Posted on February 11, 2022

When delving into the historic record, sometimes you find that things that you thought to be true, are in fact not. In some cases, trusted sources can be wrong, like us. For example, previously we have made the claim that Jennie Eva Hughes was the first Black graduate at the... [Read More]

Posted on February 4, 2022

This February, we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Black Student Union (BSU) at the University of Idaho with a new exhibit in the University of Idaho Library. A coordinated effort from the Black History Research Lab, the Library’s Data and Digital Services, and the Library’s Special Collections and... [Read More]

Posted on February 1, 2022

Idaho is commonly known for it’s potato. Those in Idaho will boldly argue against anyone else’s claim to potato fame and anyone outside of the state generally first thinks of a potato when Idaho is mentioned (that is once they’ve realized it isn’t Ohio or Iowa). And to be honest,... [Read More]

Posted on January 25, 2022

In the early 1970s, two women, Norma Lewis and Verla Olson, identified a need for hot food for homebound and elderly members of the Moscow community. In 1971, the Moscow Meals-on-Wheels program was organized to deliver meals to those who needed a little extra assistance. Moscow Meals-on-Wheels delivered hot noon... [Read More]

Posted on January 5, 2022

Exhibit work is rarely a simple task. Over a year ago, I was tasked with creating a permanent exhibit to be featured on the 2nd floor of the library. Since this would be a long standing exhibit, to be on display whenever another exhibit was not in the space, I... [Read More]

Posted on December 17, 2021

Going into this holiday season and as the semester ends, the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives has been working hard on several projects to be completed early in the new year. Our student workers are also hard at work finishing up their classes, preparing for finals and graduation,... [Read More]

Posted on November 1, 2021

Earlier this year, a researcher approached the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives wondering if it would be possible to digitize some materials from the George Shihei Shitamae papers. As a Japanese immigrant, George Shihei Shitamae was incarcerated at the Santa Fe Detention Center in Santa Fe. His... [Read More]

Posted on September 6, 2021

In days of library past, before the age of computers, libraries housed information about their holdings in a card catalogue. These large wooden boxes with a million tiny drawers, held information about books, photograph, maps, and more. They could tell you the title, the author, the year of publication, their... [Read More]

Posted on August 2, 2021

Over the last year, Special Collections staff has embarked on a massive shifting project. Prompted by a desire to utilize our space more efficiently, and make more space for incoming materials, we began shifting our largest book collection, the Day-Northwest Book Collection. Consisting of over 24,400 individual titles, it took... [Read More]

Posted on July 27, 2021

When archival collections are donated to us, they are received in various levels of order or disarray. Our job is to rehouse the materials into safe storage containers, organize them, and then describe them, so researchers can find what they are looking for. Often the rehousing process can lead to... [Read More]

Posted on July 20, 2021

A new exhibit has been installed on the 2nd floor of the library. Snakes of Idaho a photograph exhibit on loan to the University of Idaho from Idaho Museum of Natural History at Idaho State University will be on display through September. Featuring photographs taken by Dr. Charles “Chuck” Peterson,... [Read More]

Posted on July 3, 2021

Local League of Women Voters Papers Processed [Read More]

Posted on June 28, 2021

According to the The Compact Atlas of Idaho “Idaho is not well known in the United States or the world and many Idahoans like it that way. Many on the east coast of the U.S still believe Idaho is really Iowa or Ohio. For those who know the name the... [Read More]

Posted on May 5, 2021

Last week was National Preservation Week where libraries and archives promote the importance of preservation work and often share resources on how to preserve various materials. As is often the case, we got caught up with other projects and reference and just the day to day distractions of archival work,... [Read More]

Posted on April 2, 2021

In November, a small group of Special Collections staff, other library employees, and some volunteers from the Latah County Historical Society worked to install a new exhibit on the 2nd floor of the library. It took all day, but at the end of the day, the “NEH On the Road”... [Read More]

