NCWC Lantern Slide Collection An inventory of The NCWC Lantern Slide Collection at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Descriptive Summary

Historical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Related Material

Index Terms

Bibliography

Detailed Description of the Collection

NCWC Lantern Slides ca. 1927, 1940 - 1945

NCWC Lantern Slide Collection

An inventory of The NCWC Lantern Slide Collection at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Contact Information:

Mailing Address: The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064

Telephone: 202-319-5065

Email: archives@mail.lib.cua.edu

URL: http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/index.html


Descriptive Summary
Repository:	The Catholic University of America, American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives
Creator:	National Catholic Welfare Conference
Title:	NCWC Glass Lantern Slides
Dates:	ca. 1927
Dates:	1942 - 1946
Extent:	2.6 linear feet; 2 oversize boxes
Abstract:	There are one hundred and eleven slides in this collection. They appear to have been used together in a lecture or presentation highlighting the NCWC's work with the American veterans of both the First and Second World War. The images are mostly in black and white, although there are a number of color images. They feature photographs of social events, religious events, NCCS/ NCCM events, United States' Armed Forces personnel, children, and assorted NCWC organizational charts. Many of the slides prominently feature African American soldiers or children, and many also show interracial events or groups. There are also slides of women in Armed Forces uniform and their work contributing to the war effort.
Collection Number:	ACUA 010
Language:	English

Prior to the Twentieth century, the Roman Catholic Church in America lacked a unified voice to represent it in national and international affairs. The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC), officially defined as the annual meeting of the American hierarchy and its standing secretariat, was established by the bishops in 1919. In 1922, the NCWC was renamed the National Catholic Welfare Conference, not Council, underlining the fact that it was consultative rather than legislative body.

Thereafter, the NCWC blossomed into the single most important national organization in the American Catholic Church through the middle years of the twentieth century. The NCWC promoted Catholic teaching, developed and distributed publications, issued national guidelines, and provided training and national coordination for hosts of local Catholic societies.

Following the Vatican II Council, the bishops reorganized the NCWC in 1966, transforming it into the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and its standing secretariat, the United States Catholic Conference (USCC). As separate organizations with distinct responsibilities, the NCCB focused on internal ecclesiastical concerns while the USCC carried forward work in society at large.

A detailed history of the NCWC / USCC can be found within the Finding Aid for the National Catholic Welfare Council/Conference (NCWC)/United States Catholic Conference (USCC) Office of the General Secretary (OGS)/Executive Department Records Historical Note for NCWC /USSC /OGS .

This series of one hundred and eleven images are made up of 3.5" by 4" glass lantern slides (also known as "magic lantern slides). Slides 1 - 8, 10 -14, 24 - 26, 44 - 46, 49, 51 - 56, 65 - 71, and 79 appear to have been created in 1927 to highlight the efforts of the NCWC durring World War One. Slides 9, 15 - 23, 27 - 44, 47, 48, 50, 57 - 64, 72 - 78, and 80 - 111 appear to have been created between 1942 - 1946 to highlight the efforts of the NCWC durring World War Two.

Glass lantern slides were a popular format used for both educational and entertainment purposes throughout the begining of the Twentieth Century. The slides are created by encasing a positive film cell / frame between two pieces of glass with a thin paper based frame around the edges. The machines used to project the slides (also know as "magic slide projectors") could be used for viewing on a screen or on a wall. This method of projection had existed in simmilar formats pre-dating photography (17th Century). Lantern slides were eventually replaced by 35mm slides and transparency projectors. Each slide in this collection has a small label with a number(1-111).

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Scope and Contents

The NCWC Lantern Slide Collection consists of a series of one hundred and eleven slides. The slides were all orinally housed together in the same box. They appear to have been created for use with a lecture or presentation detailing the NCWC's work with veterans of the First and Second World Wars in the United States. The slides dated Ca. 1942 - 1946 are in black and white, the slides dated ca. 1927 are mostly in color. They feature photographs of social events, religious events, National Catholic Community Service (NCCS) / National Council of Catholic Men (NCCM) sponsored events, United States' Armed Forces personnel, children, and assorted NCWC organizational charts. Many of the slides prominently feature African American soldiers or children, and many also show interracial events or groups. There are also slides of women in Armed Forces uniform and their work contributing to the war effort. Locations named in slides: Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada New Hampshire, New York, Utah, Virginia, , Washington, and Washington, DC. This collection provides a

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Arrangement

The NCWC Glass Lantern Slide Collection consists of one series:

Series 1: NCWC Lantern Slide Collection, ca. 1927, 1942 - 1946

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on materials in this collection.

Restrictions on Use

No image from this collection may be published in any manner without the permission of the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

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