The True American, (Cortland County, New York), 1846 November 25

In 2012 Oberlin College student Sonia Roubini visited the Manuscripts Division in the Library of Congress to photograph items in the John Keep Papers, 1781-1929 at the request of Oberlin faculty members in consultation with the Oberlin College Archivist. The John Keep papers had been given to the Library of Congress by Helen E. Keep, great granddaughter of John Keep, from 1929 to 1954. The finding aid from the Library of Congress is accessible on their website.

Roubini photographed at least one page of each of the 14 items in Box 1 listed in the Library of Congress finding aid. She did not photograph a Bible dated 1847 in Box 2.  Missing are any more than the title page of Keep’s autobiography, 1781-1866, and the cover of his record book dated 1847 of subscriptions for the purchase of the Cleveland American and for the publication of a Liberty Party paper in Cleveland, Ohio. Digital copies of the letters, clippings, notes and speeches appear to be complete.

The digital images were printed out in both black ink and color inks to form two sets of copies. The color set is far more legible and represents the originals more faithfully.

The papers of John Keep are also described in the Library of Congress Information Bulletin 14, no. 1 (3 January 1955): 2.

NOTE: Copies cannot be made without permission from the Library of Congress.  Each image was printed out in color and in black ink to form two complete sets.