Posted on March 3, 2021

Exciting News! We at the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives have just finished our latest digital exhibit. Moving Forward While Looking Back: Japanese Americans, Japan, Idaho and the University explores the experiences of Japanese Americans and Japan during and after World War II. [Read More]

Posted on February 15, 2021

With the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival approaching, we thought we would take a look at one of the investigations we did with our International Jazz Collections over the last year. [Read More]

Posted on December 4, 2020

Inside the Cover: Pledge to the Wind In Pledge to the Wind, Peter and Donna Thomas reflect on Everett Ruess’ poem of the same name and the beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Everett Ruess was an artist, poet, and writer known for his exploration of the High Sierra, California coast,... [Read More]

Posted on August 20, 2020

Today, we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. After a decades long struggle, the women’s suffrage movement saw the United States Congress grant women the right to vote. This momentous moment was a large step towards women’s equality in the country, allowing women to... [Read More]

Posted on August 6, 2020

At 8:15 AM on August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Justified as a means to end the war in the Pacific, it killed 80,000 people instantly and over 200,000 total. It was followed three days later with another bombing in Nagasaki.  [Read More]

Posted on August 3, 2020

Over the last several months we’ve had to remain socially distant from our campus, staggering schedules, limited in our ability to perform reference, and missing our Vandal friends and family. This week we all return fully to campus (with precautions). Most of our Special Collections staff will be back in... [Read More]

Posted on April 20, 2020

Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) [Read More]

Posted on April 19, 2020

In October 1918 an Influenza Pandemic came to the University of Idaho. Upon its arrival the university took quick action to limit its spread. Following procedures recommended by the government including quarantine, gauze masks, event cancellations and more, the university weathered the disease. The new 1918 Flu Pandemic Collection looks... [Read More]

Posted on April 17, 2020

Today, while researching for some possible future exhibits, we made a discovery. While going through our Gem of the Mountains Yearbook Digital Collection, in the 1964 yearbook we found that Henry Mancini once performed at the University of Idaho with his orchestra. [Read More]

Posted on February 29, 2020

Joshua Redman last performed at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in 1997. At that time, he was just 5 years into his career as a jazz musician. Now, 23 years later, we are thrilled to have him back, this time with his “Still Dreaming” Quartet. [Read More]

Posted on February 27, 2020

We cannot contain our excitement (and neither can Al Grey), the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is finally here! [Read More]

Posted on February 20, 2020

Conte Candoli leather jacket Conte Candoli playing trumpet [Read More]

Posted on February 19, 2020

Conte Candoli leather jacket [Read More]

Posted on February 11, 2020

Jazz Women exhibit [Read More]

Posted on January 22, 2020

The Great Performer exhibit [Read More]

Posted on January 15, 2020

Voices of Jazz [1] [Read More]

Posted on January 8, 2020

Jazz Festival sweatshirt [Read More]

Posted on January 1, 2020

Happy New Year!  You did it! You survived the 13 days of winter break and the onslaught of random poetry brought to you by our staff. Tomorrow our office, Tumblr and lives will return to normal as we wait for the spring semester to begin. So I will leave you... [Read More]

Posted on December 31, 2019

This New Year’s Eve, we say goodbye to 2019 and welcome the 2020s. Here is a poem to commemorate this momentous occasion:  "Nuanced moments filled with anticipation.Every eye turned to the sky Wondering at the possibilities.Yesteryear has been fulfilled,Enlightened optimism forthcoming.All the world gathered to celebrate.Resolutions fill each mind, humming.Silent reverie... [Read More]

Posted on December 30, 2019

We never imagined we would be able to write so many poems in such a short amount of time. It’s almost the end of the 13 days of winter break and we’re running out of steam, so here’s a poem about the dark days of winter... "The solstice has come... [Read More]

Posted on December 29, 2019

Another day of break, another haiku: "Blue mountains galoreEnchanting starlight aboveBlock printing for all!" [Read More]

