I didn’t realize on that rainy day that Rusty handed me three ginormous scrapbooks, that he was really handing me the equivalent of a time machine. I was determined to preserve the information in those scrapbooks, and post them here on the SPDJ website for the world to enjoy, and to do my little part in actually preserving a piece of Dixieland Jazz. I was overwhelmed with wonder and emotion as I turned each fragile page, praying that I didn’t destroy the beautiful books, as I admired the amount of work and personality put into every single page, as I tried to take photos of each page without flashes ruining the photo, or cutting off something important, all while trying to keep my feet and my cat out of the photos. What a very exciting time captured in those scrapbooks! I am really hoping that the photos I took of those scrapbooks have turned out well enough that you will be able to zoom in and read the articles from a very special and magical time, and see the photos up close and personal. I hope this labor of love inspires the next generation to keep Dixieland Jazz a proud part of our American history. …….Pattie

You may need to right mouse click and ‘save image as’ onto your hard drive so that you can zoom. The gallery tool used here on the website doesn’t have ability to zoom as much as needed to read the articles. I’ll keep looking for a better option but for the moment that is the best way to view the individual photos.