she has been challenged in their relationship.

The archivist told me that the Audre Lorde papers do not have restrictions. I am free to take photographs, make notes, and take photocopies. However, if I wanted to use the photographs, direct quotes and photocopies on a public publication such as for the Shange Digital Storytelling project, I would need to contact the person in charge of the Audre Lorde collection via email. This contact information is kept confidential as it is not available on the website. The archivist told me I would only be allowed to get this person’s contact information at the end of my visit only once I know the specific item for which I would need to get the permissions.

The metadata, which I found by simply looking for information on the card, that would be associated with Mother’s Day card would be the following:

date written: 5/8/88

date accessed: 03/16/2016

location: Spelman College Archives | Audre Lorde Collection 1950-2002 | Correspondences: Box 1 Folder 1 Series 002

writer: Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins (signed “Beth”)

recipient: Audre Lorde

card type: Bird of Paradise 1987 Sandy Appleoff copyright, Published and Distributed by Portal Publications Ltd.