Posted on December 28, 2019

Yet another mother and child from Mary Kirkwood, we will have a throwback to our iambic pentameter sonnet and amniotic fluid haiku for this poem about pregnancy and iambic pentameter. "no STRESS, no STRESS, no STRESSThe contractions comeSeparated by the minutest minutes five.  no STRESS, no STRESS, no STRESSTime comes undonePrompted... [Read More]

Posted on December 27, 2019

This poem is set to the melody of "What Child Is This," it is called "What Day is This?""What day is this?I’m losing track.No school or work to keep me.Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+I curl on the couch sleeping. Tumblr posts written pastPost now as they were scheduledYet, I think not of... [Read More]

Posted on December 26, 2019

Yesterday, we had some verses in an attempt at iambic pentameter, there was some discussion among staff about iambic (amniotic) fluid in pregnancy, so today’s poem is about amniotic fluid. Here is a haiku: [Read More]

Posted on December 25, 2019

MERRY CHRISTMAS! [Read More]

Posted on December 24, 2019

This Christmas Eve, we give an acrostic poem spelling out the title of the poem from the Christmas card: [Read More]

Posted on December 23, 2019

What card shall inspire our poetry today, you ask? Why another with a woman and child… “Is it just me, or is there a theme. The image I see repeats it seems.A woman and child.A woman and child. A woman and child. The image below schemes, To invade all of... [Read More]

Posted on December 22, 2019

The poems continue: [Read More]

Posted on December 21, 2019

Here is a poem to celebrate the end of the semester: [Read More]

Posted on December 21, 2019

Here is a haiku for today’s Christmas card: [Read More]

Posted on December 4, 2019

Inside the Cover: Broadsides For our final Inside the Cover pertaining to the exhibit A Book’s Nature, we are stepping away from the books on display. If you have been to the exhibit, you may have noticed these broadsides hanging on the wall. They were created between April and October... [Read More]

Posted on November 20, 2019

You may or may not know that most paper today is made using wood pulp. The pulp is made from breaking down wood chips. This is done in order to separate it into cellulose fibers, lignin, and other substances, eventually creating a slurry, which is then used to create paper.... [Read More]

Posted on November 11, 2019

World War I soldiers marching [Read More]

Posted on November 11, 2019

In 1936, on their way to New York for Lionel to join Benny Goodman’s band, Lionel Hampton and Gladys Riddle were married. An accomplished seamstress, Gladys gave up her profession to help Lionel build his career. While Lionel played music, Gladys ran the business. Managing Lionel and the band, negotiating... [Read More]

Posted on November 6, 2019

This week’s Inside the Cover features the Thomas’ scroll book Piute Creek. The featured poem was written by Gary Snyder, an American poet who began his career in the 1950s. He was a member of the "Beat Generation", and the San Francisco Rennaissance. His work "blends physical reality and precise observations of nature... [Read More]

Posted on October 31, 2019

In 1563, Witchcraft was deemed a capital offence in Britain. Between 1645-1646 East Anglia became increasingly concerned about witches. Matthew Hopkins known as the Witchfinder General did his part in putting “witches” to death during this time.1 Ellen Castelow, “Witches in Britain,” Historic UK: The History and Heritage Accommodation Guide ↩... [Read More]

Posted on October 23, 2019

This week’s Inside the Cover is looking at The Alder. The encapsulated poem by William Everson describes the felling of a tree. Peter and Donna Thomas used an alder from Kingfisher Flat, the location Everson felled a tree in his poem, to bind the pages. The illustrations were created by Donna Thomas... [Read More]

Posted on October 18, 2019

Today, we continue the Vandal’s traditional serpentine! It may no longer run through town like in this photograph from the 1950s. It will, however, run along Old and New Greek, through the residence halls up to the bonfire in the Kibbie Dome parking lot. [Read More]

Posted on October 15, 2019

University of Idaho letter sweater and yellow beanie [Read More]

