USA

• The Archives, Libraries and Museums of Polonia at Orchard Lake
• The Pilsudski Institute of America
  
• Polish Museum in Chicago
  
• Polish Scientific Institute in America
• The Polish Army Veterans Association in America
   

The Archives, Libraries and Museums of Polonia at Orchard Lake
3535 Indian Trail
Orchard Lake
Michigan 48324
USA

 

Creation and short history
The institution called the Archives, Libraries and Museums of Polonia at Orchard Lake created in 1990 originated in the end of 19th century when in Detroit the Polish Seminary educating priests for Polish parishes in North America was founded. In connection to the Seminary subsequent institutions were created, including Polonijne Zakłady Naukowe, from which later archives, libraries and museums were separated. Great service in creation of the archive collection and its continuous expansion rendered the first archivist at Orchard Lake, Father Prof. Józef Swastek who has worked there for many years and who started gathering priceless collection documenting all aspects of life of Polish immigration in America. His activity has been continued since 1978 by the Head of the Archives, Libraries and Museum of Polonia at Orchard Lake, Father Dr Roman Nir, author of many publications about the materials kept at Orchard Lake. At present this function is performed by Father Dr Stanisław Flis who for years has dealt with the issues of Polish community and Polish pastoral work.
 

Description of the collection
Collection at Orchard Lake is divided in 32 thematic sections: 1. Archives of School and Centres at Orchard Lake, 2. Archive of Polish Community, 3. Documentation of Polish parishes, 4. Documentation of Polish organisations, 5. Biographies, 6. Old prints, 7. Polonica Americana, 8. Polish periodicals, 9. Calendars, 10. Special collections, 11. Microfilms and computerisation, 12. Library manuscripts, dissertations, 13. Materials on Poland, 14. Genealogical literature, 15. Reference library, 16. Personal collections, 17. Archive, Library and Museum of Polish II Corps, 18. Museum, Archive and Library of 1st Armoured Division, 19. Archive, Library and Museum of Home Army, 20. Archive, Library and Museum of Polish Pilots, 21. Archive, Library and Museum of Political Prisoners, 22. Archive, Library and Museum of Polish Scouting Association, 23. Archive, Library and Museum of the Polish National Alliance, 24. Collection of Doctor Edward Różański, 25. Collection of the Polish Singers Alliance of America, 26. Museum of Father Józef Dąbrowski, 27. Museum of Polish Community Sport, 28. Archive, Library and Museum of Immigration Writers, 29. Gallery, 30. Archive, Library and Museum of the Polish Army Veterans’ Association in America 31. Archive, Library and Museum of the Polish Community Radio and Television, 32. Archive, Library and Museum of the Polish Community Education.

They document both the history of the oldest, 19th century Polish immigration and fate of political and economic immigration in the post-war period, including the Solidarity immigration after 1980. They consist of sources on education of various levels, social and economic life of Polish immigrants, materials depicting the history of various organisations and institutions created by Polish immigration since the end of the 29th century, including cultural institutions such as amateur theatres, libraries and Polish community radio. The oldest archive materials have been gathered in the section: Archive of Schools and Centres at Orchard Lake. It includes the files of the St. Cyril And Methodius Seminary, documentation of the Holy Virgin Mary College, files of St. Mary College at Orchard Lake and materials created by three centres: Centre for Polish Studies and Culture, Polish-American Liturgical Centre and created in 1978 Centre of John Paul II. The latter’s goal is to gather materials related to life and activity of John Paul II, including printed and audiovisual materials, as well as papal medals, coins, Pope’s images, postcards, photos, post stamps, sculptures, etc.

Materials of Polish parishes create one of the largest sections of the archive at Orchard Lake. An important source on the life of the parish and its members, are the jubilee books, journals of priests, speeches and sermons, manuscripts of the parish’s history, materials on the parish’s geography and statistics and parish publications gathered in this section. In the archive there are also materials on monasteries operating among the Polish community abroad, as well as sources on the history of other national groups, e.g. Ukrainian, Slovak and Lithuanian immigration.
A significant part of the collection consists of files of many institutions and associations important for the development of life of Polish immigration, including the oldest organisations such as Polish Roman Catholic Alliance, Polish National Alliance, Polish Falcon in America or Association of Polish Women in America. From the period of World War II there are many written sources as well as museum objects related to Polish military units fighting in the West. In addition to personal documentation of soldiers and their commanders there are also numerous photos, medals, badges, uniforms, elements of armoury and original operational maps.

