Daniel Hines Air Mail/Aviation Papers - American Philatelic Society

Archivist’s Note:
This collection was archived over the course of several weeks in June/July of
2004. The activity was undertaken using the principles and techniques outlined in
Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and Description for
Small Archives, by David W. Carmicheal. Decisions regarding preservation techniques
and storage containers were made in consultation with Patricia Scott, Collection
Development Librarian at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. All preservation
materials and containers were purchased from the Archival Division of the Brodart
Library Supplies and Furnishings Company, McElhattan, PA
The original accession was found in 17 boxes and 2 safes. The materials were in
a relatively random order as I am given to understand that they were gathered from
Daniel Hines’ apartment after his passing. Interspersed among the boxes were a number
of Daniel Hines’ personal items. Also, in addition to the aviation and Air Mail Service
(AMS) materials, there were some items pertaining to Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F.
Kennedy.
The first step in the archiving process was to inventory the accession. The
original inventory can be found on the disk included with this document. After the
accession was inventoried a conscious decision was made to cull materials that were not
related to the U.S. Air Mail Service and aviation in general. The personal effects of
Daniel Hines were separated from the collection and presented to the Hines family.
Other non-AMS materials were separated and also presented to the Hines family.
Because Daniel Hines’ primary interest was the early US Air Mail Service, a
conscious decision was made to employ an organizational logic that would best serve
researchers of the early U.S. Air Mail Service and early aviation. Thirteen series were
established. When practical, the contents of the series were cataloged. (The series
inventories are on the disk and also included in the appendices of this document.)
In the interests of preservation, all photos were inserted into polypropylene page
covers. Some photos reside in the correspondence series since any enclosures found in
correspondence were left intact. Negatives were stored in the sleeves/envelopes in which
they were found. Due to the deteriorating conditions of the Newspaper clippings,
approximately 130 AMS related clippings were scanned onto a CD in a .jpeg format. It is
recommended that the researcher examine the CD first to minimize handling of the
original clippings. All storage boxes and folders used are of acid free materials. Time
and cost have dictated the level of preservation applied to this point. Additional
preservation steps may be taken by future curators.
This is a truly unique collection of early Air Mail Service information. It is clear
that Daniel Hines was a diligent researcher who devoted many years and resources to
gathering this information. Few existing collections rival its scope. The correspondence
offers fascinating insight into the thoughts and experiences of the pilots. Many of the
pictures are unique and heretofore unseen by this researcher. Some of the artifacts I
consider priceless. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with this collection.
I hope that my efforts will allow future researchers to fully appreciate Daniel Hines’
work.