Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Closer Look
During the preparation of Christian literature,
DVDs, and other Bible-based material, our writers,
artists, researchers, and others draw on archival resources. Writing Archives therefore takes great care
and practical steps to gather and preserve a wide
range of historical materials from such sources as
branch oces, Bethel departments, congregations,
individuals, and secular institutions. Consider the
following overview of this work:
Acquisition and Analysis: Unique items are continually being added to the Archives collection.
Many of these are kindly donated or are loaned by
individuals whose families have decades-long records of faithful service to Jehovah. Analyzing and
comparing such material helps to increase our understanding of our history and of those who lived
through it.
Cataloging: The Writing Archives collection is
made up of thousands of items, some more than a
JANUARY 15, 2012
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With time, the past recedes, and most of us likely wish we had kept a more complete personal family record. In Writing Archives, diligent work is
now under way to preserve and document our rich
and growing legacy. Photographs carefully held in
the Archives could be considered part of our family album. Our early publications, thrilling rstperson accounts, and priceless memorabilia are
also among the gems held in the Archives. Such
items are heirlooms that enlighten us about our
theocratic heritage and help us to look forward with
condence to the future of our spiritual family.
We invite you to look into Writing Archives
through the new feature From Our Archives. It
will appear periodically in the study edition of The
Watchtower. In a coming issue, for example, we plan
to publish an illustrated account designed to answer these questions: What was a Dawn Mobile? By
whom was it used? When was it in use, and for what
purpose?
Like a family album of memories, the Archives
collection tells us much about us and our spiritual forebearsabout the faith and courage of those
who have gone before us, about the joys and challenges of serving our loving heavenly Father, and
about Gods guidance and unfailing support of his
people. (Deut. 33:27) We are condent that Jehovah will bless ongoing eorts to preserve our spiritual history so that we are ever more united and
strengthened to carry out his will.
1. Poster for the Photo-Drama of Creation. 2. Subscription
register. 3. Sound car. 4. Cover of the April 15, 1912, Watch
Tower. 5. J. F. Rutherfords prison notice. 6. WBBR
microphone. 7. Phonograph. 8. Carrying case for books.
9. Personal notes. 10. Telegram to J. F. Rutherford.
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