Grace Campbell- In viewing older female based literature or media, it's easy to assume, at least for myself, the presence of problematic stereotypes especially in the presentation of women. It’s prevalent in older publications which tend to veer towards these antiquated conventions. This can be an assumption when going to Special Collections, that materials there … Continue reading Hurrah for St. Trinians: Defying the Traditional →

By Kelsey Newman The material I analyzed in Hillman’s Special Collections was titled The Secret Language by Ursula Nordstrom. This novel depicts the struggles faced by young Victoria North while attending an all-girl boarding school until she forms a close bond with another student named Martha Sherman. The story resonated with many young girls in the … Continue reading Special Collections: The Secret Language →

By Jayne Juffe Archie Comics have been a constant in my life since I was in elementary school, and the issues I have on my bedroom bookshelf are very similar to the ones we saw at Special Collections. There are some notable differences as well that come with the times. The specific issue in Special … Continue reading Special Collections: Archie Comics →

by Sydney Leslie During our trip to the Special Collections office in Hillman Library, I became interested in the comics table, specifically in the vintage editions of Archie comics which there were a few of. Archie, which was a comic book that began being published in the early 1940s, was marketed towards teenagers, though, interestingly … Continue reading “Archie” and the role of the teen →

Jay Zimmerman - There aren't many characters that maintain relevance throughout the ages like superheroes. Even among other comics characters in serialized publications, only maybe Archie can nip at the heels of superpowered crimefighters. There are almost too many to count, with thousands to millions of devoted fans all over the globe, but arguably the … Continue reading Special Collections – Wonder Woman →

Jordan Allen Upon the initial discussion of our class visit to Special Collections at Hillman Library, I was genuinely thrilled as any other of my visits haven’t led to a discovery of any materials I found interesting beyond their usage for my academic purposes. After sitting down at the table for comics my mind started … Continue reading Special Collections Visit- The Incredible Hulk comic book →

Grace Merva While in the special collections room, I found so much that showed me the multiple facets of youth literature, especially from the 1950s, and one of the most interesting forms was not literature at all rather cartoons that represent a side of adolescence that many traditional forms of literature would never depict. Originally … Continue reading Not So Typical Boarding School Girls at St. Trinians →

Ashley Divens During our visit to special collections, I found the table of magazines to be the most intriguing, especially the “Falling in Love” magazine. The comics inside of the magazine were not only entertaining, but they gave great insight into how young women were expected to behave in the 1970’s. This magazine is a … Continue reading Behavioral Expectations of Young Women in the 1970’s →