1 00:00:00,810 --> 00:00:02,310 - The views and opinions expressed 2 00:00:02,310 --> 00:00:04,920 during this podcast are those of our guests. 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,310 No one person speaks for A.A. as a whole. 4 00:00:08,310 --> 00:00:11,100 - Nestled in the heart of the General Service Office lies 5 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:13,080 the Archives Department. 6 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,450 In Episode Two, we took you on a tour of GSO, 7 00:00:15,450 --> 00:00:18,090 but didn't have enough time to include the most popular part 8 00:00:18,090 --> 00:00:21,180 of the tour, the GSO Archives. 9 00:00:21,180 --> 00:00:23,490 Each GSO tour concludes at the Archives, 10 00:00:23,490 --> 00:00:25,290 because our visitors always want time 11 00:00:25,290 --> 00:00:26,880 to explore the displays 12 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,480 and check out the cool artifacts that make A.A. history. 13 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,320 So let's see how our primary purpose evolved. 14 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,260 My name is Nathan and I'm an alcoholic. 15 00:00:37,260 --> 00:00:40,145 Welcome to GSO's Archives. 16 00:00:40,145 --> 00:00:42,728 (upbeat music) 17 00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:57,570 The Archives Department is part reference library, 18 00:00:57,570 --> 00:01:00,420 part storage facility, and part museum. 19 00:01:00,420 --> 00:01:03,120 Let's sit down and walk around with some folks 20 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,820 who know a thing or two about the GSO Archives. 21 00:01:05,820 --> 00:01:07,470 - Hi, my name is Michelle Mirza 22 00:01:07,470 --> 00:01:09,450 and I am the Archives Director 23 00:01:09,450 --> 00:01:11,610 at the General Service Office. 24 00:01:11,610 --> 00:01:14,250 - I'm April Hegner, I am the Special Collections Archivist 25 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:15,780 here at the GSO Archives. 26 00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:17,910 - Hi, I am Zoe Blecher-Cohen, Assistant Archivist. 27 00:01:17,910 --> 00:01:20,220 - Hi, I am Kyle Zaczek, I'm Associate Archivist. 28 00:01:20,220 --> 00:01:22,320 - I'm Jamie Fritz, Digital Archivist. 29 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,460 - To paraphrase the mission, we collect, organize, preserve, 30 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:28,080 and make the archives available 31 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,540 and accessible to researchers. 32 00:01:30,540 --> 00:01:32,340 - So what types of materials 33 00:01:32,340 --> 00:01:35,040 and documents do you typically handle here at Archives? 34 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,160 - Possibly every type of material 35 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,180 that exists from reels, cassettes, 36 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:46,380 CDs, vinyl records, and also digital files. 37 00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:50,490 There are, you know, non-textual materials 38 00:01:50,490 --> 00:01:54,390 such as photographs and slides and microfilms. 39 00:01:54,390 --> 00:01:56,700 - We were also taken on a tour. 40 00:01:56,700 --> 00:01:57,690 Here's April again. 41 00:01:57,690 --> 00:01:58,950 - Welcome to the Archives. 42 00:01:58,950 --> 00:02:02,100 - So the first thing that we see is this wall of six black 43 00:02:02,100 --> 00:02:03,450 and white photographs. 44 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:04,650 Can you tell me about this? 45 00:02:04,650 --> 00:02:08,730 - It's the first panel on our timeline of A.A. history. 46 00:02:08,730 --> 00:02:11,430 So it starts with Bill W., one of our co-founders 47 00:02:11,430 --> 00:02:12,810 and his wife, Lois. 48 00:02:12,810 --> 00:02:15,540 One of the first photographs you'll see is Bill 49 00:02:15,540 --> 00:02:18,870 in his army uniform, which was about 1918. 50 00:02:18,870 --> 00:02:21,750 And then next to those are Bill and Lois 51 00:02:21,750 --> 00:02:24,960 on their wedding day, which was also in 1918, 52 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,110 Bill is again wearing his army uniform 53 00:02:28,110 --> 00:02:30,240 and Lois is in her wedding dress. 54 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,610 - So 17 years before the founding of A.A. 55 00:02:32,610 --> 00:02:34,650 - One of my favorite photographs is a picture 56 00:02:34,650 --> 00:02:37,920 of Lois in the yard at her home in Clinton Street 57 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:39,720 in Brooklyn, which is still there today, 58 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,310 although it is a private residence. 59 00:02:41,310 --> 00:02:42,600 - Right. 60 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:44,013 Heads up before knocking on the door. 61 00:02:44,013 --> 00:02:46,680 - Yes, and she's standing against a brick wall 62 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,510 and there are a couple of plants around her 63 00:02:48,510 --> 00:02:49,950 and she was a very avid gardener. 64 00:02:49,950 --> 00:02:53,280 So there we are seeing her standing there 65 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,790 and she has a little twisted wire, 66 00:02:56,790 --> 00:02:59,190 or twisted hanger in one of her arms 67 00:02:59,190 --> 00:03:01,643 and there is a string attached to it. 68 00:03:01,643 --> 00:03:03,107 - This is an early selfie. 