The recent Fall Weekend open house at the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives was an impressive opportunity for the staff working there to show off some of the highlights of Connecticut College’s holdings. On display was an incredible array of objects from fields ranging from the fine arts to the written arts, as well as various objects associated with the history of the College. Benjamin Panciera, Ruth Rusch Sheppe ’40 Director of Special Collections and Rebecca Parmer, the College’s archivist, were on hand to describe the objects on display and to answer questions.
Perhaps the most interesting materials on display were those pertaining to the history of the College. Most relevant to the College’s existence, one of the items was the original deed to the land that the College would eventually be located on. The archivists also pulled out a couple “dance cards” from proms that were held around the 1920s. The dance cards were little booklets with small pencils attached that, according to Parmer, people used to note whom they would be dancing specific dances with; the female students usually danced with each other or with male guests, as both were seen as socially acceptable. According to Parmer, the prom continues today through the winter formal.
The archives also had a display about the College’s transition from an all-female to a co-educational institution, which finally occurred in 1969. Most prominent was the scrapbook of Linda Abel ’69, which was written during the transition and donated to the archive later on. The scrapbook also reflected on other events of the period. One can see relics in it from the nation’s struggles over the Vietnam War and civil rights. There were also displays about campus traditions such as Floralia and May Day, as well as reflections on athletics, other student activities and the hunt for a shool mascot.
There were also many interesting and valuable materials on display from the College’s special collections. According to Panciera, the College owns one quarter of all imprints published in New London during the 1700s. This is because New London was the second largest printing center in New England during that time (only beaten by Boston), and it was here that materials were printed for the government of Connecticut and for Yale University. Therefore, the College has books spanning the breadth of eighteenth century America, the period during which the nation was born. On display was the confession of Sarah Brambel, a woman who was hanged in New London for infanticide. Gallows Lane, the road beside the arboretum, runs through the location where she was hanged.
Also on display were books from the book art collection. All of the books on display were by the Brooklyn-based artist Werner Pfeiffer, although the collection does contain the works of other artists. Pfeiffer’s work seeks to get people to rethink how books are made and what they’re supposed to do. Visitors were encouraged to play with and manipulate the books.Very striking was the way the books seemed to form different words and phrases depending on how they were arranged. One of the books even seemed to spell out the word “Shain.” The book art collection is often used in various art classes concerning book and type design. There is even an entire course that is devoted to the creation of these sorts of books. The collection is a “living collection,” which means that additions can be made to it.
Other books on display included A Happy Pair, the first book that Beatrix Potter ever illustrated (which was written by Frederic Weatherly, who also wrote “Danny Boy”); a copy of Statius’ Thebaid, a book of Latin poetry that was printed by the sons of famed printer Aldus Manutius; a beautifully illustrated page from the Book of Joshua that was originally part of a thirteenth century Paris Bible; and the oldest printed book in Shain Library, a 1475 edition of the writings of Thomas Aquinas. The archives are an incredible resource for research you may be doing for a paper or presentation, and appointments can be made to see the books and prints that are the most relevant to your interest. You never know what you might find there. •