Worth noticing are also the legacies of outstanding secular and Church activists. In this group of the files there is for example the collection of Father Franciszek Bolek, publisher of the Polish-American encyclopaedia and author of many publications, the collection of Father Kazimierz Bobrowski containing materials on the history of Polish community in India and Polish Catholic Mission in Mumbai, the collection of Father Prof. Mieczysław Madaj, for many years the head of archdiocese in Chicago, the collection of Artur Waldo containing materials on many aspects of the cultural life of Polish immigration including the history of Polish community theatre in the United States and Polish press, the collection of Dr Edward Różański, for many years an employee of the Polish National Alliance.

An important supplement to the archive materials are special collections, including iconography, philately, numismatics, cartography, photographs, posters and audiovisual materials. At Orchard Lake there are also all Vatican stamps issued from 1978 till today and a collection of Polish coins from 12th century till today of a unique character. The cartographic collection is composed of maps of Poland, mainly from 19th century, atlases, maps of Polish parishes, maps of military operations of individual army units. In the section of audiovisual materials there are video recordings from all the more important events at Orchard Lake, and talks with the representatives of the Polish community recorded since 1993 (soldiers of the Polish II Corps, Home Army, artists or Polish engineers).

A separate section includes materials dedicated to Poland and its history. Worth mentioning in this groups are the original letters of Polish kings, from Sigismund I the Old to Stanisław August Poniatowski, as well as of other outstanding Polish figures (in total around 200 items). From the most recent history interesting for historians may be the collection related to the Central Welfare Council which operated in Poland during the World War II.

Archive at Orchard Lake has a valuable book collection composed of old prints (including Polonica from 16th and 17th century presses in Polish printing houses), genealogical publications (armorials, publications on nobility families, bulletins of genealogical societies operating in the USA), publication of monastery publishing houses, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, a large bibliographical collection, guide books to archive materials of other institutions, literature on Polish history, Polish community and other national groups as well as a large collection of periodicals available in the original form or on microfilms, in total around 5 thousand titles. The library has also all dissertations written at the Holy Virgin Mary College at Orchard Lake, starting from 1916 till today. These usually relate to the history of Church in North America and Poland, history of Polish and English literature, history of the Polish community, Polish parishes and organisations, Polish monasteries operating among the immigrants, Polish community education, politics, theology and Bible studies.

Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Attempts to obtain financial resources in order to organise archival help for the archive at Orchard Lake have been made by the Head Office of State Archives since 2004. First visit by an archivist from Poland, financed from resources granted by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage took place in 2006. It led to a preliminary identification of the collection. Works were continued during another visit, from April to the end of May 2007.
Then a list of archival units was prepared, including 97 items and the organisational works were started, including transfer of the collection to newly prepared rooms (in total 62 linear metres of archive materials, organised in 42 archival units, were transferred).

In 2008 all previously identified archival units were entered in the SEZAM database. By the consent of chancellor T. Whalen data on the collection of the Archive at Orchard Lake was entered in the all-Poland database SEZAM available at the site www.archiwa.gov.pl.

Also six other collections were organised, four of them consisted of documentation found during the archivist’s previous visit:

1. The Polish American Club of Peninsula, Redwood City, California, 1958-1984, 12 a.u. (2 boxes), 0.20 lm;
2. The Friends of The Archbishop of Detroit, 1982-1990, 12 a.u. (1 box), 0.10 lm;
3. Christopher J. Włoch Collection, 1899 – 1998, 102 a.u. (13 boxes), 1.9 lm;
4. Jan Pogorzelski Papers, [1923-1925] 1946-1990, 14 a.u. (2 boxes), 0.3 lm;
5. Dziennik Związkowy – Polish Daily Zgoda - Archives, 1968 – 1992, 189 a.u., (48 boxes), 7.20 lm;
6. Andrew Szuberla Papers, 1937-1982, 65 a.u. (14 boxes), 2.00 lm.
   