69 00:03:03,107 --> 00:03:04,230 - This is an early selfie, 70 00:03:04,230 --> 00:03:09,230 because Lois pulled that wire attached to the string, 71 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:11,460 which pulled the shutter of the camera. 72 00:03:11,460 --> 00:03:12,480 - That's great. 73 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:13,560 Very cool. 74 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,120 Oh, and I see the next picture 75 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,040 is the famous motorcycle shot. 76 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:18,930 So is this the picture from the trip Bill 77 00:03:18,930 --> 00:03:21,810 and Lois took around the country in 1925? 78 00:03:21,810 --> 00:03:22,890 - Correct. - I know this one. 79 00:03:22,890 --> 00:03:24,990 Here's Lois telling her side of things 80 00:03:24,990 --> 00:03:28,020 at the 1955 International Convention. 81 00:03:28,020 --> 00:03:31,270 - We set out on a motorcycle for a year's trip 82 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:36,150 and we packed all our worldly belongings on this motorcycle 83 00:03:36,150 --> 00:03:37,923 and we really were a funny sight. 84 00:03:38,820 --> 00:03:41,817 It was a motorcycle with a sidecar of course, 85 00:03:41,817 --> 00:03:46,140 and Bill didn't like to drive very much, and I did. 86 00:03:46,140 --> 00:03:49,693 I loved to drive. (everyone laughs) 87 00:03:51,870 --> 00:03:54,330 And he used to sit in the bathtub 88 00:03:54,330 --> 00:03:58,230 with his feet hanging over the bow of the bathtub. 89 00:03:58,230 --> 00:04:01,110 And I was driving and I was a little peanut 90 00:04:01,110 --> 00:04:02,910 and this great long thing in the bathtub. 91 00:04:02,910 --> 00:04:04,950 We were really awfully funny looking. 92 00:04:04,950 --> 00:04:08,130 - That was kind of one of the geographicals that Lois tried 93 00:04:08,130 --> 00:04:09,450 to do with Bill. 94 00:04:09,450 --> 00:04:13,710 They would go out on motorcycle trips early in the years 95 00:04:13,710 --> 00:04:17,640 of their early marriage to try to cure Bills alcoholism, 96 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,697 which unfortunately did not work. 97 00:04:19,697 --> 00:04:22,860 (light music) 98 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:27,860 - The Archives was officially opened in November, 1975. 99 00:04:27,870 --> 00:04:32,870 There was this wonderful ribbon cutting ceremony that our 100 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,900 very first archivist was there, non-alcoholic Nell Wing. 101 00:04:36,900 --> 00:04:40,740 Now, Nell Wing was not always our archivist. 102 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:42,240 - Nell was 29 at the time 103 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,610 she started at GSO then it was called 104 00:04:44,610 --> 00:04:46,470 the Alcoholic Foundation. 105 00:04:46,470 --> 00:04:49,050 She served as receptionist and did other clerical work 106 00:04:49,050 --> 00:04:52,410 before becoming Bill's secretary in 1950. 107 00:04:52,410 --> 00:04:53,700 At the time of her arrival, 108 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:56,640 the three room office had 13 people working there, 109 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,050 including Bill. 110 00:04:58,050 --> 00:05:00,270 It was a time when A.A.'s traditions were just 111 00:05:00,270 --> 00:05:01,770 beginning to emerge. 112 00:05:01,770 --> 00:05:03,480 The General Service Conference was still 113 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,730 in it's discussion phase and the board 114 00:05:05,730 --> 00:05:07,980 of trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation, 115 00:05:07,980 --> 00:05:09,600 now the General Service Board, 116 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,210 was just starting to figure out it's role. 117 00:05:12,210 --> 00:05:14,190 Nell soon recognized the importance 118 00:05:14,190 --> 00:05:16,770 of Bill's correspondence and other material. 119 00:05:16,770 --> 00:05:19,740 She began going through his waste basket to retrieve 120 00:05:19,740 --> 00:05:23,100 and squirrel away material that would eventually be a basis 121 00:05:23,100 --> 00:05:28,100 for GSO's archives and be indispensable to scholars, writers 122 00:05:28,165 --> 00:05:30,357 and A.A. members in the years to come. 123 00:05:30,357 --> 00:05:33,480 - And I think it's absolutely remarkable 124 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,620 that the early staff, namely Nell Wing, 125 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:40,081 thought to save these precious letters. 126 00:05:40,081 --> 00:05:42,570 (upbeat music) 127 00:05:42,570 --> 00:05:46,080 - In this podcast, we respect the anonymity of A.A. members. 128 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,473 Last names are shared only for those who are not in A.A. 129 00:05:52,410 --> 00:05:54,390 - How do researchers or members 130 00:05:54,390 --> 00:05:57,360 of the public access materials in the A.A. Archives? 131 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,960 - Anyone can come in and look at the exhibits, 132 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,470 or look at any published material. 133 00:06:04,470 --> 00:06:08,400 However, if a researcher or anyone's interested 134 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,430 in conducting onsite research 135 00:06:11,430 --> 00:06:15,720 of the unpublished material, there is an application form 136 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,510 and procedures around that. 137 00:06:17,510 --> 00:06:19,440 - So we go next, right in this way 138 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,420 to our reading room, slash, library. 