Posted on August 8, 2022

For many collections processed before the days of the internet, there may have been a finding aid available as a paper copy accessible only by visiting the archive. Many collection inventories were retroactively added to online repositories or in other various locations and formats online throughout the years, or just... [Read More]

Posted on June 3, 2022

Summer is officially underway here at the University of Idaho. If you need inspiration to visit the great state of Idaho, here are some historical guides highlighting fun facts and notable destinations throughout the state. One common theme throughout the early guides is how beneficial the climate is to the... [Read More]

Posted on November 11, 2021

This year, Special Collections is working with the Department of Military and Veterans Services to put together an exhibit in support of the Veterans Day Appreciation Dinner held in the International Ballroom of the Bruce M. Pitman Center. This post highlights some of the materials on display. [Read More]

Posted on September 14, 2021

One of the most destructive forest insects in western North America, mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus Ponderosae) will attack any pine species rather than a select few. In Idaho, timber production is a valuable commodity with sales of lumber alone well over $1 billion in 2018. In the late 1960s, it... [Read More]

Posted on May 1, 2021

A sure sign of spring in Moscow is the reappearance of the Farmers Market and the Renaissance Fair. Both beloved traditions date back to the 1970s: the Renaissance Fair emerging as a collaboration with the Blue Mountain Rock Festival in 1974 and the Farmers Market developed in 1977 as a... [Read More]

Posted on March 31, 2021

To wrap up Women’s History Month, we celebrate University of Idaho Math Professor Elna Grahn. Born Elna Hilliard in 1913, Elna received her both bachelors and masters in math from the University of Wisconsin. Elna joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, later the Women’s Army Corps, and served on active... [Read More]

Posted on February 2, 2021

Cone and seed insects such as the lodgepole cone moth (Eucosma rescissoriana Hein) cause significant damage to forests and seed orchards by feeding on the seeds in lodgepole pine trees as well as other valuable tree crops such as western white pines. They can be found in forests throughout northwestern... [Read More]

Posted on January 1, 2021

Who’s ready to close the door on 2020? We are, that’s for sure! We hope these images of doors and entranceways on the University of Idaho campus help you to symbolically prepare for the exciting new potential of welcoming in a new year as we prepare to walk out into... [Read More]

Posted on December 20, 2020

For this holiday edition of What’s Bugging You, we’re focusing on some of the larger critters and creatures sharing space in our forests. Some of the damage porcupines, bears and cows cause to trees can be found on this page of a Forest Research Photo Album found in our Potlatch... [Read More]

Posted on December 17, 2020

Today’s post will focus on the Douglas fir tussock moth, a defoliating moth. [Read More]

Posted on December 15, 2020

[Read More]

Posted on December 10, 2020

2nd Street, looking East from Main Street, Moscow, Idaho, 1896 and today. The prominent building on the corner is part of what was originally known as the Browne Block. Built by Robert S. Browne, this was comprised of two buildings on the Southern half of the block on Main Street... [Read More]

Posted on December 6, 2020

The University of Idaho Library in 1957 and today! [Read More]

Posted on December 3, 2020

Built in 1904, the building on the left originally served as a men’s gymnasium and armory. After the Memorial Gymnasium was built in 1928, it served as the Women’s Gym until the early 1970’s and the advent of Title IX.  [Read More]

Posted on November 18, 2020

Welcome to our new series, What’s Bugging You, where we highlight the vast research held in our collections on the pests and diseases plaguing Idaho forests. Some of the topics we will include are Tussock Moths, Pine Beetles, Blister Rust, and some of the chemicals and techniques used to combat... [Read More]

Posted on March 6, 2020

Welcome back to Funny Friday! This letter written by a young boy, George, to his Grandpa, with the help of his Mother, Inga, caught our attention when George asks “Did you have a nice trip to Moscow? We are hoping you won’t do anything really bad so you’ll have to... [Read More]

Posted on September 26, 2019

Library Mini-Golf [Read More]

Posted on August 21, 2019

Rush week at Beta Theta Pi house [02] [Read More]

Posted on July 15, 2019

Road to Riggins, Idaho [Read More]

Posted on July 1, 2019

Wildhorse Lake [Read More]

Posted on June 10, 2019

Freezeout Hill [Read More]

Posted on June 3, 2019

Mountains in Idaho range from rolling hills to jagged peaks. This Mountainous Monday post shows the Teton valleys and range, a lush valley surrounded by rolling hills on one side and rugged, snow-capped peaks on another. [Read More]

Posted on May 20, 2019

Space Needle, Seattle, Washington [Read More]

Posted on April 29, 2019

Hat Point [Read More]

Posted on April 8, 2019

On this Mountainous Monday, we are dreaming of Castle Peak near Stanley, Idaho. The woman in the foreground is surely planning her trek. Castle Peak is the highest peak of the White Cloud Mountains which are the eastern range of the Rocky Mountains. [Read More]

Posted on April 5, 2019

For today’s #ArchivesHashtagParty of #ArchivesArtifacts we have some paperweights made from the zinc, one of the primary metals extracted by the Bunker Hill Mining Company, as well as a scale for measuring gold or other precious metals, used in the heyday of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. [Read More]

Posted on April 1, 2019

North Fork of the Clearwater River [Read More]

Posted on February 25, 2019

Salmon River in Stanley, Idaho [Read More]

Posted on February 4, 2019

Riggins, Idaho [Read More]

Posted on January 31, 2019

Remembering Thomas "Doc" Bitterwolf [1] [Read More]

Posted on January 29, 2019

Teton Mountains [Read More]

Posted on January 11, 2019

Hovercrafts [Read More]

