Fragile but Fascinating: The Clipping Albums
They are sometimes called spicilèges, but it would be more accurate to refer to them as clipping albums. These are typically large binders containing newspaper or magazine clippings on a specific theme. Unsurprisingly, the clipping albums preserved in the archives of the Oratory focus on the sanctuary, Brother André, or Saint Joseph.
The Clipping Albums of the Oratory
These albums are the most numerous and the oldest. The first album contains newspaper articles from publications such as La Presse and La Patrie dating back to the early 20th century. The first press articles unsurprisingly focus on the construction and inauguration, in the fall of 1904, of the first chapel on the mountain dedicated to Saint Joseph. The vast majority of the clippings preserved thereafter focus on the events taking place there: Masses, pilgrimages, miracles, construction projects and developments, etc. This collection of albums continued almost without exception until 1972.
The Albums of Brother André’s Death
Few in number but more substantial in size, these albums focus on the death of Brother André on January 6, 1937. A distinctive feature of these albums is that they often contain articles from foreign newspapers, particularly from the United States, where Brother André frequently traveled.
One of these albums is truly a spicilège in the literal sense of the word: it contains press clippings, letters, and photographs. This is the album of Mr. Richard H. Deschamps. To learn more about this unique album, we invite you to rediscover the article published on the Oratory’s blog in 2017.
The newspaper clippings are carefully glued onto the pages of the album. OSJ Archives. Credit: David Bureau.
Personal Albums
Some people share a special connection with the Oratory. These may include a former employee, a longtime donor, or someone who has been healed and wishes to honor the sanctuary or Saint Joseph.
One of the most beautiful examples from our archives is the album of Mrs. Jeanne Ménard, the first director (leader) of the Work of the Pilgrimage of the Sick (OPM). The OPM was founded on April 5, 1944, with the mission of welcoming the sick who gather at the Oratory on the first Wednesday of each month. Jeanne Ménard organized the volunteer services, supervised the arrival of taxis and buses, purchased wheelchairs and stretchers, and so on. A prominent figure in the welcome of all people at the Oratory, Jeanne Ménard’s album is a precious testimony to the commitment of laypeople to the work of Saint Brother André.
The impressive spicilège of Jeanne Ménard, the first leader of the OPM. OSJ Archives. Credit: David Bureau.
Preserving Clipping Albums
There are many challenges in properly preserving these documents. They are very fragile: over time, pages have torn; in some places, the glue has completely dried out. But the main issue is the poor quality of the newspaper paper. Its acidity is contagious and quickly damages the paper it is glued to. Over time, the album yellows and becomes so dry that the pages can break as soon as they are turned.
Fortunately, today it is possible to access the majority of newspaper articles online, particularly thanks to the Archives nationales du Québec, which have digitized thousands of old newspapers. This allows us to find the information without risking damaging the clipping albums.
Clipping albums are preserved despite all these challenges because they reflect a desire to capture significant events in the history of the sanctuary as they happened. As for the compilations of Jeanne Ménard and Richard Deschamps, their content takes such varied forms that they are in themselves unique pieces, practically works of art.