139 00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:22,560 - The reading room, 140 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,940 lots of books up on the wall in the bookshelf. 141 00:06:26,940 --> 00:06:29,460 And we have a big table here 142 00:06:29,460 --> 00:06:33,840 and some cabinets full of books over here and this couch? 143 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:37,200 - Yes, so that is Bill W.'s couch. 144 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,620 It was in his office in a previous location. 145 00:06:40,620 --> 00:06:43,560 We moved to this location in 1992. 146 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:48,167 So Bill was never in this office, but his couch is. 147 00:06:48,167 --> 00:06:49,000 - He sat on this couch? 148 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,251 - He did. - Can I sit on this couch? 149 00:06:50,251 --> 00:06:51,084 - You may. 150 00:06:51,084 --> 00:06:53,520 We encourage visitors to please have a seat on it. 151 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,270 It has been refurbished, so it does look really new. 152 00:06:57,270 --> 00:06:59,010 It's made from brown leather 153 00:06:59,010 --> 00:07:02,100 and has some kind of gold rivets on the side. 154 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,320 - Excellent, what's this room used for? 155 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,120 - Primarily, it is our library. 156 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,440 So we have several bookshelves that are filled with books 157 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,780 that are either related to alcoholism, 158 00:07:12,780 --> 00:07:15,060 or written by alcoholics, 159 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:19,320 or written by researchers who have used our archives 160 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,290 to research their book. 161 00:07:22,290 --> 00:07:23,940 - Who visits the Archives? 162 00:07:23,940 --> 00:07:26,970 - So most of the time it's regular A.A. members who are coming 163 00:07:26,970 --> 00:07:28,560 to visit the GSO. 164 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,250 Perhaps they're coming to the 11 o'clock meeting on Fridays. 165 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:34,230 Perhaps they're just wanting to take a tour. 166 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:36,540 - A lot of members are interested in 167 00:07:36,540 --> 00:07:39,570 how A.A. started in their own area or district. 168 00:07:39,570 --> 00:07:41,790 We might have a member who's interested in, 169 00:07:41,790 --> 00:07:43,860 how did A.A. come to New Jersey. 170 00:07:43,860 --> 00:07:46,170 Who were the founding members and they, 171 00:07:46,170 --> 00:07:48,990 we would provide them with that early correspondence. 172 00:07:48,990 --> 00:07:51,030 - Well, we also get researchers. 173 00:07:51,030 --> 00:07:55,290 - PhD students, studying some aspect of alcoholism. 174 00:07:55,290 --> 00:07:56,790 - We get authors. 175 00:07:56,790 --> 00:08:00,090 - There are professional documentarians 176 00:08:00,090 --> 00:08:02,640 who are interested in producing a film, 177 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:07,080 or a documentary about the co-founders or about A.A. 178 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,340 - We get people from U.S., Canada, Mexico. 179 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:12,780 - There's a lot of requests 180 00:08:12,780 --> 00:08:17,400 for Bill's writing on spirituality, on depression 181 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:18,540 and all of those topics. 182 00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:22,410 - This year alone have had visitors from Scotland 183 00:08:22,410 --> 00:08:24,690 and Ukraine and Poland. 184 00:08:24,690 --> 00:08:26,880 - Speaking of A.A. internationally, 185 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,670 and this back wall is covered in pictures 186 00:08:29,670 --> 00:08:31,980 from International Conventions. 187 00:08:31,980 --> 00:08:35,520 We have another one coming up here in 2025, 188 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,190 but I can see the picture of the first one here, 189 00:08:38,190 --> 00:08:41,850 going back to 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio. 190 00:08:41,850 --> 00:08:43,080 Is that about right? 191 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:44,880 - Yeah, so I can speak to that a little bit. 192 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:46,587 - Here's Zoe, Assistant Archivist. 193 00:08:46,587 --> 00:08:49,890 - One of the interesting things that you can also see 194 00:08:49,890 --> 00:08:53,100 with a lot of the early International Convention photos is 195 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:55,410 that if you look at the right angle, 196 00:08:55,410 --> 00:08:58,020 you can see that there are some people actually penciled 197 00:08:58,020 --> 00:09:02,070 in to kind of fill out the panoramic view. 198 00:09:02,070 --> 00:09:04,080 - So wait, this photo, it's true. 199 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,730 If you look closely at the photographs 200 00:09:05,730 --> 00:09:07,860 of the earliest International Conventions, 201 00:09:07,860 --> 00:09:09,870 you can see that some of the figures sitting 202 00:09:09,870 --> 00:09:12,300 in the audience are not really there. 