Blog – Page 27 – Special Collections & The Gallery

Photographs: Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes

Can you imagine what it would be like to only have one picture of your family? Or if your family only had one picture of you, and there was only one copy of it anywhere?

Ambrotype portrait of an unidentified girl, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

Before photography was invented, the only way you might have an image of your loved ones was to have a picture painted or drawn, and even once photography was invented, it was a complicated and often expensive process.

Daguerreotype portrait of an unidentified man, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

The daguerreotype (duh-GARE-oh-type) process was the first widespread photographic process. It was developed by Louis Daguerre in 1839. A piece of silver-plated copper was coated in light-sensitive chemicals, which created the photographic image when exposed to light in the camera. This piece of metal held the original image, which was very delicate and placed under glass for protection when viewing. In order to both protect the image and to add rich decoration to this precious object, the photograph was usually put into a decorative case. This case could be closed and carried around, or propped open on a shelf. But each image was unique, and couldn’t be reproduced without being photographed again.

Daguerreotype case, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

Ambrotypes were created through a similar process, using glass coated in certain chemicals, then placed into decorative cases. The difference is that while a daguerreotype produced a positive image seen under glass, ambrotypes produced a negative image that became visible when the glass was backed by black material. In fact, this main difference is also the most reliable way to tell ambrotypes and daguerreotypes apart: daguerreotypes are backed by shiny silver, while ambrotypes are backed by a piece of glass painted black. The daguerreotype appears to be on a mirror, so when viewing it at an angle the dark areas are silver. For an ambrotype, the dark areas remain dark even at an angle.

Daguerreotype portrait of an unidentified man, distinguishing format, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

Ambrotype portrait of an unidentified man, distinguishing format, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

Getting your picture taken was a special occasion, even for the well-off. People wore their very best outfits and jewelry. Because the process of exposing the chemicals to light could take a long time, people had to sit very, very still while the photograph was being taken. The solemnity of the occasion, and the need to sit very still, is why people sometimes look sad or uncomfortable in very old photographs. All photography was black-and-white until the end of the 19th century, but people often added some hand-painted color to brighten up the image. Very often, cheeks would be painted slightly pink, and buttons or jewelry would be painted gold. Adding color or decoration to the image, and placing it in a fancy case, emphasized the beauty, importance, or wealth of the person photographed.

Ambrotype portrait of an unidentified man, image only, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs — Ambrotype portrait of an unidentified man, cheeks colored, image only, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

In the Archdiocese of Newark photograph collection, we have a very few daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. The individuals in these images are not identified, but these photographs must have been precious to their families, which we know both from understanding the history of photography and the fact that these photographs survived to this day. Each of these images is unique, and was likely one of a very few, if not the only, photograph of these people their families may have had. We not only respect and care for these objects as fragile and delicate pieces of our history, but also for their beauty and for the people they so faithfully represent.

Ambrotype portrait of an unidentified man, from the Archdiocese of Newark photographs

Interested in learning more? There are many resources on the history of photography on the web, including some that focus on daguerreotypes and similar processes. The Image Permanence Institute’s Graphic Atlas lets you compare and identify formats, or just explore fascinating images of different types. Daguerreobase includes a great deal of helpful information on identifying daguerreotypes as well as many beautiful examples. And for those who want to delve even further into the history of photography, this blog entry on Hunting and Gathering features e-book resources for you explore.

Sacramental Objects in the Archives

The Archives and Special Collections Center at Seton Hall is also the repository for the Archdiocese of Newark, and as a result we have many Catholic materials and artifacts. Some of the most interesting of these objects are those used in sacramental ceremonies and rituals.

We have many examples of chalices, which are used to hold the Blood of Christ that is taken at Communion. This silver gilt chalice with gold finish was presented to Rev. Pierce McCarthy, former Vice-President and Treasurer of the College, by the students of Seton Hall College in 1870.

Ciboria are also used during Communion. A ciborium resembles a covered chalice, and is used to store the consecrated host. This ornate ciborium from the 1920s is a beautiful example of a style that has virtually disappeared from use since Vatican II, when the church began to emphasize a simpler aesthetic.

Sick call sets were used in the home when a priest came to give the sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion, and Extreme Unction to an ill or bedridden family member. These sets have become increasingly rare as it became less common for sick relatives to be cared for in the home. Some examples from our Archives include an elaborate set which probably dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. It consists of a beautiful wooden box which contains a candelabrum with crucifix and shell-shaped holy water font attached, two small silver plates, a silver-embellished holy water bottle, a dish for regular water, and a small silver-handled horsehair brush for anointing with holy oil.

Also in the Archives is an Irish sick call set from around 1880, which was brought to the United States by a young immigrant. This set, stored in a black paperboard box with gold embellishments, contains a crucifix, two candle holders, a glass bottle for the holy water, a white linen cloth, and a spoon.

