The first installment of our three-part series commemorating the 100th 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.
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.
Teaser exhibit of WWI materials at the Archives and Special Collections Center, case 2.
On 28 June, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, and his wife, Duchess Sophia, were assassinated by a Bosnian Serb, setting in motion the events that would erupt into what became known as the Great War, the War to End all Wars, World War I. As we know, it did not end all war, but as commemorations take place over the next year to remember the 100th anniversary, we will be adding our commemoration by means of an exhibit in the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives and Special Collections Center, ground floor, Walsh Library.
Teaser exhibit of WWI materials at the Archives and Special Collections Center, case 1.
We begin with items that refer to two famous pilots – the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), and The American Ace of Aces, Eddie Rickenbacker, (October 8, 1890 –July 27, 1973).
Teaser exhibit of WWI materials at the Archives and Special Collections Center.
Then in August, we will present three installments over nine months combining models, dioramas, figures and prints with archival material to commemorate the inception of the Great War.
The first installment, running from 1 August through 31 October, 2014, includes figures of the assassinations of the Archduke and his wife, a British trench and armored car, maps of Europe at the beginning of the War and of the Schleiffen Plan, illustrations of French and German uniforms, and figures representing the Galipoli Campaign which began 15 April 1915. Poems by writers including Clinton Scollard, Katharine Tynan, Rupert Brooke, Josephine Burr, G. K. Chesterton, John Drinkwater, Violet Gillespie, Corporal Malcolm C. Murray and Joyce Kilmer, along with plates from rare volumes of the time, will amplify these exhibits.
Second, from 1 November 2014 to 31 January 2015 we will show models of British, French and German artillery, the Red Baron’s ACE01 Fokker DR1, Eddie Rickenbacker’s Sopwith Camel, as well as other planes, tanks and armored cars paired with archival memories of the time.
Last, from 1 February – 30 April 2015 we will show a map of Europe after the War, British and German foot soldiers, a regimental aid post where care was provided to the wounded, women in the war, T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt, along with poems and depictions of uniforms.
Please come to enjoy the evolution of our exhibit.
The Seton family album has been receiving a lot of attention from the Seton Hall community. Recently, the album was featured on the University’s home page in a news story, showing a selection of the images and describing the album and related resources.
The Seton family album promotional landing page.
The album and digital collection were also featured in a Setonian article: Hall history told through old photos, in a story written by Abbas Khan Cook.
The entire album was digitally photographed by Milan Stanic, the University photographer, with the help of the University Advancement Office. Staff of the Archives and Special Collections Center transcribed the handwritten captions on the images and made all 51 photographs available in a new digital collection, the Seton Family Photograph Album Digital Collection.
The A&SCC is delighted to see this unique and fascinating album receive attention from the Seton Hall community. We hope everybody takes these opportunities to view the images and catch a glimpse of the life of the Seton family in 1867.
The Archives and Special Collections Center continues to work hard to bring more of our resources to the community. A number of new finding aids have been published recently, thanks in large part to the efforts of our students, volunteers, and staff behind the scenes.
A collection that belongs to both Seton Hall and Archdiocese history is the Immaculate Conception Seminary records, 1868-2008, SHU 0023, a partially processed and partially described collection; the finding aid for this collection, although incomplete, is also now available for researchers to use.
These and many other collections are available to researchers, and processing work continues to make yet more collections accessible. Stay tuned for more information and resources!
The history of Chemistry at Seton Hall had its start as a study option from the beginning days of its move to South Orange as part of the early “Mathematical Course” during the mid-nineteenth century. From here, Chemistry became a very popular attraction from which pupils found a means of scientific expression that would expand greatly after World War II on both the undergraduate and graduate level prior to the introduction of doctoral level offerings by the mid-1960s. This discipline has subsequently grown and endured as an important major choice of many students into the present day. With this in mind, a celebration of Chemistry and its place on campus is presently on display at the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center.
