The collection consists of five microfilmed scrapbooks of correspondence sent and received by APIS, letters and articles written by members concerning various topics, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia, compiled by Yolanda Majkowska and collated and edited by Szymon St. Deptula. Together, the scrapbooks record the community's reactions to world events, such as the rise of Nazism, the invasion of Poland, and the subsequent Soviet takeover of Polish territory, as well as significant local events and news. Documents in the collection are in both Polish and English.
At the beginning of every volume is an informal general summary documenting APIS's activities of the past year; lists of officers, committees, and other Polish American clubs and groups; and similar material. Volume 1 contains a history of the organization, dated 1941. Volume 2 (1941) includes clippings of numerous published letters to the editor by Bernard Adamkiewicz, then president of APIS. The volume from the following year (1942) also contains a section of correspondence, 1942-1944, between Janusz L. Stamirowski and Yolanda Majkowska, regarding the Chicago-based Polish Review and an upcoming Milwaukee exhibit of Polish art. Also located in this volume is correspondence of APIS with the Internal Revenue Service, 1942-1943, with a statement of APIS receipts and expenses, September 1, 1941 to September 1, 1942. In 1943 the Polish community helped celebrate the quadricentennial of the death of Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy. Included in Volume 4 are several newspaper clippings, programs, and memorabilia from events held in honor of this Polish hero. Volume 5 contains lists of several Polish American groups and organizations which attended the 15 October 1944 convention of the Pulaski Council, and also documents community reaction to the seizure of Polish territory by the Soviets.
