Lester J. Cappon and the Creation of Records: The Diary and the Diarist

This article is an exploration of Lester J. Cappon as an expert in historical evidence, documentary editing, and archival theory and practice, and of his own creation of archival sources and sense of leaving behind documentary traces for future researchers. It considers how Cappon used his diary as...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Archivaria 2013-04, Vol.75 (75), p.115-144
1. Verfasser: Cox, Richard J
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This article is an exploration of Lester J. Cappon as an expert in historical evidence, documentary editing, and archival theory and practice, and of his own creation of archival sources and sense of leaving behind documentary traces for future researchers. It considers how Cappon used his diary as a memory device to document his life, career, and family, as well as a means to prod himself about his own scholarly projects (especially his concern about how to manage his time). It reviews the mechanics and physical characteristics of the diary. One would expect an individual with his interests and professional abilities to be more self-reflective about the diary process – and we are not disappointed. He wrote both to be read and remembered, including in his entries highly personal comments about himself and his career, as well as his family and colleagues. Cappon often used the diary as a means to reflect on his own career and its possibilities, especially as he reached his retirement years. It is also clear that he wrote the diary with a future audience in mind, many of the entries having a formality in expression and explanation.
ISSN:0318-6954