Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of collection was created as a result of the nature in which photographs were collected by the Presentation Congregation Archives
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1865-2000, predominantly 1950-1995 (Creation)
- Creator
- Presentation Congregation Archives
Physical description area
Physical description
7,250 photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation was founded by Nano Nagle in 1776 in Cork, Ireland. Miss Nagle was educated at home and in France. When she returned to Ireland, where the penal laws prohibiting Catholic schools were still in force, she undertook "to labour for the instruction of the poor." By 1769 she had organized seven schools throughout the city of Cork, all secretly rented and staffed at her own expense. Eventually, she persuaded the Ursuline Order to sponsor a community in Cork to undertake the education of girls as boarders and day pupils. However, the children who could not attend school inside the enclosure of the convent were still not being educated, so in 1775, Nano Nagle and three other women of like mind formed a small religious congregation known as the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Their main purpose was to teach the children of the poor. After their foundress' death in 1784, the name of their religious congregation was changed to the Order of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1833, Bishop Michael Fleming of Newfoundland went to Ireland and requested the Presentation Sisters from the Galway community to establish a mission in Newfoundland. In a deep spirit of generosity, four of the Sisters volunteered. They were: Sister Mary Magdalen O'Shaughnessy, Sister Mary Xaverius Lynch, Sister Mary Bernard Kirwan and Sister Mary Xavier Maloney. They arrived in St. John's on September 21, 1833 on the brig Ariel and the Sisters opened their first school on October 21 of the same year. There were 450 children eager to be admitted.
The formal organization of the materials that had accumulated within the congregation since 1833 was begun by Sister Mary Teresa Francis Tobin in 1972 and has been continued by the Sister Archivists ever since. The first record keeper for the Presentation Congregation was Sister Mary Agnes O'Keefe.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The collection consists of approximately 7250 photographs (1865-2000, predominantly 1950-1995) of which approximately 7000 have been processed; 69 albums; three boxes of slides (ca. 1150); thirteen sheets of negatives (ca. 200); two daguerreotypes (1840s or 1850s), and 25 stereo cards.
The slides are stored in slide cases and are grouped according to a specific theme such as a school or an event. While many of the albums and scrapbooks were given to the archives by various convents, schools and individual Sisters, the archive has also created several albums with the intent to highlight a particular theme or event such as "Jubilees," "The Lantern," and "Social Gatherings."
Approximately 7000 photographs of the collection have been processed. The following information has been deducted from a random sampling of 546 cards from the photograph index: the majority of these photographs, 25%, measure 8.9cm x 8.9 cm ( 3 « x 3 « inches) with the second largest group, 17%, measuring 10.16cm x 15.24cm (4 x 6 inches); 53% of the sample were noted as colour photographs while 43% were noted as black and white; 81% of all the photographs are described as being in good condition with only 2% being rated as poor.
The photographs are organized according to the Presentation Congregation Archives finding aid and therefore cover a wide variety of topics. About one third of the photographs are of the various branches of the Presentation Congregation. The Presentation Motherhouse in Cathedral Square, St. John's has the largest amount of photographs (81) in the collection with the second largest being from Our Lady of Assumption Mission in Davis Inlet (71). Another large group of pictures (ca. 250) depict the Sisters themselves as they go through the process of becoming professed and embrace their ministries. As well, these pictures look at the Sister's personal life, their relationships and visits with family and friends.
A third subject that is given a great deal of attention is education (7cm) and the various schools that the sisters taught in. The final subject identified as a main focus in the collection are the various "Associates" associated with the Presentation Congregation (6cm) such as the Archdiocese of St. John's, Grand Falls, St. George's and Labrador/Schefferville, the various parishes, Archbishops and Bishops, clergy, visitors, and other religious Congregations.
Notes area
Physical condition
The majority of the photographs have been processed and are enclosed in protective sleeves.
Immediate source of acquisition
Presentation Congregation Archives
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
While not documented, it is possible that the negatives and slides in the collection correspond with some photographs.
Restrictions on access
Restrictions on access apply. Consult the archivist.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Three boxes of index cards are available and are subdivided to correspond with the subjects that are identified in the Presentation Congregation Archives Finding Aid.
Associated materials
Presentation Congregation fonds
Accruals
No further accruals expected.
General note
The artifacts that were collected by the Presentation Congregation Archives are stored in the Heritage Room. A complete list of items are included in the Presentation Congregation Archives finding aid under "Artifacts."
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Created - April 12, 2013
Language of description
- English