One of the reasons why I was so excited to take on writing a biography of Robert Gould Shaw is that much of the archival materials needed are just a short drive from my home in Boston. With few exceptions, no more calling archives to request to have files copied or paying someone to do it for me.
Then COVID hit and everything closed down. We weren’t going anywhere, least of all to an archive.
Thankfully, research is once again possible and I am taking full advantage of it by spending much of my time at the Massachusetts Historical Society. I’ve had the opportunity to look through a number of collections, but by far the most helpful has been the Edwin Gittleman Research Materials: 1980s-1996.
It’s enormous. The collection is made up of ten boxes, nine of which are devoted specifically to Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Right now the collection is still unprocessed, which means there is no discernible organization to the order of the files. To give you a sense of the amount of materials I am dealing with, over the past few days I’ve managed to get through one box.
The breadth of materials that I’ve reviewed thus far is impressive. It covers the members of the extended Shaw family, their large circle of friends and colleagues, as well as every conceivable subject related to Robert Gould Shaw’s military career and his legacy.
More than the historical content itself, the collection reflects the state of research before the age of the Internet. Many of the files contain copies of books and articles with Gittleman’s annotations in the margins. There is also correspondence with other historians, Shaw descendants, and others with an interest in this history who had materials to share or who could shed light on Professor Gittleman’s research questions.
This was clearly going to be a substantial work of scholarship. Unfortunately, Professor Gittleman passed away in 1996 after having taught English for decades at Boston University.
I can’t help but think about this as I remove the contents from each file folder or read one of his note cards. Remember those? I am literally sifting through a life cut short. From what I can tell, Professor Gittleman was well on his way to completing this project. His passion for Shaw’s story comes through in the scope of materials collected, but also in the notes and drafts that he managed to write up before his passing.
What also stands out is his commitment to educating the public about Shaw and the 54th MVI, even before the movie GLORY was released in 1989. Included are notices for public lectures and other commemorative activities in and around Boston.
It’s clear that this collection is going to comprise a large chunk of the archival materials that I utilize for this project. You will likely see Professor Gittleman’s name referenced throughout the endnotes and perhaps I will say a few words about him in the acknowledgments section of my book.
Tomorrow it’s back to the MHS to go through Box 2.
I had Gittleman as a professor for a Civil War class, that sadly went over my head. He met one to one with students in the cafe over coffee.
Wow! Can you say a little bit more about the class. It’s been an interesting experience going through his Shaw materials and other documents related to his courses. Thanks so much for sharing this with me.
As I recall(this was thirty years ago) is was Civil War Culture or something like that. How the CW affected American culture, attitudes and ideology. This was at U Mass Boston.
He invited the entire class to watch Gone With the Wind with him one evening as how the CW was remembered in popular culture. Sadly I didn’t attend this, because of some commitment I can’t even remember now. I asked him to look over an article I had written and was thinking of submitting somewhere. He very diplomatically told me it wasn’t very good, which was absolutely true.
This is really interesting to hear. There is a great deal of material in the collection related to Shaw/the 54th MVI and historical memory and popular culture. Thanks so much for the follow up.
He was researching the 54th when I had his class. He mentioned it. I’m trying to recall if we discussed the Shaw Memorial or not.
Very happy that you’re able to dive back into this material. It sounds like the end product will be worth the wait.
I certainly hope so. The project has been pushed back a bit, but it’s nice to be back in the game. Hope all is well with you.