Historical Document Collections - Immigration, Maritime, Vaccinations Archives
Since its inception in 1991, the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives has acquired a number of original immigration and other historical documents from the 19th and early 20th century. These documents form our Special Collections section of the Archives and provide a rich source of information for the researcher and family historian working on their Genealogy.
Teachers of Middle School and higher grades find many of the documents useful to supplement their coursework covering history, immigration and social studies in the classroom. Students will also find these documents particularly useful for illustrating their essays and reports.
Historical Documents - Special Collections
- 1923 Immigrant Documents - Ellis Island - A superb collection of documents from a Lithuanian Immigrant who traveled to America on the Holland America Line. Includes Immigrant Inspection Card and Certificate of Vaccination and Disinfested, Immigrant Outer Garment Identification Card, Passenger Manifest relating to this immigrant, and photographs.
- 1928 Immigrant Identification Card, Issued by the United States Department of Labor
- Dr. Edward Jenner Collection - Includes biographies, information about his discovery of the smallpox vaccine, paintings, portraits, etc. Dr. Jenner made large-scale mass migration possible and safe from the deadly small-pox virus.
- 1821-11-04 Cowpox Vaccination Certificate - Koefoppe Indpodnings Attest - Norway. One of the earliest examples of the these certificates that immigrants would take with them as evidence of being vaccinated for smallpox.
- 1867-04-06 Norwegian Emigration Law of 1867 - Provisorist Anordning angaaenbe Control med Befordring af Uddandrere til frennede Berdensdele - - Norway - This document paved the way to making a record of Norwegians who Emigrated from Norway.
- 1893-03-06 Immigrants Vaccination - Protected Identification Card - American Line S.S. City of Berlin
- 1912-04-24 Immigrant's Inspection Card - Austrian Steerage Passenger who was processed at Ellis Island
- 1913-05-29 Nowegian Bank Note Payable - Loan for Norwegian Immigrant to the U.S. signed for by relatives.
Historical Documents Collection at the Archives
- 1904 Luggage Contract and Receipt from 1904 - Going beyond the luggage tags to find out how steamships handled luggage.
- Transmigrant Certificate - U.S. Public Health Service - 1921
- 1880-05-29 Memorandum of Draft - White Star Line - Mrs. Frank McGuire
- 1904-06-20 Certificate of Health - Certificado de Sanidad: Por Limpieza, Rasqueo Y Fumigacion de Los Vapores ( Cleaning, Rasqueo And Fumigation of Vapors)
- 1928-09-15 Embarkation Notice - White Star Line S.S. Laurentic for a Westbound voyage from Glasgow Scotland to Quebec and Montreal Canada.
Historical Documents at the Archives - In the Queue For Uploading
- 1904-01-29 Italian Money Order - Spedizione di danaro in qualunque parte d'Italia a mezzo Vaglia Postali (Shipment of money in any part of Italy by Mail Order) Receipt
- 1904 Diary of a student, Floyd Ollie James, a glimpse of life as a teenager in the early 1900s.
- 1911-12-23 Train Ticket - London to Antwerp, 2nd Class - Coupon for the Journey from Roosendaal to Antwerp in addition to ticket contract specifications.
- 1911 Insurance Rates and Information Flyer - The Ocean Accident & Guarantee Corporation, Ltd. providing Accident Insurance for Tourists and Travelllers.
- 1911 Quick Guide Flyer: How To See The Principal Cities of Europe and the Famous Localities and Beautiful Scenery in their Vicinity - Thos. Cook & Son, London.
- 1913-04 Handbook for Travellers from Overseas - Great Western Railway of England. Excellent brochure on the trans-continental British railway services with information on arrangements at Plymouth, Bristol, Liverpool, Fishgard and Queenstown (Cobh). Also includes Sightseeing recommendations for England and information on Paddington Station, London West.
- 1920-06-14 Citizen Seaman's Identification Card - United States of America - Issued under Section 4588 of the Revised Statues and the regulations prescribed by the President in pursuance of the Act of May 22, 1918 for John Bernard, Seaman on the vessel Monitor, Port of San Francisco.
- 1921-01-10 Certificate of Discharge, Department of Commerce, Bureau of Navigation, Shipping Service for 18 year old Seaman John Bernard.
- 1939 French Students' Homework and Composition Book (17 Juin au 3 Août) Devoirs Journaliers. French student's homework including composition, mathematics, geometry, etc. Red marks that appear to be points and grading from a teacher appear in the margins. All text in French. Written in a graph paper booklet from the Normandie (CGT French Line). Composition subjects were general slice of life topics. Handwriting was very stylized yet easy to read. Written just before World War II by an unknown student.
- 1939-08-08 Special Saving Card - Carte de Voyage Touristique en France 1939 - For 40 Francs, the card provided saving of 40% on Fares on the French National Railways (SNCF). This card was issued just weeks before Germany invaded Poland and the outbreak of World War II on the European continent.