203 00:09:12,300 --> 00:09:14,580 Silhouettes have been etched into the empty seats. 204 00:09:14,580 --> 00:09:16,500 - Yes, to flesh out the audience a little bit. 205 00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:18,540 - It does, it makes it look a little bit more full. 206 00:09:18,540 --> 00:09:20,520 - The back of people's heads. 207 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,520 - Certainly not necessary for the pictures these days 208 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,010 when you compare it to this picture in front 209 00:09:26,010 --> 00:09:29,190 of me from 1985 where it's a whole stadium full of people. 210 00:09:29,190 --> 00:09:33,210 - And you can also see we have pretty much every 211 00:09:33,210 --> 00:09:35,220 International Convention except 212 00:09:35,220 --> 00:09:38,820 for the most recent International Convention in 2020, 213 00:09:38,820 --> 00:09:41,397 which obviously didn't happen 'cause of COVID. 214 00:09:41,397 --> 00:09:45,000 And so instead we have a poster from the virtual experience 215 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,830 that happened instead. 216 00:09:46,830 --> 00:09:50,370 - "2020, A.A. International Convention, a Virtual Experience." 217 00:09:50,370 --> 00:09:52,440 Yes, I know everyone's looking forward to coming back 218 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,486 to that in person in 2025. 219 00:09:54,486 --> 00:09:55,830 (upbeat music) 220 00:09:55,830 --> 00:09:57,840 As we heard about in Episode Three, 221 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,210 the International Convention is a huge event 222 00:10:00,210 --> 00:10:03,090 that brings together about 50,000 alcoholics 223 00:10:03,090 --> 00:10:05,100 from around the world along with their friends 224 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:07,380 and family every five years. 225 00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:10,230 The next one is coming up July 3rd through the 6th, 226 00:10:10,230 --> 00:10:13,260 2025 in Vancouver, British Columbia. 227 00:10:13,260 --> 00:10:14,760 If you are interested in joining us 228 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,250 for this incredible celebration of A.A., 229 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:20,550 you can find more information at aa.org. 230 00:10:20,550 --> 00:10:22,200 Michelle seemed to have an endless supply 231 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,650 of impactful stories from past International Conventions. 232 00:10:25,650 --> 00:10:26,760 Here's one: 233 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,760 - It was the 80th anniversary convention in 2015 in Georgia. 234 00:10:31,860 --> 00:10:35,250 And I was asked to present 235 00:10:35,250 --> 00:10:39,510 two minutes from the Archive's Sunday morning session. 236 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:41,250 And in the green room just 237 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:45,450 before my presentation, there was a member 238 00:10:45,450 --> 00:10:50,370 who was in custody at the time who spoke right after me, 239 00:10:50,370 --> 00:10:52,860 but he was also in the green room. 240 00:10:52,860 --> 00:10:57,270 And for me, that was the reality of alcoholism. 241 00:10:57,270 --> 00:10:59,490 He was in jail. 242 00:10:59,490 --> 00:11:01,440 Over here, working in this office, 243 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:03,990 I see the success stories, right? 244 00:11:03,990 --> 00:11:05,460 I see our Staff members. 245 00:11:05,460 --> 00:11:07,020 There are other folks, 246 00:11:07,020 --> 00:11:08,793 but also the people who come in, 247 00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:12,960 that was very affecting for me. 248 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,650 That was the reality of alcoholism, the effects of it, 249 00:11:16,650 --> 00:11:17,850 the consequences. 250 00:11:17,850 --> 00:11:20,200 And I would never forget how that made me feel. 251 00:11:21,373 --> 00:11:23,873 (light music) 252 00:11:25,392 --> 00:11:27,750 - One of the wonderful things about all these images 253 00:11:27,750 --> 00:11:30,000 is that it gives you a great idea of how 254 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,750 A.A. has grown over the years and the decades. 255 00:11:33,750 --> 00:11:37,767 Going from a small auditorium to filling giant stadiums. 256 00:11:37,767 --> 00:11:40,027 - You start here with a couple of hundred people 257 00:11:40,027 --> 00:11:41,340 and then you have thousands of people. 258 00:11:41,340 --> 00:11:44,730 And by this picture you have tens of thousands of people. 259 00:11:44,730 --> 00:11:47,110 How many countries is A.A. in now? 260 00:11:47,110 --> 00:11:50,730 - A.A. is in approximately 180 countries around the world. 261 00:11:50,730 --> 00:11:52,320 And if you look over here to our A.A. 262 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,240 Around the World exhibit, 263 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,020 you can see some items from other countries. 264 00:11:58,020 --> 00:12:02,280 One of my favorite items here is a piece from Japan 265 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,320 in 1947. 266 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,590 It's a Christmas greeting card from Tokyo. 