To be completely truthful, I was not extremely excited when faced with the task of transcribing meeting minutes.  I knew that it had some historical significance, and I do believe that making historical documents accessible is a fantastic project, but I thought it would be a mindless activity.  I had done some transcription of files for a summer job, and it was absolutely soul-sucking. However, as I began to read the minutes from the Woman’s Literary Club of Baltimore, I became fascinated with their activities.

Some of the most fascinating minutes I have transcribed thus far came from the 78^th meeting.  This meeting was noted to be directed by the Committee on Fiction, so I expected the minutes to include short stories or excerpts from novels written by club members.  Instead, the first work presented was actually a presentation on scientific hypotheses.  Mrs. Fabian Franklin presented an article titled “The Sensation of Color,” explaining the different ideas about sensation and perception of light and color.  What was most interesting was what the secretary recorded about Mrs. Franklin’s presentation: “Mrs. Franklin advanced to a new theory of her own, differing from those mentioned,– and supported it with skill and ability.”  This line, though short, absolutely astonished me.  I had not expected to read that the women in a literary club were presenting their own original scientific theories! I wish the secretary had included more information about the theory, besides saying that it was well presented.  I can only hope that this theory was published and will be recovered by one of my classmates as we continue on with this project.  Otherwise, her ideas will be lost in history.