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Lend-A-Hand Club Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 1989-11

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the content found in the cornerstone of the 1922 Lend-A-Hand building located at 105 Main Street (Main St.) in Davenport, Iowa. Additionally, there are scrapbooks dating from 1895-1943 and a variety of ephemeral items relating to Lend-A-Hand and national and local organizations, many of which held their meetings in the Lend-a-Hand Club building.

Dates

  • Creation: 1895-1943

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials are available for use in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center only.

Request permission before copying materials.

Personal digital cameras and scanners are allowed in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center on a case-by-case basis. The items that a researcher may want to scan or photograph must be examined and evaluated for physical condition, copyright issues, and donor restrictions by staff.

Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Biographical / Historical

The Lend-A-Hand Club for young women began in 1886. The Club offered young women living and working away from home opportunities for education and fellowship in a chaperoned environment. The Club occupied a variety of rented quarters downtown where lecture series were offered and a ladies' waiting room operated before 1900. In 1922, funds were secured and a permanent building was erected on South Main Street. The building contained dormitory rooms, a lounge, an excellent cafeteria, and a swimming pool. As an affiliate of the national network of Lend-A-Hand Clubs, the chapter motto was:

Look up, and not down Look forward and not back Look out, and not in Lend a hand.

In the 1960s, the building stopped serving as a women's facility. It was rented to the City of Davenport and converted to housing for the elderly in 1973. The Lend-A-Hand building at 105 South Main Street was razed in July of 1990.

Extent

5.38 Linear Feet (in 2 2.5" legal manuscript boxes, 3 3" deep oversized flat boxes, 1 1 3/4" deep oversized flat box.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three series. The contents of each series are arranged by subject and then by chronologically as appropriate. Each of the series more fully describes the contents of the collection at the folder level. The series arrangement of the records is as follows: Miscellaneous Materials Lend-A-Hand Cornerstone Materials Scrapbooks

Physical Location

Range 37 Section 1

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift

Related Materials

Two related collections documenting the activities of the Lend-A-Hand Club organization include 1998-10 and 2008-06.

Physical Description

fair to good

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center Repository

https://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-history
Contact:
321 Main Street
Davenport IA 52801-1490 United States

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