DOCUMENT DATES
If the author wrote the date on the letter, include it in the transcription.
If it was added later, either by the recipient, a researcher, or archivist, do not include it in the transcription.
Sometimes parts of a date are added later, such as the year. Often times an added date is written in brackets [1912] or in a different hand. Do not include this portion of the date.
The date metadata for the document is where we will provide the most accurate date for the letter that we can, but in the transcription we are showing what appears in the text.
Retain the format in which the date was written, do not expand abbreviations, add commas, or other punctuation. If a date has a superscript, usually the “th” or “st” near a number, bring that text down to the line, but otherwise render as written.
Addams often uses " instead of th in her dates. We will punctuate the same way she does.
Examples
Aug 14
14 August 1922
8/14/22
Aug. 14th, ’22
Aug 2d
Monday the 14th
Easter morning
Some letterheads include the year, or parts of the year (ex. 19__ and the user fills in the year). In these cases, just type the complete date.