Have you ever heard of using cats as an instrument of war? Or what about toilet paper? For an October 16th Archives Month event, the University of Pennsylvania’s Special Collections Processing Center showcased extraordinary documents from its collection relating to historical wars. Among these were medieval manuscripts illustrating the use of rocket-propelled cats as weapons, and World War I-era propagandistic toilet paper picturing the Kaiser! Librarians and archivists were on hand to explain and contextualize the items on display, adding a depth a meaning beyond the “ooh and ah” factor. There’s no conflict about it – the event was a rousing success!
Delaware Valley Archivists Group 