While browsing through the books, one that caught my eye was Manners for Moderns. At first glance, I did not know what it was about. Judging from its appearance, it looked as if it was barely used. It was in almost perfect condition almost like it was just recently printed. However, to my surprise … Continue reading Etiquette books: a glimpse into 1930s society →

Special Collections offers a unique experience of looking at primary resources in a convenient area-Hillman Library. Despite the numerous times studying there and working at the library, this was my first time going to special collections. Primary sources are undoubtedly very important and offer vital information on the growth of the arts, both visually and … Continue reading →

On April 27, 1953  President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order banning gays and lesbians from working for the federal government, classifying them as a “security risk.” In 1952, The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual listed homosexuality as a “sociopathic personality disturbance” (“LGBT Rights Milestones Fast Facts.”) Demonstrably, homosexual people in the United States … Continue reading “I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip” →

Special collections provides a wide variety of mediums to display literature. Through magazines, novels (both fiction and nonfiction), newsletters and comics, the collection gives you an in depth look into the past, through specific and rare readings. Skimming through the different categories of composition, the one that grasped my attention the most was the comic … Continue reading Just Married- A Look At Expectations for Women and Romance in the Seventies →

Upon walking into Special Collections, the LIFE magazines immediately caught my attention. The magazine’s pages, although visibly old in the discoloration and the small tears around the edges, still felt sturdy and were overall in very good condition considering they are over seventy years old. Something else I took notice of across many of the … Continue reading Teenage Pastimes →

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth-century etiquette books were standard on many teenagers' bookcases in their bedrooms. Telling them how to act, and who to be, to be the best. In the visit to special collections, the etiquette book I found most interesting is called Your Manners Are Showing: The Handbook of Teenage Know How written by Betty … Continue reading Manners and Etiquettes: What Teenagers are Supposed to be →

The copy of The Outsiders in the Special Collections Room is a first edition signed by the author, S. E. Hinton. It looks like what you would expect from a children’s/young adult chapter book, hardcover with a plastic dust jacket over the book and a summary of the book on the front and back sleeves of the … Continue reading Defying Gender Roles in The Outsiders →

Within the assortment of literary artifacts found in “Special Collections,” the magazines offer crucial insight into the social and cultural ideologies of their time. Among these creative works, the Sun Girl comic magazine effectively highlights certain aspects surrounding the characteristics and implications of girlhood.         Due to age, the magazine feels quite “fragile.” Bounded loosely yet … Continue reading “Sun Girl” Magazine: Girlhood and Femininity →

          Reading material is always changing, whether it be a novel, magazine, or comic book. During our visit to the library, we looked at different reading materials from the past that pertain to adolescence.  It was interesting looking at books that were made in the past. For example, an earlier version of Charlotte Temple was pocket … Continue reading Special Collections: Calling All Girls →