Posted on January 7, 2019

Gold Pan Lake [Read More]

Posted on January 1, 2019

Whatcom County Court House, Bellingham, Washington [Read More]

Posted on December 30, 2018

Syringa time [Read More]

Posted on December 29, 2018

White Bird Hill postcard [Read More]

Posted on December 28, 2018

Snoqualmie Pass Ski Area, Washington [Read More]

Posted on December 27, 2018

Baron Lake and Monte Verita (Mt. Of Truth). Boise National Forest [Read More]

Posted on December 26, 2018

Twelfth Street, Showing Rose Covered Homes, Portland, Oregon [Read More]

Posted on December 24, 2018

Municipal Christmas tree, Moscow, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on December 23, 2018

[Read More]

Posted on December 22, 2018

Brundage Mountain, McCall, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on December 18, 2018

Ninth Annual Pacific Northwest Potato Show [Read More]

Posted on December 14, 2018

Need holiday gift ideas? Try #ArchivesGIFgiving at the #ArchivesHashtagParty for ideas like this painting of the U.S.S. Idaho by Robert E. Serrano (left) given to University of Idaho President Ernest Hartung (middle) and Jack Voorhees (right), U of I Professor of Naval Science and Department Head emeritus. (PG 1_400-43, 1973)... [Read More]

Posted on December 7, 2018

Poker Club party [Read More]

Posted on November 20, 2018

Drawings by Steve Allured [Read More]

Posted on November 16, 2018

First ski bus that went between lodge and Dollar and Proctor Mountains. [Read More]

Posted on November 14, 2018

Bear sticker and potato pin [Read More]

Posted on November 8, 2018

Dr. R.T. Witty [Read More]

Posted on November 6, 2018

Kappa Sigma house decorations for Homecoming [01] [Read More]

Posted on October 31, 2018

Posted on October 31, 2018

Clara Ransom and Margaret Bryan McCallie [Read More]

Posted on October 24, 2018

Happy Quarentine cake [Read More]

Posted on October 17, 2018

Welcome to #WeirdlyWednesday of Homecoming Week! Mark your calendars for this year’s Latah Credit Union Firework Extravaganza at 9:15 pm in the Kibbie Dome parking lot this Friday, 10/19, followed by the TowerLights LED light show at the Theophilus Tower presented by the Association of Computing Machinery. We’re celebrating today... [Read More]

Posted on October 10, 2018

For our next #weirdlywednesday post, we’re showing evidence of the Atomic Age research of introducing radioisotopes to trees in the hope of studying how individual trees behave physiologically and how their absorption, translocation, and similar metabolic processes work. Field studies were conducted to study pole blight, a disease of western... [Read More]

Posted on September 27, 2018

The Tiger Hotel, located in Burke, Idaho, seven miles from Wallace, was a three story frame hotel with 150 rooms. It was built over the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, and the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks ran through the lobby. The hotel’s only purpose was to provide food... [Read More]

Posted on September 20, 2018

Canning in Home Economics [Read More]

Posted on September 18, 2018

College of Engineering. University of Idaho. Surveying class, Moscow in distance. [224-4] [Read More]

Posted on September 18, 2018

Potato field [Read More]

Posted on August 2, 2018

One of the many side businesses Henry L. Day was involved in was the Sunset Mercantile Company, a reorganization of the Sunset Brewery in Wallace, ID. Sunset Mercantile existed from 1934 to 1946, although their first beer, named ”Gem State,” was introduced in 1938. [Read More]

Posted on July 27, 2018

Today we say goodbye to our intrepid leader of Special Collections, Erin Stoddart as she embarks on a new journey at the University of Oregon. We will miss you Erin! We hope you will look back on your time at the University of Idaho Library with fondness and remember us... [Read More]

Posted on July 26, 2018

Today’s Archives Outdoors shows a group of University of Idaho College of Mines students, presumably on a field trip. Incidentally, one of our metadata listings for this image states they are at an exhibit, while another states they are at an adit, which according to Wikipedia is “(from Latin aditus,... [Read More]

Posted on July 25, 2018

Organized August 14, 1909, the Ray-Jefferson Mining Company included the ”Ray” Lode, ”Jefferson” Lode and ”Lincoln” Lode claims. Little work was done until 1915, when the ”Carlisle,” “Hill Group” and ”Carbon Creek” claims were purchased and parts of the Ray-Jefferson were leased to other mining companies. In 1916, the Day family attempted to purchase the... [Read More]

Posted on July 17, 2018

Genuine Grown Idaho Potatoes [Read More]

Posted on July 16, 2018

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Drillers Field Log [Read More]

Posted on July 12, 2018

Equal opportunity isn’t always the first thought to come to mind when looking at historic mining collections, however with the Option Mining Company, typical gender occupations of 1925 seem to be reversed when Mrs. Lorena K. Stratton was elected chairman/president and Mr. William J. Stratton secretary. Presumably they make up... [Read More]

Posted on July 10, 2018

Did you know that Genuine IDAHO Potatoes offer your family… *Iron to Build Blood’ *Vitamin C for Healthy Teeth and Gums; * Potassium for Muscle Power; *Low Sodium; *Fewer Calories than Rice or Pasta and Twice as much Fiber! [Read More]

Posted on July 2, 2018

In addition to silver, zinc and lead, copper also became a primary ore mined in the Coeur d’Alene Mining region. Incorporated in 1906, the National Copper Mining Company consisted of 8 mining claims and one mill site, shown here 5 years after its first demise after steadily declining production. National... [Read More]

