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.