Posted on October 14, 2019

Homecoming week has begun and we are jumping for joy! Whether you participate in the serpentine, watch the parade, or just read our homecoming posts, we hope your week is great! [Read More]

Posted on October 12, 2019

Did you know that the University of Idaho Marching Band is celebrating its 100th year this Homecoming? Marching alumni will be heading to campus to celebrate this wondrous occasion and will be performing in the annual Homecoming Parade. Be sure to stop by the parade and celebrate with these talented... [Read More]

Posted on October 9, 2019

Today, from 1:00-3:30pm the book artists Peter and Donna Thomas will be giving a papermaking demonstration outside the library. Along with them will be their "Gypsy Wagon" in which they travel across the country. After their demonstration, at 4:00pm there will be a reception on the second floor of the library. This... [Read More]

Posted on October 8, 2019

Song of the Wandering Book Artists"Afoot & light-heartedWe take to the open road,Healthy, free, the world before us, The winding lanes before us, Leading wherever we choose..."The winding lanes have brought the wandering book artists, Peter and Donna Thomas, to the University of Idaho. Throughout the week they will be meeting with... [Read More]

Posted on September 25, 2019

We continue our series Inside the Cover by looking at another book on display in our exhibit A Book’s Nature: Artist Books by Peter and Donna Thomas. This book, Not Paper, delves into materials that are paper-like, but still not paper.As stated in the above image "Paper was traditionally made from rags.... [Read More]

Posted on September 20, 2019

It is the last week of summer, and with it brings our last Flowery Friday of the season. This picture of the University of Idaho campus shows some beautiful fall blooms. May your fall be just as beautiful. [Read More]

Posted on September 13, 2019

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Posted on September 3, 2019

Special Collections display [Read More]

Posted on August 30, 2019

These mostly unidentified Flowery Friday watercolors were painted by former University of Idaho Faculty Sara Annette Bowman. Bowman served as Professor of Drawing (later Free Hand and Industrial Drawing) from some of the earliest days for the University. Starting in 1893, she taught drawing along with other art media until... [Read More]

Posted on August 28, 2019

Our current exhibit, A Book’s Nature: Artist Books by Peter and Donna Thomas, has incredible works of art on display. Unfortunately, such a display only allows for one or two pages of most books to be seen. Throughout the run of the exhibit, we will post some pictures from inside... [Read More]

Posted on August 23, 2019

For this Flowery Friday we were flipping through L. Bruggeman’s Tropical Plants and Their Cultivation. There were so many beautiful plates of flowers to choose, but Hymenocallis littoralis kept catching our attention. [Read More]

Posted on August 19, 2019

It turns out that August 19th is National Aviation Day, but also National Photography Day. Rather than celebrate these individually, we thought we would combine the two and celebrate National Aviation Photography Day. How do you do this, you may ask? Aerial Photographs!!! [Read More]

Posted on August 16, 2019

These captivating Flowery Friday orchids are from Erich Nelson, Book of Plates of the Genus Orchis. Erich Nelson was a German artist, designer, and botanist. His illustrations have a insurmountable amount of detail which contributed greatly to the understanding of orchids. Throughout his life he completed several volumes of illustrations.1... [Read More]

Posted on August 12, 2019

Books that roll, books that scroll, books that stretch! Painted, printed, cut, and more! Books both small and tall! [Read More]

Posted on August 9, 2019

Next week we have a new exhibit opening. So, this week we have been staging the exhibit, prepping the cases, cleaning the cases, and hanging part of the exhibit. It’s a lot of work, but is starting to come together. This afternoon we begin install, followed closely by a nap.... [Read More]

Posted on August 9, 2019

Sometimes we get reference requests. Sometimes we can’t find what someone is looking for. Sometimes we discover incredible flowers we didn’t know could exist. Happy Flowery Friday [Read More]

Posted on August 8, 2019

Cat on dock [Read More]