Posted on June 29, 2018

Today we congratulate U of I Library Dean Dr. Lynn Baird on her retirement after 4 decades of service! Lynn joined the Library in 1974, quickly making her way up to Head of Serials in 1976, one of the few women in university leadership roles at that time. Lynn became... [Read More]

Posted on June 27, 2018

Yosemite Falls, from the Olaf P. Larson Stereopticon Slides. [Read More]

Posted on June 26, 2018

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Idaho Potato Commission Report, No. 11 [Read More]

Posted on June 25, 2018

The Musselshell Mine was a hydraulic placer mine on Musselshell Creek in what is now Clearwater County, Idaho. Charles McClintock of Detroit, Michigan and John McClintock of Lexington, Kentucky established the mine in 1900 with Louis C. Roberts as manager and director of mining operations. One year later, the mine... [Read More]

Posted on June 21, 2018

Happy First Day of Summer from the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives! Throughout our region and state, the start of summer signals the beginning of annual road maintenance and construction. In the mid to late 1930′s, workers for the Idaho Civilian Conservation Corps performed similar duties as... [Read More]

Posted on June 20, 2018

In the days before the privacy of email, any sensitive correspondence that had to be sent quickly as in this telegram between mining administrator Henry L. Day and his attorney John H. Wourms, was sent in code. The translated letter reads: “Apparently there is deed to Liberty Mine in escrow... [Read More]

Posted on June 18, 2018

Idaho is What the Rest of the World Would Like To Be [Read More]

Posted on June 15, 2018

In today’s Archives Outdoors, Bob Tondevold surveys the land and air and reports back using a ‘Littlefone’ from atop Bald Mountain in south-central Idaho, near Sun Valley. From the caption on back: “This is terrain which offers ‘radar shows’ and potential invasion path to enemy. Tondevold uses hand-carried battery-operated transmitter... [Read More]

Posted on June 13, 2018

The Laclede Mining Company was an ambitious endeavor that unfortunately netted very little profits. The property, consisting of 4 lode claims, was extensively developed between 1903 and the fall of 1916 or spring of 1917 but no commercial ore was found and the mine was shut down. Reorganizations of the... [Read More]

Posted on June 12, 2018

Potato popper [Read More]

Posted on June 11, 2018

Imperial Mining Company ledger [Read More]

Posted on June 8, 2018

Dreaming of going outdoors this rainy weekend? Travel through photos instead with Archives Outdoors! In October of 1977, Marcia Wells was the first coed to complete the map and compass test course on the first try. [Read More]

Posted on June 5, 2018

The Great Tasting Potato [Read More]

Posted on May 24, 2018

Humming Bird Mining Company [Read More]

Posted on May 8, 2018

This scene was used for a 1984 ad campaign for the Idaho Potato Commission, producing a television commercial and full-color illustration for a consumer magazine. [Read More]

Posted on April 27, 2018

Gold Hunter Mine [Read More]

Posted on April 25, 2018

Potlatch Corporation business papers [Read More]

Posted on April 24, 2018

Idaho Potato Commission Report, No. 4 [Read More]

Posted on April 19, 2018

The Empire Copper Company, located near the city of Mackay in central Idaho, was at one time the largest producer of copper in the state of Idaho. At the height of its production it consisted of 38 mining claims, a smelter capable of handling over 500 tons of ore daily,... [Read More]

Posted on April 17, 2018

Potato conveyor belt [1] [Read More]

Posted on April 16, 2018

Unidentified man [1] [Read More]

Posted on April 10, 2018

Sporting a 20 gallon cowboy hat and standing just over 7 feet tall, Mr. Idaho Potato made his debut appearance in February of 1983 at the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Convention held in Anaheim, CA. Print versions of a potato caricature had existed since 1952. Mr. Idaho Potato, standing... [Read More]

Posted on April 6, 2018

Coeur d'Alene Mining & Smelting Company meeting minutes [Read More]

Posted on April 3, 2018

In 1885, a prospector’s errant burro wandered off only to discover an outcropping of galena, a lead- and silver-rich ore. Within days, the Bunker Hill claim was established. [Read More]

Posted on March 30, 2018

University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives is starting a new Tumblr series that will be highlighting our historic mining collections. [Read More]

Posted on March 23, 2018

Jimminy Crickets [Read More]

Posted on March 14, 2018

Whether you are celebrating with circular baked goods or by solving mathematical puzzles, happy National Pi Day! Here, math students are learning about computer programming in 1965. [Read More]

Posted on January 12, 2018

Aluminum record [1] [Read More]

Posted on November 8, 2017

Note the appearance of two phones in the ‘then’ photo. Was this an indication of our popularity even back then, that we needed two lines? Was the left one being replaced with newer, smaller technology and just hadn’t been removed yet? Oh, the possibilities! [Read More]

Posted on October 30, 2017

What’s scarier than a haunted archive? Running out of room! AAAGH!!! Are your shelves full? PG 1_122-105e, Library, University of Idaho, sub-basement compact shelving, December 1988, photographer: Monte Steiger. Now photo taken and gif created by Special Collections staff. 