267 00:12:07,590 --> 00:12:10,050 It's actually written on rice paper. 268 00:12:10,050 --> 00:12:15,050 And they say, "Terrific field here for A.A. may start a group, 269 00:12:15,150 --> 00:12:17,550 we'll write you soon about this if it develops. 270 00:12:17,550 --> 00:12:19,980 Best wishes for the new year." 271 00:12:19,980 --> 00:12:20,880 - All the way in Japan. 272 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:25,080 There's also Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, 273 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:27,990 Cuba, Cambodia, and England. 274 00:12:27,990 --> 00:12:29,385 This is a great exhibit. 275 00:12:29,385 --> 00:12:31,885 (light music) 276 00:12:33,952 --> 00:12:35,880 And what do we got here? 277 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,300 - This exhibit case is commemorating the 70th anniversary 278 00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:42,330 of the publication of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions book. 279 00:12:42,330 --> 00:12:44,940 - So are these some of the original manuscripts? 280 00:12:44,940 --> 00:12:45,773 - Yes. 281 00:12:45,773 --> 00:12:49,650 So a couple of things here we have include handwritten text 282 00:12:49,650 --> 00:12:51,360 from Bill himself. 283 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,450 And then we have some of the typewritten pages. 284 00:12:54,450 --> 00:12:57,690 And then you have some handwritten edits where you can kind 285 00:12:57,690 --> 00:13:00,930 of see how things kind of evolved and changed over time 286 00:13:00,930 --> 00:13:04,920 before it was published, edited and polished. 287 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,650 Bill was a big fan of handwriting. 288 00:13:07,650 --> 00:13:12,060 A lot of his correspondence and the texts, 289 00:13:12,060 --> 00:13:15,240 he would have his big yellow legal pad 290 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,027 and he would write out notes on that. 291 00:13:18,027 --> 00:13:20,820 The 12 Tradition Essays were originally published 292 00:13:20,820 --> 00:13:23,340 in the Grapevine in the late 1940s. 293 00:13:23,340 --> 00:13:25,380 And then were compiled along 294 00:13:25,380 --> 00:13:28,260 with this 12 Step Essays into the 12 and 12, 295 00:13:28,260 --> 00:13:30,586 which was released in 1953. 296 00:13:30,586 --> 00:13:31,440 (upbeat music) 297 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,170 - So this is a pretty colorful display over here. 298 00:13:34,170 --> 00:13:37,200 - Oh, I can take that one. - Associate Archivist, Kyle. 299 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,900 - So this is our ICYPAA display. 300 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:41,820 One of the rotating exhibits that we have here. 301 00:13:41,820 --> 00:13:46,080 - ICYPAA, I-C-Y-P-A-A stands for- 302 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,050 - International Conference of Young People in A.A. 303 00:13:49,050 --> 00:13:52,170 It started here originally in Niagara Falls, New York. 304 00:13:52,170 --> 00:13:54,840 - What year was that? - 1958, some of- 305 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,880 - There are a lot of fun items in this display 306 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,700 that are reflective of the great energy brought to A.A. 307 00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:01,620 by it's Fellowship of Young People, 308 00:14:01,620 --> 00:14:03,270 along with original letters from Bill 309 00:14:03,270 --> 00:14:04,860 regarding the early conference, 310 00:14:04,860 --> 00:14:07,560 there are great commemorative items like hats, 311 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:09,540 a chrome lighter and a mug. 312 00:14:09,540 --> 00:14:12,690 - The conference was held in Philadelphia in 1976. 313 00:14:12,690 --> 00:14:15,510 So there is a Liberty Bell Freedom mug. 314 00:14:15,510 --> 00:14:18,900 - As well as a T-shirt from the 25th annual conference 315 00:14:18,900 --> 00:14:20,430 held in 1982. 316 00:14:20,430 --> 00:14:22,237 - There's a slogan on the front of the shirt that says, 317 00:14:22,237 --> 00:14:25,077 "Young is anyone who still has growing to do." 318 00:14:26,730 --> 00:14:30,420 - Can you speak to why the Conference 319 00:14:30,420 --> 00:14:32,640 for Young People in A.A. was founded? 320 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:33,750 What was the drive for that? 321 00:14:33,750 --> 00:14:37,500 - It was founded for the purpose of providing a setting 322 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:39,210 for an annual celebration of sobriety 323 00:14:39,210 --> 00:14:41,250 among young people in A.A. 324 00:14:41,250 --> 00:14:43,830 Since the inception, a growing group of people 325 00:14:43,830 --> 00:14:46,200 who first would not consider themselves 326 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,810 as young people has become regular 327 00:14:48,810 --> 00:14:51,090 attendance at the conference. 328 00:14:51,090 --> 00:14:51,923 - That's great. 329 00:14:51,923 --> 00:14:52,756 It makes sense that 330 00:14:52,756 --> 00:14:54,780 the International Conference of Young People in A.A. 331 00:14:54,780 --> 00:14:56,550 has a very colorful display. 332 00:14:56,550 --> 00:14:58,200 This is a lot of fun. 333 00:14:58,200 --> 00:14:59,400 - Thanks Kyle. 334 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:00,998 - Of course, anytime. 