This exhibit will provide a brief textual and visual overview showcasing the evolution of how the wonder of Chemistry has made its impact on the life of students, faculty, and the world at large. Included are various early nineteenth century written works and mid-twentieth century primers from our Rare Book and Setonia Text Book Collections that celebrate the development of Chemistry experimentation and have practical applications to pioneering practitioners in the field.
On a more local level, viewers will find lecture notes taken by Seton Hall student Alden A. Freeman during the 1879-80 term, information about pioneering faculty members, and photographic examples that show the evolution of lab space and structures over the years from Alumni Hall to the present day McNulty Science complex. Of particular note is the dissertation and a biographical sketch acknowledging the contributions of our first Ph.D. recipient Dr. William N. Knopka during the mid-1960s. Additional textual examples from the University Archives and tools of the trade on loan through the courtesy of Mr. David Edwards from the Science Department show further details regarding the curriculum, public programming, and student life associated with the Chemistry Department over its last five decades of educational outreach to the scientific community.
Hopefully your reaction will be a positively charged one while taking in the historical relevance of how Chemistry and Seton Hall evolved successfully over time.
Last year, the Archives and Special Collections Center acquired materials of special importance to the Seton Hall community: the Seton family photograph album and two books belonging to the Seton family.
Image 42 from the Seton family photo album, depicting the Setons at their home: William Seton Sr., Elizabeth, Thomas Jevons, William Jr., Alfred Booth, Isabel, and Lydia Butler, mss0074_042_01_adjusted_cropped
Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint, founded the first congregation of sisters in the United States, the Sisters of Charity; opened the first free Catholic school in the U.S., St. Joseph’s Academy; and is the namesake of Seton Hall University. Before converting to Catholicism in 1805 and founding an order of sisters, she was married to William Seton and had five children, all of whom were educated in Catholic schools.
William Seton II (later called William Seton Sr.) was Elizabeth’s oldest son, born in 1796, and after completing his education he joined the United States Navy, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. He married Emily Prime in 1832 and the couple had seven children of their own before Emily died in 1854. William made a home in New York, in what is now the Bronx, called Cragdon. This estate had a large home, barns, and extensive grounds; it overlooked the village of East Chester and offered beautiful views of the surrounding area.
The Seton family photograph album was made in 1867. The photographer(s) is unknown, but the first page of the album is inscribed to William Seton from Thomas Jevons (who later married William’s daughter Isabel) and Alfred Booth. Jevons and Booth were British businessmen, and it isn’t clear how they came to be acquainted with the Setons, but the album was apparently a gift from the two, featuring photographs of the Setons’ home and surrounds.
The 51 photographs in the album include hand-written descriptions of each image and may have been written by one of William Seton’s children, as he is referred to as Father in at least one image. Many of the images are of the Cragdon house and the areas nearby, including trees, a brook, meadows, ledges, caves, and the nearby East Chester village. A number of the images also include members of the family, usually identified in the caption, and friends and family, as well as clearly beloved pet dogs, also usually named. Winter, spring, and summer are represented in the images, as are activities appropriate to each, including sledding (called “coasting”) and a fishing party.
Image 42 from the Seton family photo album, depicting the Setons at their home, original scan, mss0074_042_01
Although the original cover of the album is missing, the photographs are in good condition and only a little faded, with almost no silvering (a phenomenon of many old photographs in which dark areas turn silver due to chemical changes over time). These lovely images are quite striking now, as they show an area that would today bear little resemblance to the past captured here. For those interested in Mother Seton’s family and the history of Catholics in America in the 19th century, these images depict a genteel family and their home. For those interested in other historical figures, the images include Army officers of the Civil War and active businessmen of New York and England, as well as the costumes of men and women of the upper-middle and serving classes in 1867. For those interested in nature, the images show trees, flowers, and scenery long vanished from where they stood when these pictures were taken, although the current Seton Park in the Bronx may include areas depicted here.