To see even more objects from our Archdiocese of Newark collections, please visit the Religious Artifacts section of our Digital Collections page.

How Do I Use the Archives?

So you have an assignment to use the Archives. Where is it located? How is using the Archives different from using regular library materials? How do you get going?

First, determine what your assignment asks you to do. Are you to find something specific in the Archives, or are you to choose a topic related to one of our collecting areas and come in to use the materials to research that topic for a paper or presentation in your class? Basically, we collect materials that maintain the history of Seton Hall University and of the Archdiocese of Newark. This includes papers of presidents, colleges, schools, departments and publications of Seton Hall as well as papers of bishops and archbishops, priests, parishes and offices of the Archdiocese. So could you come in and ask for materials on atomic energy? No, but you might be interested in student reaction to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and ask if the Setonian published during WWII and might have covered it.

Could you ask to see books on the American Civil War or the 1916 Rising in Dublin, Ireland? Yes, but first you would want to limit your topics, and search on the Library website for key words that would lead you to books in that specific area. You might pick a particular battle in the Civil War such as Antietam, or a certain figure in the 1916 Rising like James Connolly. Search for titles, and any that say Archives, gather the references including title, author and call number. If you need help with the search process, a reference librarian may be able to help, or contact one of our staff at (973) 761-9476 or archives@shu.edu.

To use the materials you need to make an appointment either in person, by phone or by email. Once we know what materials you need, and when you want to come in, we can get those materials from the vault, and have them ready for you in the Reading Room. We are open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. Our materials do not circulate, so must be used in our Reading Room on the ground floor of Walsh Library, past the Beck Rooms, opposite the Gallery. Once here, you will need to store coat, bags and all materials in the front of the room. You may have paper and pencil [we provide pencils; no ink is allowed in the Archives as it might leave a permanent mark on archival materials.] and/or your laptop with you for taking notes. Our materials are old and fragile, and must be used with great care. No food or drink is allowed in the Reading Room. Cell phones can be used in the hallway outside. We have a photocopier available; most copies are $.10, payable in cash – we do not have a card reader. You will be provided with white cotton gloves if you are looking at photographs or negatives. By prearrangement, you may be allowed to photograph materials with digital camera or phone without flash.

Once you have your topic and a list of resources, make your appointment and begin your research. It’s fun and easy. We look forward to your visits!

From Overseas to Setonia – An Overview of Archival Representation & Student Life at Seton Hall

Seton Hall University Guide for International Students October is Archives Month in the United States, but it also coincides with International Celebration month observances on campus. In the spirit of documentary preservation and global appeal alike, the presence of cultural diversity at Seton Hall has been a prime part of school history as the institution has hosted numerous students from all corners of the globe from its founding in 1856 to the present day. From a historical perspective, the sons (and later daughters from 1937 onward) of first and second generation Americans comprised the majority of student representation at Setonia especially during the formative years of the school and geographical transition from its first home in Madison to the present site in South Orange. Additionally, adolescents from neighboring countries formed part of this tradition in the making. For example, the first student outside of American borders to make his mark in the registration ledger was Ernesto Regil of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico who enrolled at Seton Hall College in 1856. He was the 20th enrollee overall and he shared the first-hand experience of life on the Setonia campus with those who traced their ancestry back to Ireland, France, England and other European locales. Ernesto was followed the next year by other townsfolk from Merida including Joseph Gutierez, Francisco Plana, Lorenzo Peon, and Miguel Peon with the later two gentlemen being the first brothers from abroad to attend the school simultaneously. These trailblazers were followed by others from Cuba, Spain, France, Venezuela, and “Porto Rico” over the next three years. This success marked a steady trend of student émigrés who continued to attend Seton Hall over the next century and a half.

As the twentieth century dawned and progressed with increased enrollment from across the world, the trend of Seton Hall and its international connections went unbroken even as the “Great War” and World War II posed a challenge to institutional stability. Enrollment increased several fold during the 1940s and after the school attained university-status in 1950, Seton Hall established a number of specialized centers shortly thereafter designed to help students and the community at large appreciate the cultural heritage of different national groups with ties to the campus. Counted among entities of this type that have been created over the last several decades include the Far Eastern Institute (now known as the Asia Center), Charles and Joan Alberto Italian Institute, Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute along with the International Institute for Clergy Formation, Institute for International Business, and Institute for Near East Archaeological Research. Many student-administered organizations from the Adelante Club for Hispanic Culture, African Student Association, Asia Student Association, Filipino League Association of Seton Hall, French Club, Italian Student Organization, Slavic Club, South Asian Students Organization, and the West Indian Student Organization to name a few have thrived due to their specific appeal and service focus features that allow students the opportunity to share and explore their roots with their classmates and other interested parties alike.