335 00:15:00,998 --> 00:15:03,498 (light music) 336 00:15:04,911 --> 00:15:05,910 - How do you decide which items, 337 00:15:05,910 --> 00:15:08,970 or documents are important to keep in the Archives? 338 00:15:08,970 --> 00:15:09,900 - Great question. 339 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:14,580 We are guided by our collection scope and policy, 340 00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:18,600 which provides guidance on what materials we collect. 341 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,130 - Are there any particularly historic, 342 00:15:20,130 --> 00:15:22,230 or significant items in the A.A. Archives 343 00:15:22,230 --> 00:15:23,433 that stand out to you? 344 00:15:24,330 --> 00:15:26,490 - Yes. (laughs) 345 00:15:26,490 --> 00:15:29,340 I would say the early group correspondence, 346 00:15:29,340 --> 00:15:32,190 as well as the early records created 347 00:15:32,190 --> 00:15:34,920 by the Alcoholic Foundation 348 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,280 and the Alcoholic Foundation is the predecessor 349 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,260 to the General Service Board. 350 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:44,670 Those records are the building blocks of A.A.'s structure 351 00:15:44,670 --> 00:15:46,800 of A.A.'s history. 352 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:48,330 In essence, 353 00:15:48,330 --> 00:15:51,990 the early group records contain letters from thousands 354 00:15:51,990 --> 00:15:54,570 of alcoholics seeking help, 355 00:15:54,570 --> 00:15:57,540 or letters from a family member, 356 00:15:57,540 --> 00:16:01,260 a doctor or some other professional writing 357 00:16:01,260 --> 00:16:04,320 to the office circa late 1930s 358 00:16:05,164 --> 00:16:07,110 through the 1950s. 359 00:16:07,110 --> 00:16:11,400 And just to share an experience 360 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,620 around why I think this is also special 361 00:16:13,620 --> 00:16:16,740 and also especially affecting, 362 00:16:16,740 --> 00:16:21,630 I was at the 2005 Toronto International Convention, 363 00:16:21,630 --> 00:16:23,670 there was this older member who was hanging 364 00:16:23,670 --> 00:16:25,950 around the archives for a while. 365 00:16:25,950 --> 00:16:28,170 Throughout the course of those couple of days, 366 00:16:28,170 --> 00:16:31,560 I got to know him, little bit of his life 367 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,050 and the business that he and his wife ran. 368 00:16:34,050 --> 00:16:35,940 But he used this terminology 369 00:16:35,940 --> 00:16:38,790 that I remember from since 2005. 370 00:16:38,790 --> 00:16:42,420 He said, "We're just a bunch of crazy coconuts." 371 00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:47,420 So about nine months after that convention, 372 00:16:48,210 --> 00:16:50,680 I was doing some research in the files 373 00:16:51,540 --> 00:16:55,920 and back then we did not have the correspondence digitized. 374 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:56,753 Right? 375 00:16:56,753 --> 00:16:58,080 So if you wanna find something, 376 00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:59,250 you're reading all the letters 377 00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:00,540 to find what you're looking for. 378 00:17:00,540 --> 00:17:02,250 Now, you're just looking for a search term, 379 00:17:02,250 --> 00:17:04,590 because the letters are digitized. 380 00:17:04,590 --> 00:17:06,150 And as I'm reading through the letters, 381 00:17:06,150 --> 00:17:09,930 I came across the term, "crazy coconuts," 382 00:17:09,930 --> 00:17:13,260 and I was just, that to me was just like, 383 00:17:13,260 --> 00:17:15,240 who else uses that term? 384 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,690 And I started to read now the entire letter. 385 00:17:18,690 --> 00:17:20,080 And would you believe 386 00:17:21,330 --> 00:17:25,410 that letter was written in 1950 by the member's wife 387 00:17:25,410 --> 00:17:29,010 who wrote to our office seeking help 388 00:17:29,010 --> 00:17:30,750 for her husband? 389 00:17:30,750 --> 00:17:33,060 And what about that's such full circle. 390 00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:35,310 I still remember it, that story, 391 00:17:35,310 --> 00:17:40,155 and I just, it just brings tears, just very affecting. 392 00:17:40,155 --> 00:17:42,900 (upbeat music) 393 00:17:42,900 --> 00:17:44,790 - One of our favorite items 394 00:17:44,790 --> 00:17:47,940 and most popular is this typewriter here. 395 00:17:47,940 --> 00:17:49,410 It's very small. 396 00:17:49,410 --> 00:17:54,410 And it was used to help type the Big Book manuscript 397 00:17:54,510 --> 00:17:57,000 by Ruth Hawk, who was the first secretary 398 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,827 and a non-alcoholic. 399 00:17:58,827 --> 00:18:00,870 - The first edition of the Big Book, 400 00:18:00,870 --> 00:18:04,530 the manuscript, was typed out on this typewriter? 401 00:18:04,530 --> 00:18:06,300 - Correct. - And I would imagine 402 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:07,770 that visitors wouldn't get a chance 403 00:18:07,770 --> 00:18:09,240 to type on this typewriter, would they? 404 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,487 - No, we do not let them do that, no. 405 00:18:11,487 --> 00:18:12,543 - But could we? 406 00:18:14,293 --> 00:18:16,020 (typewriter keys clicking) 407 00:18:16,020 --> 00:18:18,390 Dear listener, we give you the sound 408 00:18:18,390 --> 00:18:21,990 of the Big Book manuscript being typed on this early 20th 409 00:18:21,990 --> 00:18:25,253 century manual typewriter, beginning May, 1938. 