Week Two: Mission Impossible

A museum support beam victim to the now-infamous crash. RIP!

Hello, reader! In the past week, I have boldly gone where no UCF intern has gone before: on a grand historical “heist.” Before I delve further into the details of this unexpected escapade, I think my previous statement requires some much-needed context and clarification. Remember, kids, do not try this at home!

The crisis that triggered this madness occurred on January 5th, 2026, when I received a series of shocking texts from Ms. Boykin. She related that a 93-year-old driver had struck the front entrance of the Museum of the Apopkans. The impact was so strong that it sent the museum’s hefty 19th-century millstone, displayed out front, several feet away. Thankfully, the driver was not hurt, and none of the museum staff were present at the time. However, the museum would be closed for the foreseeable future due to the extensive damage caused by the crash.

The museum's impacted Black history exhibit, including objects belonging to Michael Gladden Jr. and his father, Michael Gladden Sr.

Naturally, this accident posed a new problem right before the beginning of my internship with RICHES: I had no access to the Gladden Collection and could potentially lose it to the callous whims of a structurally unsound building. All hope was not lost, however, and Ms. Boykin and I were quick to plot the removal of the Gladden Collection from the museum. Considering the state of the building, the idea of a “heist” was daunting and potentially very dangerous. Still, Ms. Boykin and I both knew we had to come to the rescue before any further disaster could ensue. 

The intern and Ms. Boykin, holding remnants of the diver's headlight- a new museum artifact!

One bright and early Wednesday, our plan was set in motion. As I waited in the museum parking lot for Ms. Boykin to arrive, I could not help but think Murphy’s Law would prevail over our risky mission. I was reassured, however, when Ms. Boykin informed me that the museum building had not been condemned and that the Apopka Historical Board had even held a meeting there the previous day. Nonetheless, we got to work securing the entirety of the Gladden Collection into a bin for me to take home. The operation was successful, and Ms. Boykin and I emerged safe from any unanticipated museum collapses or potential arrests.

With the collection secured at home, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to continue scanning and working with the Gladden Collection daily. The first binder of the Gladden Collection even took a field trip to our weekly RICHES meeting this past Tuesday! It was a pleasure showing the RICHES team a glimpse into the remarkable scope of these precious artifacts.

Three envelopes that were converted into receipts marked for the safekeeping accounts of Ms. Dora Davis (top center), Jake Brown (bottom left), and Ms. Eva Godfrey (bottom right).

Having all of the objects in one place has been instrumental in shaping how I plan to curate my digital archive’s various collections. This week, I decided on my metadata format and began posting my first object pages. As of this blog post, the digital archive has 18 digitized artifacts for visitors to explore in the Safekeeping Receipt Collection, the Gladden Correspondence Collection, the Marie Stapler Gladden Collection, and the William Gladden Sr. Collection. My favorite objects I worked with this week include a unique set of three safekeeping receipts recorded on repurposed envelopes and a letter to Michael Gladden Jr. that reveals wartime conditions in the Central Florida hotel industry. I have set a goal of completing three object pages per day in hopes of finishing digitizing the entire collection before the end of the Spring 2026 semester.

Over the weekend, I hope to continue documenting objects, begin constructing a collection finding aid according to standards set by UCF Special Collections and the Society of American Archivists, and hopefully avoid getting into any other risky business, though I can’t promise anything! Until next time, reader!