    

Plan for future works
At present the archive at Orchard Lake is being reorganised, it should lead to drawing up of a plan for operations in 2010 and defining the scope of this post’s archival collaboration with institutions in Poland. After archival works are resumed in the first place records of the collection should be updated in the SEZAM database and then cataloguing of individual archival collections should be started.

The Pilsudski Institute of America
180 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10003
Fax: + 1 212 505 9052
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www.pilsudski.org
Bulletin of the Institute: http://bit.ly/aO8z1y

Creation and short history
The Institute was founded on 4 July 1943 in New York as a continuation of the Institute for Research in the Modern History of Poland that operated in Warsaw from 1923. Among the founders of the New York Institute were former ministers of pre-war Poland as: Ignacy Matuszewski, Wacław Jędrzejewicz and Henryk Floyar-Raychman. The main goal of the Institute is to collect and make available archive materials pertaining to Polish activists and organisations in the United States. The basic and oldest part of the archive collection constitute fragments of collection of the pre-war Pilsudski Institute in Warsaw and Military Historical Office in Warsaw that were rescued in September 1939. In subsequent years the Institute’s collection expanded with the legacies of famous Polish activists, politicians, diplomats and officers in exile, as well as with documentation of various kinds of Polish organisations operating among the Polish community in America. During the post-war period the Institute acted as a scientific and cultural post protecting the collection important for Polish science and culture. Emphasis was also placed on promotion of the history of Poland and Polish community in local circles, for example through organisation of exhibitions and lectures. This function was supported also by the published since 1948 till today yearly “Niepodległość”, as well as published since 1951 “The Pilsudski Institute Bulletin”.
 

Description of the collection
From their historical value perspective underlined in the first place should be the files of Adjutancy General of the Commander in Chief (1918-1922) which constitute a valuable collection of sources on the origins of the reviving Polish state, Polish-Soviet War in 1920 and diplomatic contacts in the first years of independence. These materials are supplemented by the files of three Silesian Uprisings, depicting the process of Upper Silesian accession to Poland, files of the Liquidation Commission of general Lucjan Żeligowski, Archive of Gen. Julian Stachiewicz, Archive of Edward Śmigły-Rydz, Files of Gen. Tadeusz Rozwadowski and the Ukrainian Military Mission in Poland.

The recently modernised archive of the Institute also has photographs, audiovisual documentation, military medals and badges, philately and cartographic collections and press. Basic information about this important centre, its history, collection and current activity can be found at a newly prepared Internet site.
 

Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Closer contacts between the two institutions were established in the second half of the 90s of the 20th century. Systematic archival collaboration between the Institute and the Head Office of State Archives started in 2000. The Institute’s authorities asked for identification of the most urgent archival needs and assessment of the collection’s condition. In subsequent years visits of archivists from Poland were organised on annual basis, the archivists started thorough reorganisation of the Institute’s archive. As a result the archive rooms were reorganised, new shelves were purchased and entire collection was repacked into acid free folders and boxes. The next step was to prepare in the SEZAM database comprehensive records of the collection and then organise individual archival collections in the IZA database. At present the SEZAM database is available at the site www.archiwa.gov.pl containing description of 155 archival units and collections, as well as the IZA database containing 128 inventories with detailed descriptions of archival units. The databases are used at the Institute pursuant to an agreement with the Head Office of State Archives of 2002. Visits in the years 2001-2007 were financed based on scholarships granted by the Kosciuszko Foundation, and in the years 2007-2009 from the resources granted by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The Head Office of State Archives also coordinated the conservation project thanks to which priceless historical materials were saved. Under the agreement concluded in 2002 by the two institutions a project dedicated to protection, microfilming and digitalisation of files of the three Silesian Uprisings, one of the most valuable Institute’s archival unit, was carried out. The files transported to Poland in 5 shipments in the years 2004-2008 underwent the necessary conservatory treatments in the Central Laboratory for Conservation of Archive Materials at the Main Archive of Old Files in Warsaw. With the support of other institutions such as: Marshall Office of Silesia, Silesian Library in Katowice, Archive of New Files, National Digital Archive entire archival unit has been microfilmed and digitalised so it is available also in Poland. Invaluable help in transportation during the project was offered by the Polish Consulate in New York. Based on these documents the State Archive in Katowice started a database with a list of names of participants of the Silesian Uprisings.
 

