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Archives For November 30, 1999

Gertrude Sanford Legendre papers on LCDL

By mchughck
Posted on 24 October 2014 | 10:23 am — 

Exciting news! We now have 11 photo albums available in the Lowcountry Digital Library:

  http://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content/gertrude-sanford-legendre-papers-1836-2000

Coming soon: WWII Nazi and Fascist leader photographs, approximately 10 new photo albums (including Indo-China and various African expeditions), World War II correspondence, and photo portraits of Gertrude Legendre by famed artists such as Man Ray, George Platt Lynes, Toni Frissell and Charlotte Fairchild. Enjoy!

35mm slides

By mchughck
Posted on 22 October 2014 | 8:56 am — 

The Gertrude Sanford Legendre collection boasts nearly 13,000 35mm color slides. Most of these slides are of Gertrude’s travels in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and to islands in the Atlantic. Though many printed pictures of her expeditions are showcased in her scrapbooks and photo albums, there is much more to be found in the slides! Below are some images of the cataloging and rehousing process, equipment used to view slides, and well as photos of some of the images on the slides.

 

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Pana-Vue Automatic slide viewer

 

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Natives with downed elephant, French Equatorial Africa, 1952

Natives with downed elephant, French Equatorial Africa, 1952

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Robert F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, 1968

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Robert F. Kennedy on the campaign trail, 1968

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Barn kitten, undated

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Medway Plantation (SC), undated

Newspapers, 1888-1895

By mchughck
Posted on 21 April 2014 | 10:24 am — 

This collection includes a sizable amount of full newspapers and clippings. Below are some of the most notable articles available, including a tribute to former United States President and American Civil War commander, Ulysses S. Grant.

 

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Grant on his most famous horse, Cincinnati, 1865

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Sanford family photos, 1813-1850s

By mchughck
Posted on 10 February 2014 | 10:35 am — 

Some of the oldest items in the Gertrude Sanford Legendre papers are daguerreotypes, tintypes, cabinet cards, and sketches created in the early 19th century. Daguerreotypes and tintypes represent some of the earliest known versions of photography, and were used primarily from the 1840s-1870s.

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Unknown painting, September 28th, 1813

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Shown with pencil for scale

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Sarah Jane Cochran Sanford (Gertrude’s paternal grandmother) cabinet card

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Stephen Sanford (Gertrude’s paternal grandfather), undated

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Tintype image case

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Leather tintype image case

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Ethel Sanford (Gertrude’s mother), undated (mid 1800s)

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Ethel Sanford, undated (mid 1800s)

 

 

Gertrude’s childhood and siblings

By mchughck
Posted on 4 February 2014 | 9:59 am — 

Gertrude was born in 1902 in Aiken, SC, into a family with two older siblings, Sara Jane “Janie” Sanford and Stephen “Laddie” Sanford. Below are a two scrapbook pages from the children’s early years.

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Aiken, 1913

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Aiken and Atlantic City, early 1900s

 

Jane Sanford and Mario Pansa

By mchughck
Posted on 21 January 2014 | 7:28 pm — 

Gertrude’s sister, Sarah Jane (“Janie”) Cochran Sanford, married Italian diplomat, Mario Pansa, in 1937. Pansa played polo with Stephen Sanford, and served as a social adviser to Benito Mussolini before and during World War II. Below are images of the couple, as well as images from Mario’s time in fascist Italy and Germany during WWII.

We are still in the process of identifying some of the men in these photographs. If you recognize someone, let us know (mchughck@cofc.edu)!

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Jane (left) and Mario Pansa

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The Pansa’s wedding invitation and portrait

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Jane golfing in Palm Beach, Florida

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Mario and his polo team

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Mario with his elephant trophy, 1930

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June 1943. Benito Mussolini (in white), Mihai Antonescu, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, (2nd from right) Mario Pansa (6th from left), others unidentified

 

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June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, Mussolini (center), and Pansa (second from center), others unidentified

 

 

 

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Mihai Antonescu, June 1943

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June 1943. Mihai Antonescu, others unidentified

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June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)

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June 1943. Benito Mussolini (right), Mihai Antonescu (left)

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Galeazzo Ciano (center), Foreign Minister of Fascist Italy from 1936 until 1943 and Benito Mussolini’s son-in-law.

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June 1943. Mihai Antonescu (center), Mario Pansa (front left), others unidentified

Autograph book, 1866

By mchughck
Posted on 20 December 2013 | 4:54 pm — 

Take a look at some photos of an interesting autograph book kept by Gertrude’s relatives (circa 1866). Autograph books were traditionally kept between friends and relatives and were used to collect small sketches, poems, pieces of verse, and other mementos — kind of like a yearbook! Calligraphy is such an art!Cover, 1866

The Sanford women’s couture garments

By mchughck
Posted on 19 December 2013 | 7:18 pm — 

Both Gertrude and her mother, Ethel Sanford, commissioned their finest garments from designers in Paris and New York. Take a look at these beautiful hand-drawn patterns, complete with original swatches!

 

New York, c. 1930

New York, c. 1930

New York, c. 1930

New York, c. 1930

Paris, c. 1880

Paris, c. 1880

Paris, c. 1880

Paris, c. 1880

Paris, c. 1880

Paris, c. 1880

The life of Gertrude Sanford Legendre is more like that of a fictional character in a Hollywood film than reality: socialite, heiress, world traveler, spy, game hunter, and philanthropist. In fact, it has been said that Mrs. Legendre inspired Katharine Hepburn’s character in the 1938 film Holiday. Certainly, she was not the average 20th century American woman…”

Read the full article in the fall 2012 issue of Discovery, the newsletter of the College of Charleston Friends of the Library.

 

Starting the “process”

By mchughck
Posted on 11 November 2013 | 9:03 pm — 

Since this collection was organized and kept arranged by an archivist during its time at Medway, most of the materials were already placed in archival-quality boxes and had its own unique arrangement system. Check out a few photos from the initial survey — this collection spans over 3 generations and includes over 15 different formats!

 

Lots of film formats

Lots of film formats

Polo balls...Gertrude's brother, Stephen "Laddie" Sanford was a well-known polo player and horse breeder!

Polo balls…Gertrude’s brother, Stephen “Laddie” Sanford was a well-known polo player and horse breeder!

Correspondence from Hon, John Sanford, Gertrude's father, c. 1880

Correspondence from Hon. John Sanford, Gertrude’s father, c. 1880

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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