Posted on August 2, 2019

Today’s Flowery Friday is a single trillium bloom. The western white trillium is the most widespread trillium in the western states, it can be found from the Pacific Northwest, into California, and inland to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. [Read More]

Posted on July 26, 2019

This week several of us in the University of Idaho Special Collections and Archives have been rehousing some materials from Herman Ronnenberg, a beer enthusiast from Troy, ID. It is not uncommon to come across correspondence when going through materials, but we found the perfect addition for Flowery Friday on... [Read More]

Posted on July 23, 2019

Apollo 11 return [1] [Read More]

Posted on July 21, 2019

The PDF is not rendering in your browser. Please use the link below to download the PDF. Apollo 11 press release [2] [Read More]

Posted on July 20, 2019

On this day in 1969, man first walked on the moon. Fifty years later we are still fascinated with this great scientific feat. Prior to the moon landing, there was much planning and speculation. This image of the moon landing is an artist’s rendering, it was sent out to the... [Read More]

Posted on July 19, 2019

This Flowery Friday takes us down to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. This postcard depicts a lovely garden, and reads: [Read More]

Posted on July 12, 2019

These amateur Flowery Friday photographs were taken by Mildred Edith Burlingame. Mildred was an associate professor of psychology at the University of Idaho from 1942 to 1969. Her hobbies included gardening and photography, which explains the large number of slides in her papers, many of which include wildflowers. The above... [Read More]

Posted on July 9, 2019

Stonewall book exhibit [Read More]

Posted on July 5, 2019

Sometimes you are walking around campus and you find the most wondrous hidden things. It turns out the the Life Sciences Building has wonderful painted flowers and pine cones above their entrances. It is a reminder that even when you feel you know everything about campus, there may still be... [Read More]

Posted on July 4, 2019

Wallace (Idaho) 4th of July parade 1921 [05] [Read More]

Posted on June 28, 2019

This Flowery Friday we stepped outside the library to enjoy the summer weather. While there we found some lovely purple blooms in the library courtyard. [Read More]

Posted on June 21, 2019

This Flowery Friday is brought to you from the Kyle Laughlin Photograph Collection. Kyle Lauglin was a long time resident and business owner of Moscow, ID. As a resident of Moscow, he and his wife had several business ventures, including photography. Even after he closed his photography business, Laughlin continued... [Read More]

Posted on June 14, 2019

These stereoscope and slides belonged to Olaf P. Larson. Larson was a Norwegian immigrant who came to the US in 1884, moving to Moscow, ID by the mid-1890s. He established himself as a photographer and produced stereographs. Stereoscopic slides depict two images, a left-eye and right-eye view of an image,... [Read More]

Posted on June 7, 2019

Officially designated Idaho’s state flower in 1931, Syringa (philadelphus lewisii) has been the floral choice of Idaho since at least the 1890′s, when it was depicted in the state seal. These little white flowers are known for their strong, sweet fragrance, nicknamed “mock orange” because of the similar scent of... [Read More]

Posted on May 31, 2019

A few weeks ago, we took a walk around town and saw a new flower (for us at least). This Yellow Crown Imperial stands 2-3 feet tall with the yellow blooms pointing down. Crown Imperials are native around Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, they are often cultivated as an... [Read More]

Posted on May 30, 2019

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Posted on May 24, 2019

Common to this County: Botanical Discoveries of Lewis and Clark [1] [Read More]

Posted on May 17, 2019

Over the last few weeks, we have noticed the flowering of many beautiful spring and summer flowers. So, we thought we would start off the summer sessions with a new series. Every Flowery Friday we will be posting content related flowers from our collections (or walks around the neighborhood). [Read More]

Posted on May 13, 2019

Today, we lost the lovely Doris Day. Throughout her singing career, Day worked with several bandleaders, including Jimmy James, Bob Crosby, and Les Brown. In 1945, while working with Les Brown, Day recorded "Sentimental Journey" which became a hit. Above is an advertisement from a 1945 issue of music magazine,... [Read More]

