Schools - General

The history of a school provides an image of the changing culture in a town, city, or region. People who are interested in the history of an area, or who are researching the genealogy of a family often refer to historical school records for clues. Those who attended a specific school may also collect historical items and memorabilia from that school.

Old school records and photographs might pertain to a local one-room schoolhouse, an early high school, or a university. They document the people who attended the school, teachers who taught there, and changes to the location and physical school building. Classroom photographs are especially of interest to people who are looking for their ancestors or documenting the history of an area. Vintage school yearbooks include individual pictures of students and faculty as well as historical facts and statistics about the school.

School memorabilia items are also popular with collectors. Many people collect items that depict the schools they attended. Class rings, sports pennants, pins, letter jackets, trophies, uniforms, and other items are of interest. Some collectors also acquire old school desks, heating stoves, bells, slates, and globes.

Quick Facts

• The school yearbook was invented by George K. Warren, a photographer who specialized in portraits of college graduates in the 1860s. The individual portraits of the classmates were bound into a fancy album and sold to the students
• School memorabilia becomes valuable when it is associated with a famous person. In 2011, former NBA star Julius Irving's high school class ring sold at auction for $35,801
• Marilyn Monroe only appeared in one edition of her high school yearbook, the 1942 Chieftain from University High School in West Los Angeles, California. A sophomore, the then Norma Baker appeared on page 48. Editions of the 1942 Chieftain now regularly command more than $2,000 each