Preserving & Conserving Drexel Family History: “Journal of Trip to South America by Francis M. Drexel, 1826 – 1830”

For the Drexel University Archives, preservation is more than just protecting files — it’s about caring for the stories that have shaped our community, bridging the past and the present.

Most recently, the University Archives hired Erin Paulson, a professional conservator, to repair a handwritten journal from Francis Martin Drexel, the father of the University’s founder Anthony J. Drexel, so that University archivists could preserve and digitize the artifact. 

The diary documents Francis Drexel’s travels to South America from 1826 to 1830 and includes two parts previously bound together in a soft suede cover: a fragile, handwritten original from the 1800s and a typed transcript from the early 1900s. The content includes a foreword and notes added by his granddaughter, Sarah Drexel Van Rensselaer, in December of 1916, as well as detailed journal entries; lists of portraits painted in Lima, Peru; observations on various cities and towns; and an annotated map tracing the route the journal describes.

Over the years, the handwritten journal was badly damaged — its pages were torn, pieces were missing and the tight binding made it hard to open and use. The journal is one of the most important collection items in the University Archives’ holdings, and protecting and repairing it was a priority.

To repair the diary, Paulson removed the cover, took the book apart, and cleaned off old glue and threads. Unfortunately, she found more damage than expected, especially where the pages were sewn too tightly. The transcript was repaired first. It was taken apart for digitizing and then put back together with special archival tools and materials. Using dry repair methods and special lightweight papers, she carefully pieced together tiny fragments and filled in the missing parts. Paulson detailed the entire process in a video available online.

Along with preserving the physical item, the University Archives also digitized the contents of the diary and added it to the Drexel Family Digital Archive, an online exhibit documenting the legacy of A.J. Drexel and his family. The online exhibit, made possible by generous donations from Drexel family members, includes “digital surrogates” (digital reproductions of physical objects) of Drexel family-related material such as handwritten letters, photographs, furniture, and paintings. The exhibit offers a personal window into the lives of members of the Drexel family and the values that guided them. It is a collection that helps us better understand Drexel University not simply as an institution, but as the legacy of a family deeply invested in education, philanthropy and civic responsibility.

The legacy of the Drexel family still matters to students curious about their university’s origins, to scholars studying philanthropy and education, and to anyone who believes in the enduring power of family, community and purpose. As stewards of this legacy, the Drexel University Archives is proud to continue preserving and sharing the stories that make up our collective identity — and to remind our community that Drexel’s founding family remains very much a part of who we are today.