410 00:18:32,516 --> 00:18:35,099 (upbeat music) 411 00:18:42,090 --> 00:18:43,860 So what have we got in the back? 412 00:18:43,860 --> 00:18:45,660 - So this is an area that we don't normally 413 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:49,500 take visitors into, but for you, we'll invite you in. 414 00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:50,970 - All right. 415 00:18:50,970 --> 00:18:54,240 - So here you will find the heart of our collection. 416 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,090 These are materials that we use on a daily basis 417 00:18:57,090 --> 00:18:59,130 to conduct our research. 418 00:18:59,130 --> 00:19:01,260 This is our main storage area. 419 00:19:01,260 --> 00:19:03,660 We have one onsite storage area, 420 00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:06,420 and then we have two offsite storage areas. 421 00:19:06,420 --> 00:19:11,420 - This is a room that is filled with file boxes, 422 00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:15,886 probably can, I guess, a thousand of them, more? 423 00:19:15,886 --> 00:19:16,920 - Probably. 424 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,760 We measure in cubic feet, and we just completed an inventory 425 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,730 and we have approximately 2,700 cubic feet 426 00:19:23,730 --> 00:19:25,710 of material in our archive. 427 00:19:25,710 --> 00:19:27,150 - Not a lot of room to spare in here. 428 00:19:27,150 --> 00:19:29,730 - Not a lot, we are a growing collection. 429 00:19:29,730 --> 00:19:33,588 Just last year we accessioned about 350 new items. 430 00:19:33,588 --> 00:19:34,421 - Wow. 431 00:19:34,421 --> 00:19:36,030 - We have a manuscript collection, 432 00:19:36,030 --> 00:19:39,330 which has been given to us by one donor. 433 00:19:39,330 --> 00:19:41,250 So we keep all those together. 434 00:19:41,250 --> 00:19:43,500 We also have a lot of group records. 435 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:47,550 We have early group records that go back to the late 1930s 436 00:19:47,550 --> 00:19:49,650 to approximately the 1950s. 437 00:19:49,650 --> 00:19:51,960 And then we have newer group records that kind 438 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:53,883 of pick up from there and go forward. 439 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:59,520 We try to maintain every single item that AAWS publishes. 440 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,950 We collect everything in English, French, 441 00:20:01,950 --> 00:20:05,340 and Spanish, which is the three languages of the office. 442 00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:07,920 But we also produce things in other languages as well. 443 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,170 And we do maintain those. 444 00:20:10,170 --> 00:20:11,220 We have a collection 445 00:20:11,220 --> 00:20:13,110 of General Service Conference materials, 446 00:20:13,110 --> 00:20:16,650 the World Service Meeting, which was first held in 1969. 447 00:20:16,650 --> 00:20:21,650 We have recordings from various International Conventions, 448 00:20:22,470 --> 00:20:25,747 and we also have various recordings of Bill W. 449 00:20:25,747 --> 00:20:27,270 (upbeat music) 450 00:20:27,270 --> 00:20:29,340 - For more information about A.A., 451 00:20:29,340 --> 00:20:32,253 please visit our website at aa.org. 452 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,190 - Have you faced any unique challenges in preserving, 453 00:20:38,190 --> 00:20:40,710 or organizing the archival materials? 454 00:20:40,710 --> 00:20:43,170 - There are several on my list, 455 00:20:43,170 --> 00:20:46,770 but I think one of the most profound challenges 456 00:20:46,770 --> 00:20:48,960 that I have experienced, 457 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:49,830 and given that we 458 00:20:49,830 --> 00:20:52,650 were mostly inherently paper-based collection, 459 00:20:52,650 --> 00:20:54,870 is archiving digital materials. 460 00:20:54,870 --> 00:20:59,040 We had to relearn how to archive digital materials, 461 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,260 because there is so much to learn about the nature 462 00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:02,727 of digital materials. 463 00:21:02,727 --> 00:21:06,510 And so fortunately we have a trained digital archivist now 464 00:21:06,510 --> 00:21:08,430 who can help us muddle through that 465 00:21:08,430 --> 00:21:11,809 and bring us up to speed in this digital era. 466 00:21:11,809 --> 00:21:13,767 - Yeah, that does seem like a considerable challenge. 467 00:21:13,767 --> 00:21:15,420 Are there any upcoming projects, 468 00:21:15,420 --> 00:21:17,130 or initiatives in the Archives Department 469 00:21:17,130 --> 00:21:19,980 that you're particularly excited about? 470 00:21:19,980 --> 00:21:21,810 - Yes. (laughs) 471 00:21:21,810 --> 00:21:25,830 One large and certainly long-term, 472 00:21:25,830 --> 00:21:30,360 a five-year plus project, is assessing the extent 473 00:21:30,360 --> 00:21:32,580 of our audio-visual collection 474 00:21:32,580 --> 00:21:36,270 and making some decisions on those materials. 