MS-191

MS-191

MANLEY SCRAPBOOK COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION

The Manley Scrapbook Collection was accessioned into the Piqua Public Library Archives and Special Collections on 18 June 2009 as a gift from Terry and Sheryl Walker.  The Walkers had purchased a trunk at a sale and found this scrapbook in the bottom of the trunk.  The inside of the scrapbook cover had the following written in it: Mr. & Mrs. A. B. Manley, 1419 Madison Ave., Piqua, Ohio, June 1944.  The scrapbook was only half filled but had a number of clippings and artifact documents inserted loose in it.  

The main thrust of the scrapbook is on the exploits and homecoming of Capt. Dominic Gentile.  Numerous articles describing his methods of flying fighter planes are in the collection.  Also covered is the Don Gentile Day Parade and War Bond Rally.  The first page of the scrapbook was autographed by Capt. Gentile and has been preserved.  The remainder of the scrapbook has been copied and the original has been discarded.  The collection is housed in one Hollinger box containing 19 files.  There are no restrictions on the use of the materials in this collection.

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

The Manley Scrapbook Collection is divided into three series containing a total of 19 files housed in a single Hollinger box.  The series are as follows:

SERIES I:  SCRAPBOOK – Files 1 and 2

 

SERIES II:  ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FOUND IN THE SCRAPBOOK. 

                             Files 3 – 15

 

SERIES III: MISCELLANEOUS NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS FOUND

                             LOOSE IN THE SCRAPBOOK AND COPIED.  [Most

                             articles are not dated but appear to be between 1944 and 1950.]

                             Files 16 – 19

 

BOX INVENTORY

 

SERIES I:  SCRAPBOOK

BOX 1

File

          1        The Manley Scrapbook pages copied.  The scrapbook deals almost

                             completely with the exploits of Capt. Don Gentile and his

                             welcome home celebration.

          2        Page 1 of the actual scrapbook containing Capt. Don Gentile’s

                             autograph.

 

SERIES II:  ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FOUND IN THE SCRAPBOOK.

 

BOX 1

 

File

          3        Photograph – 8x10 black and white of a U.S. Army Chief Warrant

                             Officer.  The man in the uniform is not identified.

          4        Pamphlet – “Piqua Honors the Thousands from Miami County Who

                             Serve” – produced for the Captain Don Gentile Day celebration

                             and war bond drive – 25 May 1944.

          5        Piqua High School Band, Orchestra, and Choir Concert program – 23

                             February 1945.

          6        Post card – from “Bill” to Mr. & Mrs. A.B. Manley – post card is of

                             the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano, Italy – postmark U.S.

                             Army Postal Service, 29 July 1945.

          7        Envelope addressed to Miss Julia Kendall, 321 Boone St. [where she

                             lived and worked as a domestic for the Raphael Louis family]

                             from KN210593s, 371st Infantry, APO 92, NY, NY

          8        Thank you note from Agnes Ramsey to Mr. & Mrs. Archie Manley, 8

                             August 1945.

          9        Birthday card “From your Branson-Paris Class of 1945: Dr. Lawrence

                             J. Davenport 33o Pres., John G. Tyree 33o Secy.” Probably

                             relating to a Masonic Lodge – 1945.

          10      Program – The Special Activities Committee of the Piqua Chamber of

                             Commerce presents THE GENERAL PLATOFF DON

                             COSSACK CHORUS, at the PHS Auditorium, 31 March 1946.

          11      Program – Fifty-first Annual Convention of the North Ohio

                             Conference Branch Women’s Missionary Society Cyrene A. M.

                             E. Church, 30 June, 1-2 July 1947.

          12      Program – Piqua Music Series Spring 1947, Presented as a Public

                             Service by the Special Activities Committee of the Piqua

                             Chamber of Commerce – Donald Dame, Tenor – Metropolitan

                             Opera, 25 April 1947 and Vivian Dela Chiesa, Lyric Soprano,

                             26 May 1947.

          13      Pamphlet – “The Guessing’s Gone!”  Swans Down’s new “count-

                             stroke” method takes the guess-work out of mixing!  Also a

                             recipe for Peppermint Devil’s Food Cake and a recipe for

                             Sugarplum Spice Cake.  Produced by the makers of Swans

                             Down Cake Flour, 1949.

          14      Program – Musicale: Wanda Jean Clemons, Contralto; Shirley

                             Thomas, Soprano; Mary Ellen Williams, Pianist; John

                             Goldsborough, Accompanist – 31 August 1950 at St. Paul’s

                             Evangelical and Reformed Church, Piqua.

          15      Envelopes – two postmarked 1950 and one postmarked 1958

                             addressed to the Manley’s.

 

SERIES III: MISCELLANEOUS NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS FOUND

                             LOOSE IN THE SCRAPBOOK AND COPIED.  [Most

                             articles are not dated but appear to be between 1944 and 1950.]

 

BOX 1

 

File

          16      Page #1 has the following articles: [1] Photograph of Isabella Masdea

                             relating to stories of her engagement to Capt. Don Gentile. [2]

                             24 May 1944 “Big Parade Will Precede Don Gentile Day War

                             Bond Rally on Thursday Night.”  The article announces the

                             parade and the order of march in the parade.  [3] Photo of Capt.

                             Dominic Gentile’s family, Mr. and Mrs. Gentile and daughter

                             Edith looking at a scrapbook of photos and clippings about

                             Capt. Gentile.  [4] Photo of the wedding of Capt. Don S.

                             Gentile and Miss Isabella Masdea at St. John the Baptist

                             Church in Columbus, the photo appeared in a Cincinnati

                             newspaper.

          17      Page #2 has the following articles: [1] Story about the plight of

                             Jamaican and Bahamian farm laborers imported into the U.S. to

                             make up for the war time farm labor shortage.  [2] Recipe for

                             nutty wafers.  [3] Recipes for hot filled hard rolls (filled with a

                             cheese bologna mixture) and for turkey puffs.

          18      Page #3 has the following: [1] Article on women getting their faces

                             “lifted.”  [2] Advertisements for Koolvent Aluminum Awnings,

                             Atlas Cellar Posts and Alsco Aluminum Combination Storm

                             Windows and Doors.

          19      Pages #4, 5, 6 has the following articles:  Page #4 – two poems by

                             James J. Metcalie and two editorial articles by Chesta Fulmer. 

                             Page #5 – Tito Guizar and his Pan-American Ensemble is to

                             return to Memorial Hall, Dayton, OH; a recipe for two crust

                             strawberry pie; a partial page torn from the Piqua Daily Call on

                             which is reported that J.P. Mikesell resigns from planning

                             commission; Cat. Don Gentile Returns to Duty at Wright Field;

                             Pfc. David H. Scholl was killed at Anzio Beachhead in Italy. 

                             Page 6 – a long article about President Charles H. Wesley of

                             Wilberforce University.