I thought the finding aid, Walt Disney Productions Publicity Ephemera, 1938-198x, would be interesting to delve into. The finding aid initially lists background information such as the creator, dates, location, and extent of the collection. It also talks about how to access it. In this case, advance notice is required. The collection includes printed publicity materials for Walt Disney Productions films. Among these printed items are press kits, press books, publicity stills, and more. The collection hosts more than 150 titles and includes films such as The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, Davy Crockett, and more. The aid also has a biography on the Walt Disney Company. The biography describes the beginnings of the company with Steamboat Willie all the way through the leadership changes, and what Disney has become today.
The contents of the boxes are listed in alphabetical order. While this is a good way of keeping information organized, I do not think narratives can be constructed when organized in this manner. I feel that sorting the works chronologically would provide a greater framework. Once the works are organized by date, they can be sorted through more filters. Some examples are when new technologies are implemented such as the use of color, sound, or computers. Some other questions could be posed. When did Disney transition from hand drawn animation? Were there stylistic and tone changes in content when Walt Disney died? Did the executive power struggle affect Disney’s creative process? Were Disney films affected by other factors such as trends in the movie industry? These questions may not necessarily all be able to be answered from the materials, but they will be a good starting point. Placing them into chronological order will let us see changes over time, and we can search deeper through other library and online resources.
These are all really interesting questions, as is your question about the arrangement of an archival collection. Generally, archivists will arrange folders chronologically or by subject, leaving the researcher herself to piece the documents together into the story she wants to tell. But you’re right that the conjunction of certain records and not others can suggest or preclude certain stories but not others. For example, when records are arranged chronologically, it can be hard to trace a single subject through the files — and vice versa.
I liked your thorough analysis of the finding aid! I agree that while alphabetical organization is simple and easily understandable, it definitely makes envisioning a certain narrative that can be told more difficult. I also thought the questions you came up with were very interesting and go in depth very well. I would be intrigued to learn more about and stylistic changes Disney may have underwent after Walt Disney passed.
I like the questions you left at the end; they really made me think about what kind of narratives could be drawn from the material. I wrote about The Simpsons finding aid, which was also organized alphabetically, and agree that while it may be easier for a researcher to find a box based on the title of the work, it is much harder to for someone to analyze the material when attempting to create a certain timeline or story. Great job!