E. I. Buddy Thompson collection on rail travel safety

Abstract

The E. I. Buddy Thompson collection on rail travel safety (dated 1912-1915; 0.5 cubic feet; 1 box) consists of Viopticon glass slide, handbills, and campaign pins. Buddy Thompson was an author and auctioneer in Lexington, Kentucky, who wrote a well known biography of Lexington madam Belle Brezing.

Descriptive Summary

Title
E. I. Buddy Thompson collection on rail travel safety
Date
1912-1915
Creator
Thompson, Buddy
Extent
0.5 Cubic feet
Subjects
Railroads--Kentucky--History.
Railroads--Photographs.
Railroads--Safety measures
Street-railroads--Kentucky.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by format.
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Desirae Carron
Preferred Citation
2003av097: [identification of item], E. I. Buddy Thompson collection on rail travel safety, 1912-1915, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
Elmer I. "Buddy" Thompson was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1920 and moved to Lexington, Kentucky, as a young boy. He married Mildred "Peg" Campbell; they had one son, Joseph Clay Thompson. In 1964, Thompson along with James L. "Jim" Riley established Thompson & Riley auction and realty company. Through his business, Thompson acquired many items pertaining to Lexington history. Thompson retired in 1982.
In addition to being an auctioneer, Thompson pursued several occupations. He served in World War II as an aerial photographer for the Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater 1943-1945 and ran a flying service after the war. In 1985 Thompson finished an autobiography about his experiences in the war, A Soldier Boy’s Adventure. Thompson is best known for his book Madame Belle Brezing published in 1983, in which he describes the life of the Lexington prostitute Belle Brezing, who was thought to inspire the character Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind.
Throughout his lifetime, Thompson was very active in the Lexington civic affairs, serving as president of the Kentucky Civil War Round Table (1980-1989); founding member and past chairman of the Lexington-Fayette County Historical Commission; president of Big Brothers of Lexington; and a member of the Kentucky Historical Society, the Filson Historical Society, and the Lexington Cemetery Board. Thompson died in 1996.
Scope and Content
The E. I. "Buddy" Thompson collection on rail travel safety (dated 1912-1915; 0.5 cubic feet; 1 box) consists of Viopticon glass slide, handbills, and campaign pins. The collection is divided into series by format. The Handbills series, produced by the Kentucky Terminal and Traction Company, have drawings and text about trolley and street car safety. The Glass slides series mainly depict cartoons and images relating to trolley, cable car, streetcar, and train safety. Many show images of crashes, what passengers and pedestrians should not do, and various rail travel vehicles. Finally, the last series contains a box of Safety first educational campaign pins.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.

Contents of the Collection

Handbills, 1912

"A Costly Game", 1912

  • Box 1, Folder 1, Item 1
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"Stick to the Ground, It's Safer.", 1912

  • Box 1, Folder 1, Item 2
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"The Car Jumper!", 1912

  • Box 1, Folder 1, Item 3
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"Who Is to Blame?", 1912

  • Box 1, Folder 1, Item 4
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"Warnings Against Accidents!", 1912

  • Box 1, Folder 1, Item 5
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Glass slides, undated

He followed the ball, undated

  • Box 1, Item 1
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The Heedless Milkman, undated

  • Box 1, Item 2
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He touched a live wire, undated

  • Box 1, Item 3
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Always stop, look, and listen!, undated

  • Box 1, Item 4
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The Stolen Ride, undated

  • Box 1, Item 5
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They were playing upon the streets, undated

  • Box 1, Item 6
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He jumped off a moving car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 7
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This might happen to you, undated

  • Box 1, Item 8
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After the accident, undated

  • Box 1, Item 9
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He hooked a ride, undated

  • Box 1, Item 10
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He tried to pass between two cars, undated

  • Box 1, Item 11
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Maimed boy watching other boys play, undated

  • Box 1, Item 12
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Crowd of injured people, undated

  • Box 1, Item 13
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Man with a cast on his arm, undated

  • Box 1, Item 14
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Illustration of train car and wagon collision, undated

  • Box 1, Item 15
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Illustration of an accident, undated

  • Box 1, Item 16
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Illustration of an accident, undated

  • Box 1, Item 17
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Illustration of an accident, undated

  • Box 1, Item 18
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Man stepping on a nail, undated

  • Box 1, Item 19
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Children and woman waiting to cross the street, undated

  • Box 1, Item 20
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Woman hanging up laundy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 21
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Illustration of geese attacking boy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 22
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Illustration of geese sharing pretzel, undated

  • Box 1, Item 23
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Boy falling into boiling water, undated

  • Box 1, Item 24
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Woman pulling boy out of pot, undated

  • Box 1, Item 25
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Geese carrying boy by ears, undated

  • Box 1, Item 26
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Geese dropping boy into chimney, undated

  • Box 1, Item 27
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Boy harassing geese, holding pretzel, undated

  • Box 1, Item 28
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Geese attacking boy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 29
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Boy attacking geese, undated

