It’s a #historymystery!
Sometimes as collections are being processed you come across curious and occasionally downright confusing material. That is precisely how our new blog series, What Is That: Mysteries of the Archives, was born.
The beauty of the internet is that when we do come across a mystery chances are SOMEONE out there might have a good guess as to what the answer is. And that’s where you come into play! We’ll be highlighting objects and documents from our collections in the hope that one of you will be able to share your knowledge on the subject, helping both us gain a greater understanding of our collections and researchers in the future who come across these materials.
For our first What Is That post we know WHAT the objects are, but we’re looking for the WHY and HOW. Why were they created and how were they used? Below are wooden stamps found in the Alaska Railroad Corporation records.
Our question to you: What were these stamps originally used for?
For a little context on the Alaska Railroad Corporation records check out our catalog record by clicking HERE or search our collection via our webpage at www.archives.alaska.gov
Comment below with your best guesses or email us at archives@alaska.gov – thanks everyone!
~ Alaska State Archives Staff
FORGET-ME-NOT 
Spending over 28 years in the printing profession and starting as an apprentice hand-comp (one who sets type for printing) I know these ‘wood-cuts’ were used in some form of printing. Maybe on letterheads or broadsides or a monthly magazine. Trust me I may be retired but in my living room sits a ‘California job case’ full of type so old they are made of wood instead of lead.
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Thanks for sharing your expertise Pete!
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