[Pair of Large Photographically-Illustrated Scrapbooks Celebrating the Monroe-Grambling Chapter of The Links, Inc., an Important Organization of African-American Women in Louisiana]

[Monroe, La, 1991. Very good.. Two large folio scrapbooks: First scrapbook: [63] leaves, illustrated with seventy-seven original photographs, plus numerous programs, certificates, newspaper clippings (including many photographically illustrated), and other ephemeral items. Large square folio. Contemporary green cloth with white vinyl laid down to boards, the front board titled with green wooden raised letters, reading "The [M]onroe-Gramb[l]ing Chapter of The Links, Inc." Two letters missing (as indicated by brackets above) and a few chipped. Minor wear and soiling to covers. Occasional dust-soiling to contents, but generally sound and clean. Second scrapbook: [8] leaves, illustrated with nine original photographs, plus several programs, and numerous photographically-illustrated newspaper clippings, all pages with hand-painted chains "linking" the scrapbook elements. Large, tall folio. Handmade binding composed of large white artist's canvas panels, duct-taped together along spines. Minor wear and dust soiling. An extraordinary pair of large-format, lovingly-composed scrapbooks produced to document the history and achievements of the Monroe-Grambling chapter of the Links, Incorporated, a local Louisiana chapter of a notable national service organization comprised of and dedicated to supporting African-American women. According to a printed notice on the first page of the earlier scrapbook: "This book is intended to trace the history of the Monroe-Grambling Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, and to highlight a selected number of achievements."

The compilers of the scrapbooks document the group's activities through original photographs, ephemeral items such as programs, certificates, and documents, and a legion of newspaper clippings, most of which also picture members of the group. The contents are then artfully arranged with scrapbook elements such as ribbon, construction paper frames, manuscript headings, and so forth. The ephemera in both scrapbooks include officer lists and event programs for chapter meetings, banquets, youth service events, and so forth. The scrapbooks memorialize highlights of the Monroe chapter from its founding in 1973 through 1991. The scrapbooks memorialize the chapter's first meeting, initiations from various years, the chapter presidents, service and volunteer events, youth pageants, arts festivals, workshops (namely the Beautillion Workshop over different years), and more. The great majority of these moments are captured in original photographs or photographically-illustrated newspaper clippings.

In general, the Links, Incorporated's volunteer efforts center around youth, global awareness, and the arts, for which the chapter was recognized by numerous other organizations, evidenced by the run of certificates near the end of the first scrapbook, received from Grambling State University, some of the school's Greek chapters, the Monroe Mayor's Commission on the Needs of Women and Women in the Mainstream, the Girl Scouts, Carver Elementary School, and more. The first scrapbook ends with a long run of pages celebrating "Individual Achievement" by various member, as well as a few pages of "Connecting Links" to prominent local citizens, including Grambling State's legendary head football coach, Eddie Robinson.

The second scrapbook picks up where the first leaves off, documenting chapter activities for 1990 and 1991, but is much shorter. This second scrapbook includes material similar to the first, but also a page dedicated to Founder's Day, nine original photographs and the "Cultural Programme" from a chapter event titled, "A Tribute to the Black Woman," and two programs for events during Black Heritage Month (including one honoring the aforementioned Coach Eddie Robinson, "the 'winningest' coach in football history").

According to the organization's website: "The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.... The outstanding programming of The Links, Incorporated has five facets which include Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services. The programs are implemented through strategies such as public information and education, economic development, and public policy campaigns." These five facets are all represented in the present scrapbooks.

A fabulous pair of substantial and informative scrapbooks documenting almost two decades of activities and achievements of a vital Louisiana chapter of a highly-regarded African-American women's organization. The Links, Incorporated is still going strong today; as recently as 2022, the organization awarded a million-dollar grant to the Obama Presidential Center.