Emerson High School Principal Sherry Kishore is amazed by the well-preserved writings and drawings on the 98-year-old slate blackboards found in three of her classrooms last week.
“The chalk is so bright and clear that it could have been done yesterday,” Kishore said after workers uncovered the blackboards during renovations at the Oklahoma City school. “You wonder how those colors stayed this bright and how they stayed preserved for this long.”
Kishore also marveled at the handwriting on the blackboards, discovered when workers pulled existing chalkboards and cork boards off the walls to make way for interactive whiteboards.
“The penmanship blows me away … totally … because you don’t see a lot of that anymore,” she said. “We have kids that come that prefer to print because they don’t know how to do cursive, and some of the handwriting in some of these rooms is beautiful.”
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-a8682a25cf42209b60ef227aa2a6ae9a.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-1789870c6e9a8b47ed907b1a9b72b656.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-7ac84f93f8e48cba98cd1b48759262aa.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-2ab130445f86a7fb3036d1870b5fbcdd.jpg" alt="Photo - Sherry Kishore, principal. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title="Sherry Kishore, principal. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Sherry Kishore, principal. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-c625230968ffe374f04d6c504321ea38.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-9c9fa868a4f80473eb762f3340b9f949.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-11bd9cbcf6de423e936a1dd7d026e13f.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-eb9caf6b5df0b4b8f71b393e9010cd7d.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-a313e8ac265cca0eed8e97165c26e743.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-be05d7369aa7b76b3e4390b336153291.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-b396d1f07dc1c27ac56a44360efce8ee.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-c316dfa0e6959fa06b34c4fbca330012.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-4d396a44584f19edc7e0ab87c182332f.jpg" alt="Photo - Cinthea Comer, 10th grade English teacher stands next to blackboards discovered in her room. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title="Cinthea Comer, 10th grade English teacher stands next to blackboards discovered in her room. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Cinthea Comer, 10th grade English teacher stands next to blackboards discovered in her room. Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-898b0727b3adac51b8ff6cc70055d6dc.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-459245074a70fb9c183c36b48c71ccd5.jpg" alt="Photo - Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman" title=" Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman"><figcaption> Renovation at Emerson School revealed the original blackboards with lessons from 1917 still intact. Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure>
Tim Willert
Tim Willert is a native Californian with Oklahoma ties who covers K-12 education, including Oklahoma City Public Schools and the state Education Department. Before that he covered district, federal and appellate courts in Oklahoma County. Prior...
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