Mission Statement of the GG Archives

The GG Archives is a dedicated organization committed to gathering and preserving social and cultural history. We focus on the historically significant period between the 1870s and the 1950s, a time of immense societal and cultural change, by collecting high-quality ephemera and primary source documents and digitizing them.

We also source historical articles and books to supplement our collections by our collecting policy. You can access all our collections online, as far as our resources permit.

Our unwavering commitment is to expand our resources, prioritizing popular items that can benefit many people. We use keyword research to guide our acquisitions and prioritize placing documents and articles online.

At the GG Archives, we strive to create an inclusive online resource suitable for elementary to college students. Our approach is to scan documents and make their images and transcriptions readily available online. This ensures the materials are utilized to their maximum potential while safeguarding the original records from further handling.

The GG Archives, an organization committed to preserving historical ephemera related to Ocean Travel, Immigration, Military, and other significant events, is driven by a mission of inclusivity. While the cost of digitizing our vast collection poses a challenge, we firmly reject the notion of restricting access and turning it into a subscription-based website.

Our belief is that history should be accessible to all, regardless of financial ability. It's this belief, coupled with the support of our patrons and limited advertising, that allows us to maintain the GG Archives and keep it open to everyone.

It's important to recognize that only a tiny portion of all ephemera produced more than a hundred years ago is still available today, making it impossible to assemble a complete collection of all passenger lists, menus, brochures, and other materials.

The GG Archives, with its niche collections, holds a unique value in preserving these rare historical artifacts. However, the organization operates with minimal resources and primarily relies on advertiser support.

The revenues from our limited advertising are insufficient to allow for paid staff members, and everyone, including our archivist, is an unpaid volunteer. This site is a testament to our collective love and passion for history, a labor of love that we are committed to maintaining.