Posted on October 26, 2017

From atlases to topographic maps, the Map Room is a treasure trove of information. [Read More]

Posted on October 23, 2017

Today’s the day! It’s our building’s 60th birthday! The University of Idaho Library opened the doors of it’s brand new building on October 23, 1957.  [Read More]

Posted on October 19, 2017

UI Library newspaper section, then and now, from shortly after the building opened 60 years ago this month, to the newspaper storage area today. All historical Idaho newspapers have now been transferred to microfilm, rather than what looks like bound up in neat packages, while the current and previous months’... [Read More]

Posted on September 28, 2017

Sheep grazing [Read More]

Posted on September 20, 2017

University of Idaho president Alfred H. Upham inspecting lambs during his visit to 4-H club members at Grays Lake, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on September 11, 2017

#sheepaweek is back! Weekly posts of photos of sheep or sheep-related materials from our collections brought to you by the University of Idaho Library Special Collections. [Read More]

Posted on September 1, 2017

#scifidaho Introducing our newest large collection! This summer, Special Collections received a large personal collection of science fiction materials owned by University of Idaho alumna and long-time Moscow, ID resident Victoria (Vicki) E. Mitchell. Mitchell (along with her soon-to-be husband Jon Gustafson) was a member of the Palouse Empire Science... [Read More]

Posted on August 28, 2017

Welcome back to Moscow, Vandals! As the semester settles in, our #MainStreetMonday series will take a break, but stay tuned for all the exciting new projects and collections we are working on! [Read More]

Posted on August 21, 2017

Eclipse [Read More]

Posted on August 18, 2017

NASA Lithograph JSCL-128 [Read More]

Posted on August 14, 2017

Then and now of Main Street Deary, Idaho! [Read More]

Posted on August 11, 2017

Sheep grazing [Read More]

Posted on August 7, 2017

Looking at the northwest side of Main Street in Juliaetta, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on August 4, 2017

Oneida County 4-H Club Fair [Read More]

Posted on July 31, 2017

From caption: Looking east at Main Street of Kendrick in the early 1900′s. Before pavement and only one car visible on the south side of the street. The Long residence at top of hill east end. [Read More]

Posted on July 28, 2017

Sheep [1] [Read More]

Posted on July 24, 2017

Main Street in Harvard, Idaho [Read More]

Posted on July 21, 2017

Shearing sheep [Read More]

Posted on July 17, 2017

Main Street of Culdesac, Idaho [Read More]

Posted on July 14, 2017

Here eleven-year-old Jana Gay Moss of Moore, Idaho, feeds baled hay to her flock of Columbia Sheep. [Read More]

Posted on July 10, 2017

Main Street in Stites, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on July 5, 2017

Award-winning sheep [Read More]

Posted on July 3, 2017

Main St., Moscow, Idaho. #2 [Read More]

Posted on June 30, 2017

State Capitol, Salem, Oregon (1) [Read More]

Posted on June 26, 2017

Main Street in Potlatch, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on June 23, 2017

Charley Mills, herder, and dog watching sheep. University of Idaho. [204c-22] [Read More]

Posted on June 19, 2017

Despite being called Main Street in the post card, this is actually Walnut Avenue, today and as early as 1891 from what I can tell from the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. [Read More]

Posted on June 16, 2017

Sheep. University of Idaho. Southdown wether, grand champion. [204c-8] [Read More]

Posted on June 12, 2017

East Main Street. Lewiston, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on June 7, 2017

Man with sheep. Judging? University of Idaho [206-16] [Read More]

Posted on June 5, 2017

Main Street looking north. Moscow, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on May 31, 2017

Sheep [2] [Read More]

Posted on May 26, 2017

Sheep. University of Idaho. First imported Suffolks. [204c-14] [Read More]

Posted on May 17, 2017

You made it to Summer break, Vandals! in honor of Summer, we’ll be introducing a few new series, such as this one #sheepaweek, starting with one of our all-time favorite photos: a boy, his lamb and a puppy. [Read More]

Posted on May 13, 2017

Approximately 1,291 students are eligible to graduate from the Moscow campus today, with about 1,482 statewide. From our humble beginnings in 1896 with only four graduates, this Spring our grand total of degrees granted comes to 125,567. Go Vandals! [Read More]

Posted on May 12, 2017

Dirk Kempthorne [Read More]

Posted on May 11, 2017

Three women working [Read More]

Posted on May 10, 2017

Woman doing research [Read More]

Posted on May 9, 2017

Student studying [Read More]

Posted on May 9, 2017

Storage Management of Blazer Russet Potatoes, 2012 [Read More]

Posted on May 5, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. A Builder of the West: The Life of General William Jackson Palmer [Read More]

Posted on May 3, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Ape I Knew [Read More]

Posted on May 2, 2017

Department of Agriculture Professor Woodbury [Read More]

Posted on May 1, 2017

PG 36, Olaf P. Larson Stereopticon Slides [Read More]

Posted on April 28, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Dakota [Read More]

Posted on April 27, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Lucretia Ann on the Sagebrush Plains [Read More]

Posted on April 24, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Broken Fang [Read More]

Posted on April 22, 2017

Welcome Vandal Moms to University of Idaho to a fun-filled weekend of events! While some traditions endure the test of time such as the Turtle Derby, others come and go making way for new opportunities for memories. [Read More]

Posted on April 21, 2017

New Student Days orientation [Read More]

Posted on April 20, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Hermaphrodite and Other Poems [Read More]

Posted on April 19, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Stag at Ease [Read More]

Posted on April 18, 2017

[Read More]

Posted on April 17, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Pekan the Shadow [Read More]

Posted on April 13, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Bald Knobbers [Read More]

Posted on April 12, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Gringo Doctor [Read More]

Posted on April 11, 2017

Gauze cages testing insect transmission of potato mosaic. Plant Sciences. University of Idaho. [210-8] [Read More]

Posted on April 7, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Strange Babies [Read More]

Posted on April 5, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Troopers Three [Read More]

Posted on April 4, 2017

[Read More]

Posted on March 31, 2017

Registration [Read More]

Posted on March 31, 2017

Stonewall Collection in the stacks [Read More]

Posted on March 29, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Spirit Rocks and Silver Magic [Read More]

