Methods and Process
We have detailed below how we came to work on this collection in addition to our overall process to create this finished product. We have included our editorial method for our letter transcriptions as well.
How we began...
We are Radford University students, finishing our Independent Study course for the Spring 2022 semester.
During this semester, we have been working with a collection of letters surrounding the Balarzs family. These letters and over a hundred envelopes were purchased during the Fall 2021 semester for use in the HIST 400: Digital Archives class. The man who sold them to us has affectionately become known to us as “Stamp Guy,” as he is known in the area for selling envelopes and individual stamps to collectors. When we bought this particular collection, he was set up at the NRV Dublin Flea Market. The letters and envelopes were given to us in two large gallon freezer bags, stuffed to the brim. After sifting through the documents, we found an envelope labeled “Ernie’s Service Letters to Mother.” Ernest was known to be an avid stamp collector. After speaking with the family, it is likely that the letters ended up at with "Stamp Guy" when the larger stamp collection was sold.
Upon closer examination, we discovered that they were indeed some of Ernie’s service letters, but also letters from his mother dating to the 1970s and other random letters to Ernie during World War II. When doing some preliminary research on the mysterious “Ernie,” we discovered his obituary that briefly listed his accomplishments in life, such as serving in World War II, getting a degree as a literal rocket scientist, working with NASA, and owning a restaurant.
As we would have been unable to take HIST 400 this semester, we decided to pursue this project as an Independent Study. This type of study allows us to be more flexible than that with the constraints of a traditional class which can include going to local courthouses and cemeteries for more in-depth research.
Transcription Process...
Once we finished discerning what we had in the collection, we transcribed the documents using the following method.
Step 1: Literal line-by-line transcription. This version of the transcription had every word, including those crossed out or partially indistinguishable, with the closest amount of accuracy possible. This version kept the original formatting of the document, including the line cut offs and punctuation.
Step 2: Letter formatted transcription. Using the literal line-by-line transcription, we created a version that was formatted to look more like a traditional letter, representing the original genre of the documents. In this version, we also kept original words and punctuation, including those crossed out.
Step 3: Website transcription. For the version that was uploaded onto the website, we decided to maintain the letter formatted transcription. The main difference was removing any crossed out words as they did not format correctly onto the website.
On each page of transcriptions, we have provided a PDF containing the full line-by-line transcriptions for that part of the collection.
Thank you for visiting our site!
~Michael Murn, Senior at Radford University, graduating May 2022 with a B.S. in History.
~Katelin Hobbs, Senior at Radford University, graduating May 2022 with a B.S. in History.
~Demiah Smith, Junior at Radford University, graduating May 2023 with a B.A. in History, a minor in Applied History, and a minor in Religious Studies.