Plan for future works
In November 2008 the following persons visited the Institute: the General Director of State Archives, Dr Sławomir Radoń, and his assistant, Dr Barbara Berska, who discussed future collaboration with the authorities of the Institute. One of joint undertakings is the project of digitalisation of archival units scattered between the Institute’s archive and state archives in Poland, mainly the Archive of New Files.

The works on organisation of subsequent archival units will be continued. In October 2009 another archivist from Poland went for a 3-month visit to the Institute. Her task was the description and inventorying of the Institute’s photographic collection.

Polish Museum in Chicago
984 North Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
USA
Fax: + 1 773 384 3799
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Origins of the Polish Museum of America go back to the end of 19th century. First Polish Museum in Chicago was founded in 1891 on initiative of Henryk Kałłusowski. Its collection, in 1912 transferred to Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania was almost completely burnt in a fire in 1931. In this situation Polish community in America made attempts to create a new post which would collect historical mementoes and promote Polish culture. Chicago was chosen once again as the Museum’s seat since already at the beginning of 20th century it was one of the biggest centres for Poles in the United States of America. A large-scale promotional campaign about the creation of the Museum was organised by the president of one of the oldest Polish organisations in America, Józef Kania who presided over the Polish Roman Catholic Alliance. His efforts led to the opening ceremony of a new museum on 12 January 1937. In the ceremony participated among others Dr Wacław Gawroński – Polish Consul General and Edward Kelly – the mayor of Chicago. In the same year the Polish Historical Museum Society was founded, it was supposed to support the Museum in its activity and in the first place in raising the necessary financial resources for keeping the post.

Great service for the organisation of the Museum’s work and its collection rendered its first custodian, Mieczysław Haiman. Thanks to his activity and numerous appeals to the Polish community in the press the Museum’s collection expanded with donations from many persons. Majority of invaluable museum and archive materials was collected prior to Haiman’s death in 1949.

Description of the collection
The basis for the museum collection became items taken over from the Museum of the Polish Pavilon during the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. The outbreak of the War made it impossible to return most of the objects brought from Poland for the exhibition. In 1941 collection of the Museum was expanded with items from the New York flat of Ignacy Paderewski, donated to the Museum by his sister. In 1945 the Museum bought the Kosciuszko collection, including documents of the Commander and his personal objects.

In the post-war period reconstruction of museum rooms began, and in 1959 the institution’s structure was reorganised and a museum corporation was created including a museum, archive and a library. It assumed the name of Polish Museum of America.

In recent years the institution has been developing intense activity for promotion of Polish culture in America, organising exhibitions and concerts. It also works on organisation of the archive collection, an invaluable source of knowledge about the Polish community in America and its history. The Museum’s archive consists of files of the oldest Polish organisations and institutions in America, including the files of Polish Roman Catholic Union operating since 1873, Polish National Alliance created in 1880 and Polish Community Council in America created in 1938. In addition the Museum has files of more than 100 other Polish organisations and institutions, legacies of persons important for the history of Poland and Polish community in America, including files of political activists, lawyers, doctors and artists. Worth noticing are also the documents related to Tadeusz Kościuszko and Kazimierz Pułaski.Among the rare materials there is a collection of maps and atlases, including a panorama of Krakow, Kazimierz and Kleparz from the end of 15th century.

A significant supplement of the archive materials is the book collection of more than 40 thousand volumes. It contains mostly books in the Polish language, in recent years also Polish audio books have been added. The library collects publications on the history of Polish literature, history, geography, culture and art, including many books for children and young people. A significant part of the book collection constitute albums, dictionaries and encyclopaedias. The library also has a collection of microfilms of selected Polish newspapers in America, used mostly by genealogists looking for information about their roots and family history.

Thanks to its rich collection the Polish Museum in Chicago played a very important role in maintaining the Polish culture and language among local immigration and in promoting knowledge about Poland in the American society.

Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Archival help for the Polish Museum in Chicago has been organised since 2000. Visits of an archivist from Poland in the years 2000-2002 were organised thanks to scholarships granted by the Kosciuszko Foundation and since 2007 – funds granted by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The works started in 2000 resulted in preliminary separation of units and material groups in the archive documentation and their description. In 2006 contacts were resumed, and the archivist sent to the Museum started organisational works in one of the biggest archival units of the institution: the archive of the Polish Community Council in America, composed of more than 50 linear metres of files. Description of this unit was continued in 2007 and 2008, while descriptions of other collections were gathered.

Plan for future works
In November 2008 a visit by the General Director of State Archives and his assistant took place, during this visit future collaboration between the Head Office of State Archives, the Museum and archives in Poland was discussed with the Museum’s authorities. It was decided that preparation of a comprehensive inventory of the collection through verification or supplementation of the information gathered in the SEZAM database is of utmost importance. An archivist, who was sent to the Museum for a 3-month stay from October to December 2009, was entrusted with this task. The next step should be the organisation of the Museum’s individual archive collections. Also digitalisation of the Museum’s materials on Polish War victims is planned.

Polish Scientific Institute in America
208 East 30th Street
New York, N. Y. 10016 USA
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Creation and short history
Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences (PIASA) was founded in 1942 by a group of scientists, members of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in exile. From the beginning it has been located in New York. The Institute’s goal was to continue the activity of the Academy during the World War II. Difficult political situation in Poland after the War, including liquidation of the Academy of Arts and Sciences led to the Institute performing its functions for a longer period. At present it is one of the most prominent Polish cultural centres in the United States. For many years the Institute’s president was a well-known Polish historian and author of many important historiographical books, Oskar Halecki. Thanks to his support for scientists from Poland and American researchers of Polish origin it was possible to conduct research on the history of Poland. The Institute supported also national libraries and scientific circles in Poland by sending books and scientific literature published in the West. The Institute also organised conventions, scientific sessions and Polish science congresses abroad. After the collapse of the communist system in Poland contacts with Poland became closer and the Institute started collaboration with such institutions as: Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Krakow, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and the Head Office of State Archives in Warsaw.

The Institute changed its location a few times. Since mid 80s it has been located in a building it owns at 208 East 30th Street on Manhattan. From the moment of its creation archive and library materials have been collected. These came mostly from donations from private persons. The first location of the archive and the library was a building at 66th East Street on Manhattan bought for the Institute in 1960 by Alfred Jurzykowski.

A lot of organisational work in the archive as well as description of the collection was done in subsequent years by volunteers. At the beginning of the 80s the Institute obtained financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation thanks to which a guide on entire archive collection was prepared by George Simor, an archivist from the University of New York.


Description of the collection
The Institute’s archive has a valuable archival collection on the history of Polish politics and immigration. The most important archival units include: Polish Legation in Rio de Janeiro (1918-1945), fragments of documents of the Polish Embassy in Washington (1919-1945), files of political parties operating in exile, such as the Polish Christian Democratic Labour Party, the Polish National Party and the Polish Socialist Party.

An important group of materials constitute collections and legacies of private persons. Worth noticing are for example papers of Jan Lechoń (1938-1956), Kazimierz Wierzyński (1953-1959), or legacies of scientists: Oskar Halecki, Ludwik Krzyżanowski and Wacław Lednicki.

A valuable supplement to the archive materials is the photographic collection, including a collection of photos by Charles Burke from 1917-1980, collection of maps and plans from the period of 17th to 20th century, a philatelic collection and audio recordings.

The book collection of the Institute’s library consists of around 40 thousand books from the period from 17th to 20th century. It includes publications on history of Poland, history of the law, sociology, history of the Polish community and Polish literature. The collection is supplemented by around 8 thousand leaflets and brochures and around 500 titles of scientific magazines and periodicals from 1889-2000.

Among Rare Books there is for exmaple a work by Marcin Kromer (Polonia sive de situ, populis, moribus, magistratibus et Republica Regni Polonici libro duo, Cologne 1577), or Codex Napoleon, published in 1810 in Warsaw.


Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Closer contacts between the two institutions were established in mid 90s. In 1994 an agreement was concluded on transferring the family files of Potoccy from Łańcut from PIASA’s collection to the Main Archive of Old Files in Warsaw, this took place in subsequent years (1997 and 2008). The agreement also stipulated commencement of continuous collaboration between PIASA and the Head Office of State Archives.

