Overview of the Collection
Historical NoteThe Aftermath Club was a literary and social organization of women in Bellingham. The club was founded in 1896 as the Aftermath Reading Circle by twelve young women in New Whatcom. Within the first year, the group organized a constitution and by-laws as well as an annual agenda of study and presentations on a wide range of topics. In 1907, the club moved into the Aftermath Building in downtown Bellingham. The club also rented the building to other groups for meetings and events, and eventually the site became a center for social and cultural activity for the city. Following the sale of the Aftermath Building in 1977, members continued to meet and sponsor programs until the club's dissolution in June 2003. In addition, the club also donated to local agencies and institutions and provided scholarships for Western Washington University students. The records donated to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies reflect the growth and evolution of the Aftermath Club. They also provide a source for study of the changing roles and concerns of thoughtful, active, urban women in the Pacific Northwest during most of the past century. Content DescriptionAftermath Club records span the period 1895-2003, and comprise Administrative records, Financial and Legal records, Club Activities, Yearbooks, Club History, and Artifacts. Administrative records span the period 1897-2003, and contain Articles of Incorporation (1904), incoming and outgoing correspondence (1948-1988) and minute books documenting the Club's meetings from 1899 until its disbandment in June 2003. The first volume contains the Constitution and By-Laws of the Aftermath Reading Circle (the original name of the Aftermath Club), as well as the first membership roll. Later volumes include press reports of meetings, printed yearbooks of scheduled activities, and a small number of photographs. Financial and Legal records contain legal material regarding the clubhouse, the treasurer's financial reports, and Member and Dues ledgers dated 1931-1997. The series also contains nine volumes of redeemed and unsold stock certificates sold by the Aftermath Club from 1904-1977. Club Activities records include annual reports written by the club historian. The first of these histories was written by Mrs. Helen Phillips, the first Aftermath Historian, whose report spans the period 1895 through 1907. The annual histories, presented at the final meeting each year, begin in 1908 and continue through 2003 and include clippings, fliers, letters, and some photographs. The series also includes newspaper clippings and press releases, scrapbooks covering the period from 1990-2003, and papers presented by members to the rest of the club. These are listed as "Presentation Materials," and span the dates 1898-1986. The collection also contains Yearbooks spanning the period from 1898-2003 (with the exception of the yearbook from 1906-1907), which contain a general listing of annual officers, weekly meeting programs, and a listing of active members. Club History records contain papers and an inventory written by Susan Fahey for the members of the Aftermath Club in 1994, as well as Fahey's 1994 Master's thesis. Artifacts comprise the incorporated seal of the Aftermath Club and a hand-painted pin commemorating the centennial of the Club in 1986. Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The collection is open to the public. Preferred Citation :Aftermath Club records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225. Administrative Information
Arrangement :
The collection is arranged in accordance with the following series arrangement:
Custodial History :
Members of the Aftermath Club donated records to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 1988 and 2003. Processing Note :The Aftermath Club records were processed originally by Susan Fahey in 1988, with additional work carried out by David Boyd in 2000. In 2003, Amber Raney re-engineered the entire collection and integrated new materials. Bibliography :
Detailed Description of the CollectionThe following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
SubjectsThis collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
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