Infant, Child, & Family Nutrition Resources: Manuscripts

From Knox Gelatine: Desserts, Salads, Candies and Frozen Dishes, c.1936

• History of Food & Drink Manuscript Collections
• Digitized Manuscript Collections
• Digitized Books
• What's Cookin' @Special Collections (blog)
• About the History of Food & Drink collecting area
• History of Food & Drink LibGuide
• Infant, Child, & Family Nutrition Resources LibGuide
• Cocktail History in America LibGuide

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Finding aids are guides created by Special Collections and University Archives staff to provide information about the contents of a manuscript collection, as well as give some context to papers/records and their creators. They usually contain administrative information about the collection, biographical information about creators and subjects (when available), a textual description of the collection, and a contents list of materials. Our finding aids are available through a state-wide portal, Virginia Heritage. Using Virginia Heritage, you can browse our collections by subject heading or search them by keyword by limiting the repository to "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University." You can also browse and search through the full list of manuscript collections relating to the History of Food & Drink online. 

We've listed some collections below that might be of particular interest to researchers working with aspects of feeding, care, and nutrition for infants, children, and families, but we encourage you to do some searching, too.  You never know where you might find an unexpected connection to your research topic! 

Remember: Manuscript collections can only be used in the Special Collections and University Archives reading room! 

There are a small number of manuscript collections that deal directly with the care and feeding of children and families, but we will continue to acquire more in the future. The current collections include:

• Ann A. Hertzler Collection, Ms2001-004. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The Ann A. Hertzler Collection contains biographical information, publications, project and subject files, and artifacts relating to Hertzler's professional career at the University of Missouri-Columbia (1974-1980) and Virginia Tech (1980-2001). Particular areas of emphasis are children's health and nutrition, food and food programs, and Extension publications from both colleges.
  • Some items in this collection have been digitized and are available online. 
    • Ann Hertzler Collection, Ms2001-004 in Special Collections Online (our digital platform)
    • Virginia Cooperative Extension bulletins authored by Hertzler in VTechWorks (Virginia Tech's institutional repository)
    • Slideshows from nutrition and extension presentations given by Hertzler in Imagebase
• Culinary Pamphlet Collection, Ms2011-002. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The collection includes small publications and pamphlets created and distributed by culinary, appliance, and food-related companies from about the 1870s to the 1990s. Most pamphlets contain advertisements, recipes, product information, testimonials, or some combination of all four.
• Culinary Ephemera Collection, Ms2013-028. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The Culinary Ephemera Collection was established in 2013. The collection consists of materials in a variety of formats (postcards, menus, children's activities, advertising pamphlets, and more) that relate to food, nutrition, and medicine, dating from the early 19th century to the present.

Special Collections and University Archives has more than 100 manuscript collections relating to aspects of food and drink history. While they may not all relate directly to the feeding, care, and nutrition of children and families, there are some collections that may be of particular interest. These include: 

• National Agriculture Publications, Ms2011-022. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The collection contains United States Department of Agriculture, War Food Administration, and other national agency publications on topics ranging from war-time food use and Victory gardens, kitchen appliances, preservation strategies, individual foods/food groups, and home demonstration. Publications date from 1917 to the present day.
• State/Regional Home and Agricultural Publications, Ms2012-040. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The collection contains publications on topics including, but not limited to: war-time food use and victory gardens, home planning and organization, food and cooking, home demonstration, and household management. Although the emphasis in on Virginia state and local agencies, materials may also originate from around the United States.
• Janet L. Cameron Collection, Ms2011-021. Finding aid available online. Abstract: The collection includes biographical information about the life and career of Janet L. Cameron, a food and nutrition specialist with the Virginia Cooperative Extension from 1931-1964. Most of the collection consists of publications written by Cameron and others.
• Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records, Ms2008-032. Finding aid available online. Abstract: Administrative records of the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and its predecessor, the Virginia Home Economics Association, including minutes, membership lists, reports to the state legislature, convention programs, constitutions and bylaws, newsletters, and materials related to the Student Member Section.