In 2004 the collection of the Archive of Mechanical Documentation (currently: National Digital Archive) was expanded with over 230 original tapes with the recordings of Radio Free Europe that were donated by the Institute. In return the Institute received copies of the donated materials. In collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives, the Institute and the Archival Heritage Council in 2004 a guide on archive collection of the Institute was published (Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America. Guide to archive collection, ed. S. Flis, Warsaw 2004).

Collaboration on organisation of the archive and inventorying of the collection started in 1999. After two years the archive’s rooms were modernised and entire collection was placed in acid free boxes. Also an Internet site was created gathering data both about the PIASA collection and Poles in the USA. In the period 2001-2008 eight archivists from various state archives in Poland visited the Institute, their visits were financed from the resources granted by the Kosciuszko Foundation. The archivists worked on organisation of individual archival units and collections. Results of their work are at present available in the annually upgraded SEZAM and IZA databases to be found at the site www.archiwa.gov.pl. These databases are used also by the Institute pursuant to the agreement concluded in 2000 by this institution and the Head Office of State Archives. During the last visit of an archivist in 2008/2009 four new archival units were organised as well as document additions to six others, including such valuable files as: Polish Embassy in Washington, Papers of Oskar Halecki, Democratic Opposition in Poland and Papers of Jan Lechoń.


Plan for future works
Plans for future collaboration were discussed during the visit of General Director of State Archives and his assistant to the Institute in November 2008. At present works focus on continuation of description of collections thanks to scholarships granted by the Kosciuszko Foundation. In October 2009 another archivist from Poland went for a 6-month visit to the Institute. Another candidate is preparing to apply to the Kosciuszko Foundation for the period 2010/2011. The delegated archivists will continue works on description of the collection and updating the databases. Papers of Karol Popiel need to undergo conservatory treatment, and collection of audio recordings should be transferred to newer carriers. Also the project of digitalisation of the Institute’s archive materials is being considered.

The Polish Army Veterans Association in America
119East 15th St.
New York, NY 10003-2392
USA
Fax: + 1 212 982 27 55
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Creation and short history
The Polish Army Veterans Association in America (SWAP) was founded in May 1921 in Cleveland as a self-help organisation for the veterans – former soldiers of the Polish Army in France (the so-called Blue Army). The Association organised help for Polish war invalids and unemployed veterans, especially in the period of the Great Depression in 1929-1932. During the period of World War II SWAP participated in the recruitment of the Polish Army in Canada, as well as organised help for Polish soldiers serving at various fronts or held in POW camps. After the World War II SWAP was joined by veterans of Polish Armed Forces in the West, and also the Polish veterans from American Army and Poles serving in the Polish Sentry Company in occupied Germany were allowed to join the organisation. Since 1994 SWAP allows also former soldiers of the People’s Army of Poland to join.

The Association and its archives changed its location a few times. It was located in turns in: Cleveland (1921-1925), Chicago (1925-1929), Detroit (1928-1934), New York City (from 1934 till present). In geographical terms in various periods of its activity SWAP covered the territories of the United States, Canada, Poland, Cuba and Mexico.

The Archive’s collection keeps expanding due to liquidation of some SWAP posts and handing over of archive materials by the members of SWAP and their families. In recent years SWAP collection has been expanded with files of chief commanders of SWAP, Bolesław Łaszewski (1948-1998) and Hieronim Wyszyński (1978-1998).

Description of the archive collection
The SWAP archive collection comes from the years 1917-1999. In total it consists of around 50 linear metres. Till today 34 series of files were described, including in total 1889 archival units.

Files:
SAWP archive is composed of the following parts:

• personal files of SWAP members including over 18 thousand persons
• files of the SWAP Headquarters since 1921 till present
• independent archives of some districts and posts of SWAP
• files of the Ladies’ Auxiliary
• files of the Friends of the Polish Army Veterans Society
• files of the Polish Pilots Association
• files of the Friends of a Polish Soldier Society

