Chapter 6 - THE ANNIVERSARY BOOK
The print run was 1,800 copies.
Not public mass distribution.
Family.
Foundation donors.
Libraries.
Partner institutions.
Each copy cost enough that the finance director had complained about the paper stock.
I reviewed the digital proof the night after the portrait.
The historic chapters were excellent.
Letters from the nineteenth century.
Factory photographs.
Immigration records.
Women who had been left out of earlier histories finally restored.
Ironically.
Then the modern section.
My branch:
DOMINIC AVERY, CURRENT FAMILY ENTERPRISE CHAIR.
SPOUSE: CAROLINE AVERY, DECEASED.
CHILDREN:
None.
Not:
Elsie, adopted daughter.
None.
Another page described Gideon:
Nearest living male blood relative in the founder’s direct family branch.
A phrase that had no corporate or legal meaning.
But sounded important.
Then the portrait caption.
The photograph had not been inserted yet.
Placeholder:
DOMINIC AND GIDEON AVERY REPRESENT THE CONTINUING PATERNAL LINE OF THE FOUNDER FAMILY.
No Elsie.
No other adopted relatives.
No spouses.
May you like
The book was not simply incomplete.
It was designed around exclusion.
