In addition to collecting materials about Wesleyan, we also have a good amount of Middletown, Connecticut items. These include books, maps, personal papers, photographs, and scrapbooks. Our most recent scrapbook accession were the Marion Vaine scrapbooks. Marion Vaine was a longtime Middletown resident and Wesleyan employee, and through the sharp eyes of a local resident, her scrapbooks were discovered at a church rummage sale and donated to Wesleyan.
The scrapbooks have concert and play programs, travel souveniers, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, and other materials that help document the live of a Middletown woman from the 1920s to the 1960s. This photo shows a clipping from one of the scrapbooks, detailing the winners of a dress making competition at a local store.
These scrapbooks aren’t fancy, but they are a great way to learn about our community. We encourage students and others to consult us about our Middletown resources–there’s a lot to discover!
On this President’s Day weekend, we remember the architect Henry Bacon, who designed the Lincoln Memorial as well as Olin Library and Van Vleck Observatory, among other buildings on Wesleyan’s campus. Bacon worked with the Board of Trustees in the early 20th century to create a building development plan for Wesleyan’s future.
Special Collections & Archives has a collection of Henry Bacon Papers, including a splendid collection of photographs taken during the construction of the Lincoln Memorial. The photo below shows sculpter Daniel Chester French and a work crew as the statue of Lincoln was assembled.
The Science Library now has brand new compact shelving to hold periodicals, books, and archival materials. With the growth of our collections, we’ve been scrambling for space for years, so the new shelving is much appreciated! As always, the archival material is in an enclosed area off limit to patrons, but just as before, any collection can be requested for use by filling out a request form available in Special Collections & Archives. It may take 24-48 hours to retrieve a collection, so please request items ahead of the time you actually want to use them.
Wondering what we have? Take a look at our Collections Listing, and check our list of Finding Aids for more detailed descriptions. Still not sure? Contact us–we can help you find what you’re looking for!
In the 19th century, many students at Wesleyan made class albums. These were like yearbooks, but entirely comprised of photographs. Each student would choose the images of classmates, faculty, campus buildings, and Middletown scenes of their liking.
This image of the class of 1886 is only one image of thousands in our over 150 album collection. Recently, a person cleaning out a relative’s home found a beautiful album from 1882, with winter scenes of Middletown and photographs from the inside of the original library (now the Patricelli ‘92 Theatre). The generous donation of this class album to Wesleyan gives us a glimpse back in time to a campus at once familiar and foreign.