  • Box 1, Item 30
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Boy taunting geese with pretzel, undated

  • Box 1, Item 31
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Woman giving boy pretzel, undated

  • Box 1, Item 32
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Elephant blowing water on person, undated

  • Box 1, Item 33
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Elephant throwing person on cactus, undated

  • Box 1, Item 34
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Elephant carrying person by pants, undated

  • Box 1, Item 35
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Prson covered in cactus needles, undated

  • Box 1, Item 36
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Elephant grabbing person's ear, undated

  • Box 1, Item 37
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Elephant running after person, undated

  • Box 1, Item 38
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Elephant throwing person in water, undated

  • Box 1, Item 39
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Elephant feeding person to alligator, undated

  • Box 1, Item 40
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Person shooting arrow into elephant, undated

  • Box 1, Item 41
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Elephant pulling on person's ear, undated

  • Box 1, Item 42
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Elephant shooting water into mouth, undated

  • Box 1, Item 43
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Elephant, undated

  • Box 1, Item 44
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Boys hooking ride on street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 45
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Woman pushing baby carriage in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 46
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Vehicle next to a street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 47
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Over-turned carriage and injured person next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 48
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Woman on crutches, undated

  • Box 1, Item 49
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Woman examining face of child, undated

  • Box 1, Item 50
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Two women holding hands, undated

  • Box 1, Item 51
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Vehicles driving, undated

  • Box 1, Item 52
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Two parked vehicles, undated

  • Box 1, Item 53
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Street car and people waiting, undated

  • Box 1, Item 54
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Boys looking at wire on the ground, undated

  • Box 1, Item 55
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Boys possibly wearing prosthetic legs, undated

  • Box 1, Item 56
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Women walking on tracks, undated

  • Box 1, Item 57
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Man walking on tracks, undated

  • Box 1, Item 58
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People gathered around injured boy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 59
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Vehicle in front of street car, crowd of people, undated

  • Box 1, Item 60
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Man handling wire as people look on, undated

  • Box 1, Item 61
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Injured man on ground with people gathered around, undated

  • Box 1, Item 62
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People walknig next to car on road, undated

  • Box 1, Item 63
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Horse and buggy in front of street car on tracks, undated

  • Box 1, Item 64
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Boy hanging on back of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 65
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Boy on ground in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 66
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Woman on ground next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 67
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Stopped street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 68
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Boys waving or throwing something at street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 69
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Men waiting for street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 70
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Car in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 71
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Car in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 72
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Injured or deceased woman being wrapped up on ground, undated

  • Box 1, Item 73
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Boy holding gun, woman bent over boy laying on the ground, undated

  • Box 1, Item 74
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People running across street in front of car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 75
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Children playing near street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 76
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Person being placed in ambulance, undated

  • Box 1, Item 77
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Boy sitting on steps of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 78
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People exiting street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 79
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Girls standing near street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 80
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Injured person being carried away, undated

  • Box 1, Item 81
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Man hit by street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 82
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Children next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 83
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Woman walking in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 84
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Man on ground in front of car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 85
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Boy holding gun and girl playing with it, undated

  • Box 1, Item 86
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Woman on ground after buggy was hit by a street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 87
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People standing in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 88
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People with horse and buggy stopping at a rail crossing, undated

  • Box 1, Item 89
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Car and horse and buggy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 90
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Person on crutches, undated

  • Box 1, Item 91
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People gathered around, undated

  • Box 1, Item 92
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People waving to a street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 93
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People gathered around man on ground, undated

  • Box 1, Item 94
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School children walking on tracks, undated

  • Box 1, Item 95
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Boys playing in the street, undated

  • Box 1, Item 96
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People tending to injured man, undated

  • Box 1, Item 97
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Boys standing next to a street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 98
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People next to track, undated

  • Box 1, Item 99
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Horse and buggy next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 100
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Horse and buggy next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 101
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Man pulling another man back from street car track, undated

  • Box 1, Item 102
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Horse and buggy next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 103
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Horse and buggy passing in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 104
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Horse and buggy passing in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 105
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Boy with eye patch, undated

  • Box 1, Item 106
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Woman exiting street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 107
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Woman exiting street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 108
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Street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 109
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Children playing around street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 110
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Person riding bicycle in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 111
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Car next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 112
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Street cars side by side, undated

  • Box 1, Item 113
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Street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 114
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Injured person under street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 115
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Children on bicycles in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 116
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Injured person, undated

  • Box 1, Item 117
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People near horse and buggy, undated

  • Box 1, Item 118
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Wagon in front of street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 119
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Bicyclist holding onto street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 120
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Child on a stretcher, undated

  • Box 1, Item 121
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Children next to street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 122
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Men waiting for street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 123
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Man hanging onto street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 124
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Woman exiting street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 125
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Children playing near street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 126
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Injured man on ground, undated

  • Box 1, Item 127
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People near street car, undated

  • Box 1, Item 128
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Safety first educational campaign pins, 1915

  • Box 1
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.