Beyond individual representation and club membership, cultural exchanges in the classroom were equally felt as classical and modern languages took place from the earliest years onward as part of the curriculum to help share texts and ideas on a closer manner if not geographically, then intellectually. Noted professors from abroad also came to the school and taught a number of classes in their respective specializations. History courses, anthropology, education and other specific class offerings cross-listed with such titles as: “History of Asian Philosophy and Culture,” Europe and the Atlantic Vista, 1500-1800,” and the “Diplomatic History of Latin America,” to name a few have graced our bulletins of information and general catalogues over the last century and a half. All majors and minors alike in their respective fields of study have benefitted from some type of worldview in the course of their schedule selection and ultimate educational path. The heritage of global interaction has increased dramatically especially with the growth of the United Nations and the call for those who want a career that literally explores the world in action. Therefore, those who chose to make global welfare a priority have contributed to the eventual evolution of the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations formally founded in 1998. Collectively, the planet and Seton Hall remain in sync through these ties to the past along with a future promise of student interest in keeping the tradition of internationalism in all its varied forms alive and well on campus.

At the Archives & Special Collections Center we house various materials that document the international experience at Seton Hall from a number of different perspectives. It is our pleasure to share these resources with those who want to explore the cultural and national diversity of our student, faculty, and admnistraors over the years. For more information regarding collections relating to Seton Hall University history please contact: Alan Delozier, University Archivist – Alan.Delozier@shu.edu; (973) 275-2378. Thank you and bienvenue!

Archives Celebrates October Archives Month

Welcome to Archives Month at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives and Special Collections Center, ground floor, Walsh Library, opposite the Walsh Gallery. We are offering three opportunities to get to know us:

Thursday, 16 October @ 3pm

Thursday 23 October @ 5:30pm

Thursday 30 October @ 11am

We will have some objects on display, provide a tour of areas that the public usually does not see: the processing area and the Vault where the materials are stored. And you can enjoy some snacks and ask us questions about our work, and how you can use the Archives.

We collect, preserve, and provide access to materials that maintain the history of Seton Hall University and of the Archdiocese of Newark. We have papers from each of the Presidents of Seton Hall and her schools and departments, many publications of the University, photographs of buildings, events and student activities as well as sports taken for yearbooks. We also have yearbooks which began as the White and Blue, and became the Galleon when the teams took on the name of Pirates, and Setonian newspapers, both hard copies and microfilm. [Don’t know what microfilm is? Come see us!]

We also have papers from the Bishops and Archbishops of the Archdiocese of Newark, priest papers, papers on offices, parishes and ministries, on the Seminary, and on Catholic New Jersey outside the Archdiocese of Newark. In our Manuscript Collections we have papers of some New Jersey governors such as Richard Hughes and Brendan Byrne, and other political figures including Bernard Shanley and Leonard Dreyfuss. There is a collection on Mother Seton and the Jevons family to which her family was related by marriage, and several collections in Jewish-Christian studies including the Msgr. Oesterreicher and Sr. Rose Thering Collections. We have rare books, mostly from prior to 1875, some from as early as the 15^th century, and special collections in Irish literature and history, American Civil War, Arms and Armor, and more. We also have objects related both to Seton Hall and to the Archdiocese.

Come and learn about our resources and how you can use them to aid your studies or just to satisfy a special interest in a particular topic. We hope to see you in October, during Archives Month.

Donald M. Payne papers now open for research

President William J. Clinton with Congressman Payne, May 1, 2001. mss0078_1116_01

The Donald M. Payne papers, 1988-2012, Mss 0078, are now open for research at the Archives and Special Collections Center. This collection of 53 linear feet is the collected congressional papers of Donald M. Payne, Sr., who was New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District Representative to the United States Congress from 1989-2012. Congressman Payne was New Jersey’s first African American congressional representative, and served eleven consecutive terms, passing away in 2012 during his twelfth term.

Donald Payne, Sr., was a native of Newark, N.J., and attended Seton Hall in the 1950s. A Democrat and a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Payne was a leading advocate of education and human rights. He was especially active in supporting increased funding for higher education and in supporting democratic efforts in Africa, particularly in Sudan. He was a member and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and won a number of awards for his work on behalf of education, democracy, and human rights.

The Donald M. Payne papers chronicle Congressman Payne’s work during his 23 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Included are notes and drafts of legislation with which Congressman Payne was heavily involved, papers and photographs from his travels to Africa, research materials related to his areas of interest, and many other materials documenting his work in Congress. This collection is a rich resource for anyone interested in diplomacy and international relations, promotion of education, New Jersey and national politics, political events in Africa over the past 25 years, and the legislative process.

