Tips for searching

  • Basic search (collection or unit) will yield the greatest number of search results but is not ideal when looking for specific information.
  • If you are not sure what you are looking for, browse the collections or do a guided search at either the collection or the unit level.
  • If you want specific information about collections, use the advanced search, or the the guided search tools to locate information by theme, media type, or date range.
  • If you want specific information contained in the units of collections, use the advanced search, or the the guided search tools to locate information by theme, media type, or date range.
  • The creators section will locate a donor or a producer of the material across collections and units
  • The fields are not case sensitive
  • A large amount of material is this database is marked “undated” or the dates are unknown, these will not come up in the dates search. Please use other search options to ensure you capture the material with no dates.
  • The fields are not case sensitive
  • Most collections have units associated with them. These will be displayed by clicking the Show Units button on the collection’s display page. However, if a collection had no inventory, it will only be found on the collection level.
  • For collections that only partly relate to the Black Sash, the scope, dates and finding aid pertain to the whole collection. The media, themes and units relate only to the Black Sash sections.
  • The percentage of collection relevant to Black Sash is an approximate range. If the whole collection relates to Black Sash, it is 100%; if more than half of the collection relates to Black Sash, it is 51%-99%; if half of the collection relates to Black Sash, it is 50%; if less than half but a sizeable chunk of the collection relates to Black Sash, it is 20%-49%; if only a few items relate to Black Sash, it is 1%-19%.
  • All descriptive headings associated with the unit were entered in descending hierarchical order and kept with the unit. These are the numbered unit titles appearing in the unit display.
  • Abbreviations used in this database