November 20, 2008
Center Hall Library
This image shows the first floor of the North Wing of Center Hall when it was a library. This location is now used by the Business Office and bears little resemblance to this picture. This was the campus library and in this photograph the camera is looking west or toward the mall. The space was built with 16’ ceilings which allowed for two floors of library luxury. We can see the alcoves on the left and at the back of the picture. These were used to organize books. Several donors gave books, typically on a single topic, which filled their named alcove. Indeed, there are many books in the Lilly Library that still bear the old alcove bookplates.
A couple of years ago when the Business Office was gutted for a remodeling, I slipped in the side door and was amazed at the size of the space when completely open. It is hard to get that sense with the new walls in place.
I love this picture and like to share it when I can. At a presentation on campus Sherry Ross noted that the picture of Abraham Lincoln hangs behind her desk in the Deans’ offices. It's good to know that Abe hasn't gone far...he's just down the hall.
Beth
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November 17, 2008
In living color...
W. Norwood Brigance Slides
This shot of the Wabash Marching Band was taken during the Georgetown football game of 1939 by W. Norwood Brigance. Brigance was one of those people who took pictures all around campus. As the archivist, I am so glad that he did and that his dozens of slides made it to the Archives many years later. One particularly lovely thing about his slide collection is that they are all in color. So often I see the history of Wabash in black in white photos, it is a real treat to see these vibrant, full color images. The slides are all Kodachrome slides which are very stable and particularly known for holding their color over the decades. Here is another great example of the vividness of the Brigance color slides we hold.
This image is of Center Hall and Old South on a sunny spring morning in 1940. The bricks, the grass and even the yellow flowers have all held their true colors. What a delight to see this lovely image 68 years later.
Beth
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November 14, 2008
Monon Bell
Bell Week
Sometimes the images just speak for themselves…
I would only add that this photo is from 1967, the Bachelor from 1951 and, of course...
Go Wabash!
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November 11, 2008
Mud Hollow
This aerial picture is from the 1950’s. I love it because it shows us Mud Hollow so very clearly. Mud Hollow was Wabash’s version of a veteran’s village to accommodate the men who attended Wabash with their families. It was also home to very new, very young faculty members at times including Vic and Marian Powell and Lew and Mary Ann Salter.
For reference, this image was taken from a plane flying over the Chapel. The top of the photo is south and the line through the middle is the Big Four Railroad. As we can see the baseball field was where we now have parking for the Allen Center. The Lambda Chi house is hidden by the trees. The circle at the upper right of this photo is the Sycamore Hills addition as it is just being developed.
This image is one of a series of brilliant cartoons created by Don Cole [W1952] for the 1956 yearbook. This is the original Wally Wabash in his new role as a resident of Mud Hollow.
Here is a photo of a couple of real Wallys as they study. The caption notes that these are the Chuck Preston and Pete Hodges families, again this image is from the 1956 yearbook.
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November 07, 2008
Scan Magic
Hovey Museum
When I make a presentation about the history of the college, I like to start with this image. It is a photograph of the Hovey Museum taken for the 1898 Viewbook.The Hovey Musuem occupied the old Polytechnic Gymnasium which was demolished to build the “new” gym and Armory. I use this image to highlight the changing nature of work here in the Archives. With technology I can now scan an image and share it with anyone who might be interested. Additionally, the scanning helps with research in the following way. Whereas before this technology existed we could only look at this picture as it is here. We could and did use a magnifying glass to see more detail, but that was the extent of what we could learn from this image.
When we scan here in the Archives, we scan at a high level of resolution for our preservation images. We then downsize all our “use” images from that master. By scanning at a high resolution, we only need to scan once. Perhaps the biggest plus is that we can now see details that we couldn't see before scanning. By having such a high resolution image, I can zoom right into the picture. For instance, I can now tell you that the cabinet on the back wall holds starfish. As you might imagine, with this hi-tech tool we are learning new things from our old “stuff”.
Best,
Beth
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November 05, 2008
Past elections
Mock Conventions of the 20th Century
While searching for a picture for a sign here in the Archives, I came across these photos of Mock Political conventions through the 20th Century .
The first image is, I believe, from the 1960 election. While none of these pictures are dated, the signs are somewhat helpful in dating them.
This next photograph is easily identified as 1956, Eisenhower’s re-election campaign.
The next images are, I think, from the late 30’s. The picture with flags and FDR also has a very young Warren “Butch Shearer” seated at the desk. The question becomes, was he there as a student of the Class of 1936 or as a very young member of the faculty and lastly is the band playing “Happy Days are Here Again”?
The last of this set of pictures is from the 1970’s. My best guess is 1972 as in the middle of the first picture is a young Peter Frederick who came to Wabash in 1969.
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October 31, 2008
The Originals of 1904
Your Wabash College Little Giants
This Varsity football team of 1904 was the first to be known as the Little Giants and the first to be coached by Francis Cayou, pictured second row, far left. This team played and beat Hanover 81-0, Butler 51-0 and Earlham 35-0. They also lost by close scores against much the larger teams of Purdue, Illinois, Notre Dame and Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State). It was due to their determination that Coach Cayou told them that they played like “little giants”. Overheard by a newspaper reported and reprinted, this tag stuck and so all of our sports teams have been known since that time.
The second African American football player for Wabash is pictured in the top row, far left. Walter M. “Bill” Cantrell started in the position of right tackle and was from Danville, Illinois. The first African American football player was Samuel S. Gordon who belonged to the team of 1903. Both teams faced discrimination and some schools threatened to cancel if either man played. President Kane was firm, these men would be allowed to play or the games would be cancelled. Both men did play with their teams and some games were cancelled. Wabash Always Fights, but that is another post for another day.
Lastly, I would also like to highlight William Spaulding the team captain who is pictured in the front row holding the ball. Spaulding became a coach at Western Michigan from 1907-1921. He left Michigan for Minnesota from 1922-24. The last 13 years of his coaching career were spent at UCLA from 1925-38. He took both Minnesota and UCLA to the Rose Bowl.
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