The collection is primarily paper documents and photographs, which are available to researchers in the Archives and Special Collections Center reading room. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival material. Also in the collection are some electronic, audio, and video materials, which are not yet available for research, due to preservation concerns. These materials came to Seton Hall University through the generosity of Congressman Payne’s family and heirs.

Please feel free to contact us with questions or to make an appointment to view this collection!

Professor Connors Lecture, “World War I: A Centennial Perspective,” Wed, Oct. 8, 3 p.m.

Seton Hall University Professor Emeritus Richard Connors will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I with a lecture Wed., Oct. 8, 3 p.m. in the Walsh Library Archives Reading Room on the South Orange campus. “World War I: A Centennial Perspective,” will explore the military and geopolitical ramifications of the Great War that was supposed to be “the war to end all wars.” The public is invited to the free lecture.
“Historians see World War I as the defining event of the 20th century. It destroyed four empires and marked the end of a Europe-centered world,” said Connors. “What emerged were a new perspective and a new reality – a world society, a global economy, a world politics. When we think of the 20th century – of the U.S. and Japan as world powers, of Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, of World War II and the Cold War, of Middle East and Balkan crises – the seeds go back to 1914-19.”
In conjunction with his lecture, Connors’ collection of World War I models, maps, books, posters and pictures are on exhibit at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives and Special Collections Center in the University library.
We are pleased to have Dr. Connors bring his knowledge of World War I to Seton Hall and share his personal collection with us. A natural story-teller, his talk will generate interest in a war which saw “so many people die for so little reason” – a war which changed how wars are fought and how we see our country and our world. “Our personal and cultural perspectives are largely shaped by our history,” he said. “That’s why it is so important to revisit it regularly.”

New Finding Aids: Summer 2014

Several collections in the Archives and Special Collections Center have received new finding aids over the summer, allowing researchers access to new materials on a variety of topics.

Robert F. Garner papers, 1946-1998 (bulk 1976-1987), ADN 0003.010: Robert F. Garner (1920-2000) served as priest and bishop in Hudson and Essex counties in NJ. This collection includes correspondence, video recordings, a sick call box, and memorabilia depicting his service to local communities.

Charles J. McDonnell papers, 1965-2008 (bulk 1994), ADN 0003.019: Charles J. McDonnell (1928-) served as Auxiliary Bishop of Bergen and Essex counties in NJ as well as Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. This collection includes correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia depicting his service to the church and armed forces.

Collection on the Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Newark, 1909-1978, ADN 0003: The Collection on the Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Newark includes materials related to the consecration, activities, and death of several auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Collection on papal honors of the Archdiocese of Newark, 1929-1983, ADN 0041: The Collection of Papal honors of the Archdiocese of Newark includes materials related to the nomination of priests and lay people for papal honors, also called papal decorations.

Rita Murphy papers and phonographs, 1898-2001, Mss 0015: Papers and phonograph records relating to Rita Murphy’s interest in Ireland and Irish culture. Although phonographs are not able to be listened to in the reading room, accommodations can be made for interested researchers. See our User Guide and Reproduction Policies for more information.

Office of the President & Chancellor of Seton Hall University: Robert T. Conley records, 1977-1979, SHU 0003.017: Robert Conley was the 17th president of Seton Hall University and served in that capacity from 1977 to 1979. Dr. Conley was the first official lay president of Seton Hall. The Office of the President & Chancellor of Seton Hall University: Robert Conley records include files and reports gathered and produced by Dr. Robert Conley during his time as President of Seton Hall University.

As always, this work could not have been accomplished without the dedication of our staff, student workers, and interns. Now that summer is over and the fall semester is picking up, keep an eye out for more resources and information in the coming months!

WWI: A Centennial Exhibition

The first installment of our three-part series commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the Great War is now on display in the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives and Special Collections Center, and will remain until 31 October 2014.

This portion of the exhibit is focused on the beginning of the war, including a set of lead figurines depicting the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and a diorama of a trench which illustrates the crowded, cramped quarters that were endured by soldiers on the Western Front.

In addition, there are figurines depicting early French and German uniforms, models of planes used in the war, and figurines depicting Ottoman soldiers during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The objects in the exhibit curated by Brianna LoSardo, Special Collections Assistant, are on loan from former history professor and Provost, Dr. Richard Connors.

Throughout the exhibit we are showcasing rare books from our Archives which contain photographs and illustrations of the war, as well as a collection of poetry written during and about the Great War. Maps and art prints complete the display.

The exhibit can be viewed any time the Walsh Library is open, in the display cases across from Walsh Gallery. It will be followed by the second installment on 1 November 2014.

Archives closes 2 weeks in August for work behind the scenes

During the weeks of August 4-8 and 18-22, 2014 the Archives will be closed to researchers so that we can accomplish some work in the vault that we cannot do when school is in full session in the Fall and Spring semesters. This work will help us to improve our service. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.