The Lawrence Welk Scrapbook Collection is perhaps the single, most comprehensive collection documenting the career of Lawrence Welk from 1938 to 1981. However there is a significant gap between 1943 and 1950 and also 1954-1955. Whether scrapbooks were ever compiled the years of the gaps is not known. It is believed that Welk‟s sister Eva Welk compiled these early scrapbooks, possibly through 1953. From 1956 to 1981 the scrapbooks are complete. No scrapbooks were compiled after 1981. The scrapbooks from 1938 to 1953 have been photocopied and are available in a bound volume at the Institute Research Room. This was done due to the fragile condition of the originals.