475 00:21:36,270 --> 00:21:40,140 My staff recently conducted an inventory 476 00:21:40,140 --> 00:21:44,040 of the entire collection to assess it's size. 477 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,880 And a quick takeaway from this project that I can share is 478 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,780 that while we continue to expand digitally, 479 00:21:51,780 --> 00:21:56,310 our paper-based materials continue to grow. 480 00:21:56,310 --> 00:21:59,880 So the final results of that inventory 481 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:04,880 will help inform decisions about use of space. 482 00:22:05,340 --> 00:22:07,590 And then certainly we're digitizing 483 00:22:07,590 --> 00:22:09,540 Bill's correspondence, 484 00:22:09,540 --> 00:22:11,850 board and all the conference-related work. 485 00:22:11,850 --> 00:22:13,950 The digital files will of course help 486 00:22:13,950 --> 00:22:17,520 to enhance our search capabilities, 487 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:22,500 as well as serve as a preservation format of that material. 488 00:22:22,500 --> 00:22:25,860 Moreover, Bill's correspondence is one 489 00:22:25,860 --> 00:22:28,380 of those open for access materials 490 00:22:28,380 --> 00:22:30,240 so we really try 491 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,750 to limit our researchers handling original documents. 492 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:37,380 So it's very important for us to be able to digitize, 493 00:22:37,380 --> 00:22:40,770 preserve, and produce access copies for our researchers. 494 00:22:40,770 --> 00:22:43,590 - Meanwhile, in the back of the back room. 495 00:22:43,590 --> 00:22:45,233 And what is this? 496 00:22:45,233 --> 00:22:47,880 - This is our fireproof safe. 497 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,730 It's approximately five feet tall and probably about three, 498 00:22:50,730 --> 00:22:52,260 or four feet wide. 499 00:22:52,260 --> 00:22:54,990 And it contains some of our oldest books. 500 00:22:54,990 --> 00:22:55,830 - Can we take a look inside? 501 00:22:55,830 --> 00:22:56,663 - Sure. 502 00:22:59,325 --> 00:23:02,533 (safe clicks) 503 00:23:02,533 --> 00:23:03,780 (safe creaks) 504 00:23:03,780 --> 00:23:04,613 - Whoa. 505 00:23:06,660 --> 00:23:08,460 Oh, the smell of old books. 506 00:23:08,460 --> 00:23:09,933 - It's one of my favorite smells. 507 00:23:09,933 --> 00:23:10,890 - Wow. 508 00:23:10,890 --> 00:23:12,540 Can you tell us what we're looking at here? 509 00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:16,380 - We have our first editions, our first printings, 510 00:23:16,380 --> 00:23:18,570 second printings, third printings, 511 00:23:18,570 --> 00:23:21,480 and then we have second editions and third editions. 512 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,480 Additionally, we have first editions 513 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:25,800 and first printing, second printing, 514 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:26,970 third printing, et cetera 515 00:23:26,970 --> 00:23:29,100 of 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. 516 00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:32,460 We have some Experience, Strength and Hope and then- 517 00:23:32,460 --> 00:23:35,343 - Michelle, you've been working here almost 25 years. 518 00:23:35,343 --> 00:23:37,620 Have there been any especially impactful moments 519 00:23:37,620 --> 00:23:39,180 that you could share about? 520 00:23:39,180 --> 00:23:41,820 - It's the reaction of visitors 521 00:23:41,820 --> 00:23:43,560 when they come into the archives. 522 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,330 They're so grateful. 523 00:23:45,330 --> 00:23:47,160 They share their stories. 524 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:49,680 There are some visitors who had never seen photographs 525 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,600 of our co-founders, 526 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,320 or things that we take for granted, like the letters 527 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,030 between Bill and Young, 528 00:23:57,030 --> 00:24:00,090 or Dr. Silkworth and Towns Hospital. 529 00:24:00,090 --> 00:24:01,800 All of that that we take for granted, 530 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,050 because we know the story and for them, 531 00:24:04,050 --> 00:24:06,900 it's novel and for them it's an experience. 532 00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:09,870 And just hearing that, "I have saved so much just 533 00:24:09,870 --> 00:24:10,703 to come over here." 534 00:24:10,703 --> 00:24:13,740 Or, "This was part of my destination." 535 00:24:13,740 --> 00:24:16,080 That to me it, it never gets lost. 536 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,357 It's very humbling. 537 00:24:18,357 --> 00:24:20,940 (upbeat music) 538 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,990 - We hope that you come and visit the GSO Archives 539 00:24:24,990 --> 00:24:27,240 in person, but if you aren't able to, 540 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,650 be sure to check out our online archives exhibit at aa.org. 541 00:24:31,650 --> 00:24:33,750 We hope you enjoyed this week's episode. 542 00:24:33,750 --> 00:24:36,513 Be sure to subscribe so you can keep coming back. 543 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,950 - Thank you for listening to Our Primary Purpose, 544 00:24:40,950 --> 00:24:44,490 a podcast produced by the General Service Office on behalf 545 00:24:44,490 --> 00:24:47,280 of the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in the U.S. 546 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:48,113 and Canada.