Records work to endow and protect ownership, status, rights, entitlements
Most of us carry handbags or wallets full of records attesting to our rights and entitlements to drive (driving licence), to work (employee ID card), to spend money (credit cards) and to use facilities (club memberships).
For example: This category of records includes title deeds, leases to real estate, citizenship certificates, and identity and membership cards.
This World War I draft registration card is one of hundreds of thousands of virtually identical records carried by young men eligible for conscription. What makes it of interest is the author - Alfonso Capone. Draft cards later became important for proving date of birth because many older Americans were born before compulsory birth certificates.