Posted on March 28, 2017

In the 1970s, University of Idaho Aberdeen branch station horticultural professor and scientist Walter Sparks won national recognition for his experiments and breakthroughs in controlling temperature, humidity, and air circulation in order to extend the life of [Read More]

Posted on March 27, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Great Adam: A Novel [Read More]

Posted on March 24, 2017

Professor Glen Lockery [Read More]

Posted on March 23, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. That Hilarious First Year [Read More]

Posted on March 22, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. From the Hid Battlements [Read More]

Posted on March 21, 2017

Joe Marshall with Ross W. Ward [Read More]

Posted on March 20, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Patent-Leather Thumping Shoes [Read More]

Posted on March 17, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Shaun and Sheila: A Boy and Girl of Ireland [Read More]

Posted on March 16, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Bill and the Clown Bird [Read More]

Posted on March 15, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Whale Hunters Aboard the "Grey Gold" [Read More]

Posted on March 11, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Hidden Island [Read More]

Posted on March 9, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Tales from the Elves' Forest [Read More]

Posted on March 8, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. A Child is Born [Read More]

Posted on March 7, 2017

Good luck on your midterms this week, Vandals! Be sure to study those potatoes closely! [Read More]

Posted on March 6, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. They Were Little Once [Read More]

Posted on March 2, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Hoopskirts to Nudity [Read More]

Posted on February 28, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Furs to Furrows: An Epic of Rugged Individualism [Read More]

Posted on February 27, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Ginger Blue [Read More]

Posted on February 25, 2017

Artists and Ephemeral Materials exhibit [Read More]

Posted on February 24, 2017

From the top: A class touring the Library exhibit. If you’re curious, this case holds Ella Fitzgerald’s wig, shoes, and necklace. Students examining artifacts at the Jazz Festival workshop this morning "50 Years of Jazz Told Through the UI Archives" by Erin Stoddart and Ashlyn Velte. If you missed this... [Read More]

Posted on February 23, 2017

Ella Fitzgerald dress Jazz Fest reception [Read More]

Posted on February 22, 2017

Ted Gioia [1] [Read More]

Posted on February 15, 2017

Girl and Potato [Read More]

Posted on February 13, 2017

Sneaking Home [Read More]

Posted on February 9, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. The Longest Rope: The Truth About the Johnson County Cattle War [Read More]

Posted on February 8, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Blue Gold: A Romance of the Rockies [Read More]

Posted on February 6, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Boise, The Peace Valley [Read More]

Posted on February 3, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Mostly Alkali: A Biography [Read More]

Posted on February 1, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Hugh and Denis: Twelve Tales of Two Boys of the Middle Ages [Read More]

Posted on January 31, 2017

Potato packing study [Read More]

Posted on January 30, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Coyote Stories [Read More]

Posted on January 27, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Grains of Wheat [Read More]

Posted on January 27, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Butterscotch and the Happy Barnyard [Read More]

Posted on January 25, 2017

Because we’re so excited about our new series, #FullCaxtonJacket, and it happens to be #LibraryShelfieDay, here is a shelfie of the entire Caxton Collection. [Read More]

Posted on January 24, 2017

"Bruise-free potatoes: Our goal" [Read More]

Posted on January 23, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Idaho Lore [Read More]

Posted on January 20, 2017

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Emperor Norton: The Mad Monarch of America [Read More]

Posted on January 17, 2017

Walter Sparks [Read More]

Posted on January 13, 2017

The first week of the semester always brings the exciting potential of new research projects. [Read More]

Posted on January 10, 2017

Spanish American War Memorial, University of Idaho. Winter scene. [99-4] [Read More]

Posted on January 4, 2017

Memorial Gymnasium, University of Idaho. [61-40] [Read More]

Posted on January 2, 2017

Music Building, University of Idaho. [117-33] [Read More]

Posted on December 30, 2016

Hello Walk steps, University of Idaho. Winter scene. [102-16] [Read More]

Posted on December 28, 2016

Administration Building, University of Idaho winter scene. [52-34] [Read More]

Posted on December 26, 2016

Dedicated in 1924 as Science Hall, the Life Sciences South building holds Bacteriology, Biochemistry, and Biology teaching and research labs and faculty and grad student offices. [Read More]

Posted on December 23, 2016

Engineering Building, University of Idaho. [56-29] [Read More]

Posted on December 21, 2016

Camperdown Elms [1] [Read More]

Posted on December 19, 2016

Administration Building, University of Idaho from southeast. [52-4] [Read More]

Posted on December 16, 2016

Cross-country skiing at U of I [01] [Read More]

Posted on December 14, 2016

On a snowy Tuesday afternoon, I find it nice to look out over the farmland and imagine all the potential crops growing, once the frozen white blanket is gone. [Read More]

Posted on December 9, 2016

Sverre Kongsgaard, skier [Read More]

Posted on December 7, 2016

New Sweden potatoes [Read More]

Posted on December 2, 2016

University of Idaho library staffers [Read More]

Posted on November 29, 2016

Potato packing facility [Read More]

Posted on November 28, 2016

Opinions of the Press [Read More]

Posted on November 23, 2016

Vandal football team distributing New Sweden brand Idaho potatoes at various schools where they played [Read More]

Posted on November 19, 2016

Neely and Sons cross town bus [Read More]

Posted on November 15, 2016

Professor J.M. Raeder and Gene Douglas Easton [Read More]

Posted on November 11, 2016

The Lanham Act War Housing Program, enacted by Congress October 14, 1942, ensured housing for all in connection with national defense through the re-purpose of old or construction of new dwelling units. Title V of this act, approved June 23, 1945, focused on re-purposing or moving existing dwelling units for... [Read More]