A large group of files constitute organisational files of the Association since 1921. They consist of materials of General Meetings of SWAP from 1921-1940, 1946-1994, minutes from meetings from 1921-1925, documentation on SWAP districts from 1921-1940, management of SWAP posts from 1921-1997, statements and financial materials from the interwar period. An important group of archive materials constitute files on contacts between SWAP and American authorities and organisations, Polish community organisations and outstanding figures of political life. The most valuable in this group are: correspondence and other materials concerning contacts between general J. Haller and I. J. Paderewski, Polish diplomatic posts in the United States and Canada, including Polish Embassy in Washington 1921-1933, Polish Consulate in New York 1921-1933, Polish Consulate in Pittsburgh 1921-1934, Polish Consulate in Montreal 1921-1933, Polish Consulate in Winnipeg 1923-1933, Polish Consulate in Detroit 1921-1932, Polish Consulate in Chicago 1921-1933. There is also documentation of contacts between SWAP and the most important American authorities from the interwar period (Congress of the United States 1928-1933, Department of the State 1920, 1928; Department of Treasury 1929, Department of War 1934, Department of Work 1936-1937) and collaboration with Polish community organisations in the United States, Canada and Cuba (National Polish Alliance 1923-1939, Polish Falcon in America 1924-1939, Association of Polish Women in America 1923-1939, Polish Union in America 1929-1931, Polish Roman Catholic Union 1925-1939, etc.).

Over 500 files constitute materials related directly to SWAP, which are of great historical value. These include letters of the volunteers of Polish Army in France and materials of the Polish Supplementary Schools Council of America from the years 1934-1960. The latter are invaluable documents for research in history of Polish community education on the East Coast of the United States. Of significant historical value are also materials pertaining to the editorial team of the Association’s newsletter, “Weteran”, from the years 1921-1935.


Other materials
SWAP has a photographic and audiovisual collection.
Photographs are from the years 1917-1999. The most interesting in this group are: the collection of photos of the Polish Army in France from the years 1917-1919, photos of Polish cities from before 1939 and the biggest collection of photos related to the activities of Polish Armed Forces in Great Britain during WWII, e.g. the Polish Army in Scotland (6 files) and the Navy (5 files). As rare sources in this group can be considered 4 albums containing collection of photos of Polish volunteers in the United States leaving for the camp in Niagara on the Lake in Canada (1917-1918), commemorative album depicting everyday life and military training of the Bayonne Legion in Dubno on Volhynia, album of soldiers of Polish 13th Sentry Company in the American occupation zone in Germany 1946-1947, a photo album from 1963 of a legionnaire depicting his participation in the French Foreign Legion.

The audiovisual section consists of documentaries on SWAP visit to Poland in 1927 and Polish Armed Forces in Great Britain during the World War II.

It also contains video tapes from various celebrations that SWAP participated in and audio recordings, for example a coverage of the funeral of general Józef Haller in 1960 with the speech by general Władysław Anders.
 

Press
The Association has a complete collection of the newsletter “Weteran”, from 1921 till present. Worth noticing is the magazine of Polish pilots published in Great Britain – “Skrzydła”, from the years 1941-1946, 1974-1984. In addition the archive has the following titles: Parisian “Kultura”, “Zeszyty Historyczne”, “The Polish Review”, “Myśl Polska”, “Kombatant w Ameryce”, etc.


Collaboration with the Head Office of State Archives
Collaboration between the two institutions was established in the end of the 90s of 20th century. In March 2000 an agreement on making the SEZAM and IZA databases available free of charge to the Association was signed. In 2002 for an archive traineeship at the Head Office of State Archives came the Head of the SWAP archive, Mr Teofil Lachowicz, who was trained how to use the abovementioned databases. In 2007 an visit of an archivist from the Archive of New Files was organised. During this visit a detailed analysis of the condition of the archive materials was performed, the SEZAM database was updated and description of selected archival units in the IZA database was started. One of the most valuable archive collections, i.e. on recruitment of Poles from the USA and Canada to Polish Army during the WWII, was catalogued. Organisational and inventorying works were continued during another visit in autumn of 2008. Records of the so-called Material Archive and of the Personal Files Archive were prepared (in total 10 linear metres of files).


Plan for future works
To be organised in the first place are the files of the SWAP Management Board, SWAP Photographic Archive (around 4.50 linear metres), audiovisual collection and small collections of files, mainly legacies of the SWAP members. Some groups of materials also require conservatory assessment.
 

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