This album is available for research in the Archives and Special Collections Center; view the finding aid for the Seton family album, 1867, Mss 0074. Only one photograph from the album has been digitized at this time but it is hoped that more will follow. Also acquired with the album were two books belonging to William Seton, the Odyssey of Homer and Select Pieces on Religious Subjects by Effingham Warner, both of which are due to be cataloged and made available to researchers. Other resources related to Mother Seton and the Seton family can be found in the A&SCC: Collection on Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1840-2006, Mss 0006 and Seton Jevons family papers, 1780s-1930, Mss 0005.
The Archives and Special Collections Center at Seton Hall University is pleased to announce the acquisition of the Donald M. Payne papers, a new manuscript collection of congressional papers from the late Donald M. Payne, a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey’s 10th district from 1989-2012.
The Payne papers in the A&SCC.
Donald Payne was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and graduated from Seton Hall University in 1957. He became the first African American Congressman from New Jersey when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1988, and served ten consecutive terms. During his time in Congress, Representative Payne served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Mr. Payne died in 2012 and was succeeded in Congress by his son, Donald Payne, Jr.
The Donald Payne papers document Representative Payne’s time as a congressional representative, including legislative documentation, research files, newsclippings, photographs, and audio-video recordings. About 43 linear feet of materials have been accessioned by the A&SCC, and the materials will soon be processed and made available to researchers. The A&SCC and University Libraries are very excited to have acquired this important collection of political papers and look forward to connecting this material to users. Stay tuned for more information!
Entrance passes: General Congregation (18 – 28 November 1963) entrance pass for Msgr. Oesterreicher, signed by Bishop Pericle Felici, mss0053_b53_15_01
50 years after the Second Vatican Council, scholars, clergy, and Catholics all over the world are still considering the impact of one of the major Church events of the last century. For those with an interest in religious studies or Church history, this is an important time of discussion, analysis, sharing, and review.
The Department of Catholic Studies has put together the event “Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council: Celebrating the Decree on Ecumenism,” taking place tomorrow, November 21 2013. This afternoon event will feature speakers and a panel discussion on Unitatis redintegratio, the Council’s document on ecumenism. The full program linked above lists the speakers, topics, and timeline, and the main portion of the event will take place from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m in the Chancellor’s Suite.
The Archives and Special Collections Center is participating in this special event with a display of collection materials related to the Council. Including materials from the John M. Oesterreicher papers, the George Shea papers, the Martin W. Stanton papers, the Walter W. Curtis papers, and the Mrs. Frank Whitrock scrapbooks, this selection highlights the involvement of some of those from the Archdiocese of Newark who participated in the Council, as well as how those at home saw it unfold. This display shows photographs, Council documents, writings, pamphlets, newsclippings, and invitations from these five collections and is just a small sample of related materials held at the A&SCC. More information can be found in the flyer put together by the Department of Catholic Studies. For more information on research materials related to the Second Vatican Council held by the A&SCC, consult our LibGuide page on Vatican 2 collections.
The A&SCC wishes to thank Dr. Ines Murzako and the entire Department of Catholic Studies as well as Dr. John Buschman, Dean of University Libraries, for inclusion in this event.
Msgr. Oesterreicher, Rabbi Finkel, and Fr. Frizzell of the Institute for Judaeo-Christian Studies, from the John M. Oesterreicher papers, Mss 0053 (mss0053_s43_04)
Now these five collections have a new digital resource, the Judaeo-Christian Studies Collections. Portions of each collection are being digitized and made available through this digital collection, and include manuscripts, photographs, pamphlets, correspondence, newsclippings, and other materials. We think this collection will prove to be an invaluable resources for scholars in Judaeo-Christian Studies or in any aspect of religious studies, and will continue to add to the collection. Bridgette, a graduate student in the Judaeo-Christian Studies department, has put a great deal of work into processing these collections, digitizing selected items, and making them available online. Thanks to Bridgette, and to Fr. Frizzell of the Institute for Judaeo-Christian Studies, these materials are now widely available to interested researchers. Check out the collection, and subscribe to the updates to see newly digitized items as they are uploaded!
