day 08: tommy boy

While rummaging through Tommy Riggs' letters I found numerous photographs and negatives. There were groups of pictures of Tommy and of his campaign in Africa during WWII. I did not want to place them within a group of documents without protection from other elements. Jen and I wandered down to the second floor and found a box of clear photo sleeves for me to use. I had two sizes, 4x5 and 5x7. I carefully placed each negative and photo in a protective shell. I found that I would process this box significantly faster than the last set of correspondences. I have one folder of letters left to organize into folders and boxes before I am done. Significantly less time!

I enjoy skimming through some of the letters and uncovering Tommy's humor and his perception on the events and life he was led to live. I wanted to share an excerpt from one of the numerous letters that caused me to chuckle.

A little background, Tommy wrote a letter to his father responding to his account of Tommy's sister Lisette's wedding: "It certainly must have been a first class spree, and I take it unkindly that you should wait till I am half way around the world to dig in for the champagne. However, there was a blot on the paper which you had labeled champagne, and I have been sleeping with that under my pillow to see if I will get any effects. None so far."

I also enjoy when he requested items that he needed and wanted to be sent to him from home he would state "gimme, gimme, gimme" at the end of each list. It is so simple and humorous for a grown adult to write something so childish.

Each consecutive day of my internship is my favorite personal discovery and learning experience.