Posted on November 8, 2016

Potato digger [Read More]

Posted on November 1, 2016

Because I just cannot get enough of the Howard Stough Scrapbooks, and of course, it is #potatopotuesday! [Read More]

Posted on October 31, 2016

Halloween costumes from the Howard Stough scrapbooks [Read More]

Posted on October 28, 2016

trick photography from the Howard Stough scrapbooks [Read More]

Posted on October 26, 2016

U of I Library Open House "Discovery Why Archives Matter" event flyer [Read More]

Posted on October 25, 2016

Football player kicking potato [Read More]

Posted on October 21, 2016

scrapbook from the Howard B. Stough scrapbooks [Read More]

Posted on October 18, 2016

Vandal football team eating Idaho potatoes [Read More]

Posted on October 14, 2016

Scrapbook [Read More]

Posted on October 7, 2016

On the front lawn of course! Important things to consider for a land-grant university. [Read More]

Posted on October 3, 2016

Baby Joe at Homecoming Parade [1] [Read More]

Posted on September 27, 2016

1940 football team [Read More]

Posted on September 23, 2016

Sheep. University of Idaho. Little International. [204c-3] [Read More]

Posted on September 16, 2016

children riding a goat with a sign promoting Latah County Fair [Read More]

Posted on September 14, 2016

We are still using old tables from when the Library used to be in the Administration Building. Here they are being used by our peer tutors, a service that offers our students drop-in homework help. We need to update our furniture to provide a learning environment that fully prepares students... [Read More]

Posted on September 14, 2016

Special Collections Reading Room [Read More]

Posted on September 14, 2016

Gem of the Mountains Digital Collection home page [Read More]

Posted on September 13, 2016

Potato packing study [Read More]

Posted on September 9, 2016

First football team [Read More]

Posted on September 6, 2016

J.R. "Jack" Simplot [Read More]

Posted on September 2, 2016

Train schedule [Read More]

Posted on August 30, 2016

To kick off the University of Idaho football season, here is a photo of the 1940 team lined up to advertise New Sweden Idaho Potatoes. Our first game is at home against Montana State University on September 1st. Go Vandals! [Read More]

Posted on August 26, 2016

As the semester begins, I hope all the new and returning students are adjusting to college life. Special Collections’ staff have also been adjusting to our new Reading Room, moving in new technology and old favorites of ready reference materials. Special Collections has gone through a few moves throughout the... [Read More]

Posted on August 23, 2016

Hydraulic potato bin piler [Read More]

Posted on August 22, 2016

First floor of Library [1] [Read More]

Posted on August 19, 2016

On the last day of summer break, welcome and welcome back to returning University of Idaho students! Here is a look at the approach to Moscow from the West, on the border of Washington and Idaho, as the highway changes from WA 270 to ID 8. [Read More]

Posted on August 12, 2016

University of Idaho campuses, panoramic view, Gym and Morrill Hall. [2-52] [Read More]

Posted on August 11, 2016

Man and dog [Read More]

Posted on August 9, 2016

harvesting and hauling potatoes [Read More]

Posted on August 5, 2016

Main Street in Troy, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on August 2, 2016

Harvesting potatoes [Read More]

Posted on July 29, 2016

Main street at 4th street [Read More]

Posted on July 26, 2016

Potato Sack Race [Read More]

Posted on July 12, 2016

Leonard Arrington, class of 1939, peeling potatoes in the Lindley Hall kitchen. Lindley Hall existed as a men’s dormitory on campus from 1920 until 1971. [Read More]

Posted on July 8, 2016

Viola, Idaho [1] [Read More]

Posted on July 5, 2016

Agricultural engineering. University of Idaho. Dean James E. Kraus using a potato seed piece machine. [217-12] [Read More]

Posted on July 1, 2016

Lewiston and Clarkston, 1899 [Read More]

Posted on June 28, 2016

Left to right: UI President Jesse Buchanan, Restaurateur Dario L. Toffenetti, and Idaho Governor Charles A. Robins.  Mr. Toffenetti helped put Idaho potatoes on the national restaurant scene by extensively yet poetically advertising Idaho-grown baked potatoes that were served in his restaurants in Chicago and New York. [Read More]

Posted on June 24, 2016

University of Idaho, looking north from Administration building, 1912 [Read More]

Posted on June 14, 2016

Harvesting potatoes in Teton County. [Read More]

Posted on June 9, 2016

Happy International Archives Day! To celebrate, here is the first mention of a Special Collections at the University of Idaho Library. [Read More]

Posted on June 7, 2016

Pile of potatoes [Read More]

Posted on May 18, 2016

Menard Law Building after Mt. St. Helens eruption [Read More]

Posted on May 14, 2016

Originally a part of Nez Perce County, Latah (pronounced Lay-tah) County became official on May 14, 1888. According to the county government website, Latah County has the distinction of being the only county in the United States created by an Act of Congress. In 1887, Idaho’s delegate in Congress introduced... [Read More]

Posted on May 13, 2016

Burning bonds at Commencement [Read More]

Posted on May 12, 2016

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. lecture notes on extinct reptiles [Read More]

Posted on May 11, 2016

4-H Club students [Read More]

Posted on May 10, 2016

Home Economics kitchen. University of Idaho. Testing Idaho baked potatoes. [221-64] [Read More]

Posted on May 6, 2016

Asotin Park [Read More]

Posted on May 3, 2016

Examining potatoes in the University of Idaho Greenhouse, 1940s. [Read More]

Posted on April 29, 2016

Class of 1901 planting tree on Arbor Day [Read More]

Posted on April 21, 2016

Vandal Poem of the Day [Read More]

Posted on April 15, 2016

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Mom's Weekend [Read More]

Posted on April 12, 2016

Vandal Football legend Carl Kiilsgaard passes a potato for a publicity stunt sometime during his student tenure from 1946 to 1949.  After graduation, Carl was drafted and briefly played for NFL’s Chicago Cardinals in 1950 before being called back into active duty during the Korean War.  A life-long University of... [Read More]

Posted on April 8, 2016

Cattle judging contest [Read More]

Posted on April 6, 2016

Legal potatoes.