Posted on May 2, 2019

May has arrived, and with it is a new display in our reading room! Merry May, Campus Day showcases photographs of festivities around campus for Campus Day. Beginning in 1910, the busy day of events included speeches, dancing, parades, Maypoles, and more. The festivities associated with Campus Day were often the... [Read More]

Posted on April 25, 2019

Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996) [Read More]

Posted on April 13, 2019

Moscow Public Library Moscow, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on April 11, 2019

Lionel Hampton and his dog on piano, 10 July 1946 [Read More]

Posted on April 10, 2019

Carnegie Library. Lewiston, Idaho. [Read More]

Posted on April 9, 2019

Wallace Public Library [Read More]

Posted on March 28, 2019

In 1926, the Clearwater Timber Company constructed the Clearwater Mill in Lewiston, ID. When it was built it was the largest white pine mill in the world. Due to the financial hardships of The Great Depression, in 1931, the Clearwater Timber Company merged with Potlatch Lumber Company and Rutledge Lumber... [Read More]

Posted on March 22, 2019

Potlatch Corporation employees [Read More]

Posted on March 20, 2019

Idaho Club Women exhibit [Read More]

Posted on March 9, 2019

Company 'C'. Military Science. University of Idaho. [208-8] [Read More]

Posted on March 4, 2019

To celebrate the creation of the Idaho Territory by President Lincoln on March 4th, 1863, we found the original sketch of the Idaho seal designed and adopted by the Territorial Governor Caleb Lyon. [Read More]

Posted on February 24, 2019

Lionel Hampton with band in front of Al Hirt's New Orleans Bourbon street nightclub, 1965 [Read More]

Posted on February 22, 2019

Lionel Hampton on drums, 1950 [Read More]

Posted on February 15, 2019

We are ending our Valentine’s Day posts with the poetic love of Come Swiftly to Your Love: Love Poems of Ancient Egypt, translated by Idaho born poet Ezra Pound and published in 1962. Not only is this book full of romantic verse, but it also has some pretty great illustrations. [Read More]

Posted on February 14, 2019

To celebrate love and romance, today we will be making posts about the different kinds of love found in our collections. Starting with the literary love letters of Mark Twain. [Read More]

Posted on February 14, 2019

In The Natural Philosophy of Love, Remy de Gourmount reflects on sexual attraction. With material discussing topics such as the sexual life of oysters, cannibalism in sex (think mantis), polygamy/monogamy of the animal world, and much more, Gourmont constructs a philosophy around sexual mores and the natural world of which humans... [Read More]

Posted on February 5, 2019

Blake Little: photographs from the Gay Rodeo exhibit [Read More]

Posted on January 23, 2019

Yesterday, the 91st Annual Academy Awards announced their nominations. Today, we look at the 1946 Oscar-nominated screenplay Anna and the King of Siam. [Read More]

Posted on January 8, 2019

King of the Vibes exhibit [1] [Read More]

Posted on December 5, 2018

Lionel Hampton with Vice President George H. W. Bush, 1985 [Read More]

Posted on November 12, 2018

Remembering Stan Lee (1922-2018), the man who helped bring us some of our favorite superheroes. In 1968, Stan Lee, Jim Steranko, Joe Sinnott, and Tom  Palmer produced three special issues of Captain America. This 1984 Special Edition of Captain America took those stories and published them in full color on... [Read More]

Posted on November 11, 2018

In 1941, Congress approved the creation of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), later replaced by the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), ensuring women who served in support of the Army would be afforded all the rights and benefits of soldiers. [Read More]

Posted on November 10, 2018

Dad's Day [Read More]

Posted on November 1, 2018

Joaquin Miller [Read More]

Posted on September 14, 2018

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Posted on September 11, 2018

The Lord of the Rings (pirated) [Read More]