We are thrilled to announce a new addition to our archives, The Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. Collection, which spans from the founding of the organization in 1921 to the present day. Previously housed at Will Rogers Gardens, the cache of thirty two scrapbooks and official council member's books will now have a new home with Special Collections and Research and be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

The scrapbooks contain a variety of materials between each page, including original photographs, meeting minutes, event booklets and programs, correspondence, illustrations, newspaper clippings, and ephemera such as flyers, certificates and ribbons. The colorful history of the first garden club formed in the State of Oklahoma (oklahomagardenclub.com) will be made available on our digital collections site and by request so stay tuned for updates! 

A digitized video clip derived from a mid-20th century film reel of Charles E. Sparks, former OKC Parks Superintendent and for whom the Will Rogers Garden's 2-acre Color Garden is named after, was also generously donated to us by The City of Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation.

Check out the full video:

We welcome your feedback! Email us at Special.Collections@MetroLibrary.org with your thoughts or ideas for future articles and posts. 

All images showcased here are part of Metro Library’s Special Collections and Research archives.