Posted on March 25, 2016

City of Rocks [1] [Read More]

Posted on March 22, 2016

ASUI President Philip (Flip) Kleffner is served Idaho potatoes by Home Economics student Janet Campbell in 1954. [Read More]

Posted on March 18, 2016

A. B. Curtis' dog, Rockey [Read More]

Posted on March 15, 2016

Potato planter [1] [Read More]

Posted on March 11, 2016

From PG 36, Olaf P. Larson Stereopticon Slides Collection.

Posted on March 8, 2016

Potatoes on stationary. [Read More]

Posted on February 27, 2016

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Posted on February 26, 2016

Student winners performing at the 2001 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

Posted on February 26, 2016

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Posted on February 24, 2016

Welcome Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival participants and spectators! Looking forward to a great week of musical celebration. Here are more performers from the 1991 Festival: from the top Al Grey, Pete and Conte Candoli.

Posted on February 23, 2016

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Posted on February 23, 2016

Jay [Read More]

Posted on February 19, 2016

Jazz has had a long history at the University of Idaho as next week we celebrate the 49th year of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.  Just a few years before the beginning of this epic event, the Student Union Ballroom, now the International Ballroom in the Bruce Pitman Center, was... [Read More]

Posted on February 16, 2016

A 1960s basketball rivalry between the University of Idaho and Idaho State University sees the winning team of the annual series sporting a smiling, silver spud trophy, the “King Spud.” [Read More]

Posted on February 9, 2016

Active apparently only in 1975, the Idaho Star Trek Club had at least 13 members.  With brief mentions of a possible local chapter of a fan club in the 1980s and 1990s, and online interest just recently, there might still be some Star Trek fans out there on the Palouse.... [Read More]

Posted on February 5, 2016

Next week I will be wrapping up the #Student Clubs series, although today’s find did leave an opening for a continuance down the road. [Read More]

Posted on January 29, 2016

The Websterian Society was a debate club open to any University of Idaho student in good standing.  The society existed over 50 years, from just three years after the doors opened to the latest mention I could find was in 1949. [Read More]

Posted on January 22, 2016

The Women’s Recreation Association was open to all women on the University of Idaho campus, promoting all types of fall, winter and spring sports as well as folk and modern dancing.  The WRA organized both intramural and extramural teams, no doubt with help from the physical education department.  Here are... [Read More]

Posted on January 15, 2016

Blue Key, a national honor society, became a part of the Vandal community in 1925, shortly after it originated at the University of Florida in 1924 Blue Key had a strong start at the UI, composed of upper class students who were leaders in various student activities and maintained a vital... [Read More]

Posted on January 9, 2016

The time-honored tradition of musical clubs has not wavered throughout the history of the University of Idaho, from choral and glee clubs to the Vandaleers Concert Choir and Jazz Choir. [Read More]

Posted on January 1, 2016

The Society for Creative Anachronism, that is!  While not technically a student club, the Society for Creative Anachronism was a non-profit organization with enough members who were University students to garner a page in the 1985 Gem of the Mountains Yearbook. The group was created around 1978 and from what... [Read More]

Posted on December 23, 2015

This week’s student club is Orchesis, a dance honorary created at the University of Idaho around 1948 with the first performance being May 7, 1948.  The club was organized for the advanced modern dance students, starting a tradition of dance recitals at every Christmastime and for the May Fete or... [Read More]

Posted on December 19, 2015

Chrestomathean Preparatory Debating Society [Read More]

Posted on December 12, 2015

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Posted on December 9, 2015

uispecialcollections: In 1923, 92 years ago, University of Idaho sent out its first radio broadcast of students singing Christmas Carols, heard as far away as Chicago, a distance of almost 1500 miles.  That Spring semester, the station became designated as KFAN, broadcasting programs, lectures, recitals, concerts, band and orchestra music,... [Read More]

Posted on December 5, 2015

The Vandal Flying Club publication [1] [Read More]

Posted on November 25, 2015

Fall Break, or the whole week off of school for Thanksgiving week.This was not the case, at least in 1942, when classes were required to be held on the Wednesday before and as well as on the following Friday and Saturday!  The few reports we have on these classes show... [Read More]

Posted on November 21, 2015

In honor of the end of the day on the last day before Fall break, I am posting images of the “Student Special,” a lower fare train route designed to deliver students from all over the state of Idaho safely back in Moscow for the start of the semester, or... [Read More]

Posted on November 13, 2015

Woman with "I" sweater [Read More]

Posted on November 10, 2015

The UFO Experience [Read More]

Posted on October 23, 2015

I-Men: Masters of the West 1998 Vandal Highlights [Read More]

Posted on October 9, 2015

"With the closed-circuit system and the addition of a low power FM radio station from which application is being made to the FCC, the Department of Communications will be one of the most thoroughly equipped in the Northwest" Dr. William W. Snyder, Head, Department of Communications, Argonaut, Oct. 20, 1961A... [Read More]

Posted on October 2, 2015

Imagine the embarrassment… caught stealing a library book! [Read More]

Posted on September 25, 2015

Vandal Traditions publication [Read More]

Posted on September 18, 2015

Self-deprecating humor found in the midst of a folder of administrative correspondence from one of our university presidents’ collections.  Happy Friday!

Posted on August 28, 2015

Now that the first week of the Fall semester is coming to a close, I am posting a few wise words of wisdom and some important ‘don’ts’ for students to follow, found in the 1899/1900 University of Idaho student handbook. [Read More]

Posted on August 25, 2015

So too does the University of Idaho Library’s first floor renovation project.  From my view in our temporary Special Collections reading room in the basement, the chaos has been kept fairly to a minimum (although I’m sure some would disagree).  All of the services that were on the first floor... [Read More]

Posted on August 20, 2015

Posted on August 15, 2015

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. H.B. Goldfarb letter [Read More]

Posted on August 7, 2015

Doc Cheatham [Read More]

Posted on July 31, 2015

Ray Brown neck ties [Read More]

Posted on July 23, 2015

Summer Samba [Read More]

Posted on July 17, 2015

I just love working in Special Collections.  In randomly searching through a box of our Jane Jarvis International Jazz Collection, I found this book of sing-a-long baseball songs.  It turns out that Ms. Jarvis was the Official Organist and Musical Director of the New York Mets, and before that, for... [Read More]

Posted on July 9, 2015

Summertime [1] [Read More]

Posted on July 4, 2015

4th of July picnic in Moscow, Idaho (1894) [Read More]

Posted on June 27, 2015

Dizzy Gillespie sunglasses [Read More]

Posted on June 18, 2015

Picnic in boats [Read More]

Posted on June 12, 2015

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Posted on May 29, 2015

Mrs. Murphy and an unidentified woman [Read More]

Posted on May 9, 2015

Born in 1873, Ben Bush was enlisted as Sergeant in Company D of the First Regiment of Idaho Volunteers in the Philippine Insurrection, on May 1st, 1898.  He received two medals, and was mustered out on September 25, 1899. [Read More]

Posted on May 4, 2015

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Posted on April 20, 2015

In anticipation of Logging Day at the University of Idaho Library tomorrow, April 21, 2015, UI Special Collections is celebrating all things wood.  We have selections of plates from Hough’s American Woods showing samples of the types of lumber commonly forested in North Idaho:as well as cruise books and diaries... [Read More]

Posted on April 4, 2015

This map from our Bunker Hill Mining Company Records Collection measures about 5 feet by 20 feet.  The different colors show a different level underground, showing levels 9 through 17 in the Bunker Hill Mining Complex.  Unfortunately the date is not known. [Read More]

Posted on March 27, 2015

Today is the first of our two Vandal Fridays this year, welcoming incoming freshmen to get acquainted with University life.  It’s an exciting time for UI Library Special Collections to help family members connect with previous generations of Vandals, through our yearbook collection the Gem of the Mountains, and historical... [Read More]

Posted on March 20, 2015

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Posted on March 7, 2015

In continuation of the celebration of the first annual Idaho Day on March 4th, I’m posting this 1920 Clason’s Idaho Green Guide, which boasts Idaho’s abundant electricity at the time. [Read More]

Posted on February 13, 2015

Ev'rybody Wants To Be Loved (By Someone) [Read More]

Posted on January 31, 2015

“Each individual who desires to contribute to bringing about better conditions of living, should try to interest other individuals and organizations in Relatism and its objective of creating a modernized world, so that the principles it represents can continue to grow until they become the basis of a new and... [Read More]

Posted on January 24, 2015

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Personal letter [Read More]

Posted on January 17, 2015

In 1923, 92 years ago, University of Idaho sent out its first radio broadcast of students singing Christmas Carols, heard as far away as Chicago, a distance of almost 1500 miles.  That Spring semester, the station became designated as KFAN, broadcasting programs, lectures, recitals, concerts, band and orchestra music, and... [Read More]

Posted on December 23, 2014

This 1933 Holiday Greeting served as card and envelope all in one.  When it is folded into quarters then sealed with a flap on one side, it was able to be sent through the mail.  The delightful depiction of campus was sent by Jesse and Leah Buchanan.  Jesse was the... [Read More]

Posted on December 13, 2014

Mrs. Murphy [Read More]

Posted on December 6, 2014

December 5, 1933, 81 years ago today, America ratified the 21st amendment once again legalizing alcohol.  The 18th amendment, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within the United States, originally passed in 1919 with the best of intentions to improve society and home life, but quickly spiraled... [Read More]

Posted on November 26, 2014

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Aaron R. Gould letter [Read More]

Posted on November 15, 2014

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Oregon Washington & Idaho Gazetteer and Business Directory [Read More]

Posted on November 7, 2014

Well, perhaps not, but this Lilliput Swedish-English Dictionary is the smallest one I’ve ever held!  Published by Barnes and Noble, Inc. and printed in Germany, it has 640 pages and measures just 2 inches tall, 1 ½ inches wide, and ¾ of an inch thick. [Read More]

Posted on October 31, 2014

Mrs. Homer Coverly posing in costume for a play, "Sweeping in the Moon" [Read More]

Posted on October 24, 2014

"The wheat smut center of the world."  That was the dubious distinction of the Pacific Northwest thirty years ago.  It was a critical situation and one which threatened the very existence of the grain industry in this region.  Through the concerted efforts of plant scientists, farmers, and commercial interests this... [Read More]

Posted on October 17, 2014

To honor this year’s theme of “Once Upon a Homecoming,” here is a montage to reminisce or see anew the many faces of Joe Vandal. [Read More]

Posted on October 10, 2014

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Posted on October 3, 2014

Coeur d'Alene Water Supply Company [Read More]

Posted on September 26, 2014

Dad's Weekend [Read More]