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William Harris Papers – Bread and Puppet Theater

Authored by Rio Aucena

Bread and Puppet Theater production

Archbishop Oscar Romero (giant puppet) from the Bread and Puppet Theater’s new production, The Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

When historical pictures are unearthed, these items not only tell us about our past but connects us together as a community. Some of these go a step further and leave messages that inspire and instill worthwhile values such as love, respect and service.

While perusing Marymount Manhattan College’s William Harris Papers, an image of a giant puppet caught my attention. Equally attention-grabbing was the note attached behind the black and white photograph stating the snapshot was from the Bread and Puppet Theater’s new production entitled, “The Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.” With such a curious theater group name and an interesting production subject, my interest was piqued.

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The Holder of Knowledge

Authored by Danielle Griffith

DEUS SCIENTIAE EST DOMINUS

St. Albert Hall Inscription

Introduction

This inscription, Deus Scientiae est Dominus, translates to “God is the Lord of knowledge”. Artists Ferrenz and Taylor created the inscription that is located at St. John’s University’s Queens campus. It is inscribed outside of St. Albert Hall, which was built in 1956. St. Albert Hall houses the science department. St. John’s University made no mistake in carefully choosing the name of the hall where the science department is housed or the inscription on the building. Each was chosen carefully to depict a powerful, unified message. Continue reading →

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William Harris Papers-Paul Zindel

Authored by Erika Wilson

Zindel watermarked image

Clipping of the play to be performed at the Biltmore Theatre

The Effect of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds was written by Paul Zindel. His novel received a Pulitzer Prize in 1964 and eventually became a popular Broadway performance. Some of the advertisements and review clippings from various Broadway performances of the play are archived in the William Harris Papers at Manhattan Marymount College. An impressive collection of 96 scripts, 4,450 folders of clippings and a collection of photographs gathered by Mr. Harris during the decades of the 1960s to the 1990s (Manhattan, 2016).

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Dr. King and Selma: A limited View

Authored by Emily Lacey

Images of microfilm from the Staten Island Advance article on Dr. Kings arrest in Selma 2/1/1965.

Article written by unsourced author from the Staten Island Advances February 1, 1965 issue on Dr. King and his arrest in Selma, Alabama

Collection:

Microfilm was never something I had given any thought to throughout my research endeavors. So, when the opportunity arose to learn how to use it, and work with a collection of it, I was interested. Microfilm is interesting, in that during its prime it was an innovative way to house a large amount of materials. The New Dorp Library has an extensive collection of microfilm, every newspaper edition from the Staten Island Advance from 1964- 2008 is housed in filing cabinets, and reels of film for public use. The front page of a February 1, 1965 paper stood out to me, not because of the headline article, but because to the left with two small column was an article on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested in Selma. This little article, along with a follow up equally as short on page 9 was what the paper had representing this historic time.

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Mary Seat of Wisdom, In Constant Service to the St. John’s University Community

Authored by Stephanie Fortino Gonzalez

Mary, Seat of Wisdom statue in the St. Thomas More Church, St John's University Campus

Mary, Seat of Wisdom statue in the St. Thomas More Church, St John’s University Campus

Positioned towards the front of St. Thomas More Church on the St. John’s University campus, a bronze statue of a seated Mary quietly gazes down at the scripture on her lap. The Seat of Wisdom statue, a rare image depicting Mary in the late stages of her life, may seem like a peculiar choice for a youthful college campus. Yet, for the designers of the church, she was the only choice for this space.

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Le Tomahawk, the XIX Corps and the 29th Infantry Division in WWII

Authored by Ashley Candreva

'Le Tomahawk,' Newsletter for the XIX Corps, issue No. 1. 1944-06-18. Regarding the invasion of Normandy. Created by Major Ray Craft.

‘Le Tomahawk,’ Newsletter for the XIX Corps, issue No. 1. 1944-06-18. Regarding the invasion of Normandy. Created by Major Ray Craft.

Le Tomahawk is a corps newsletter created by Major Ray Craft [1] for the XIX Corps[2], which at the time this newsletter was written was made up of the 2nd and 3rd armored divisions, and 29th and 30th infantry divisions in WWII [3]. Ray Craft was a newsman from California who was the aide to Major General Charles H. Corlett [4], commanding general of the XIX corps beginning in April 1944. The XIX are most notable for their participation in D-Day, with the 29th infantry division[5] being 1 of 2 of the first divisions to land on the beach in Normandy on Omaha beach [6].

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Behind the Numbers: Vietnamese Refugees at Dong Rek Camp

Authored by Marilyn Diliberti

Background Memorandum on Refugee Admissions Program FY 1986

First of four pages summarizing projected refugee admissions for the 1986 fiscal year

More than a decade after Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho shook hands at the Hotel Majestic in Paris and the last weary American troops returned home, Vietnam still held the world’s attention in 1985. The Vietnamese endured economic and social hardship in the years following the official end of the Vietnam War and, with these new challenges, America turned its focus from war to the resettlement of refugees. The number is small; only 1035 Vietnamese refugees from the Dong Rek Camp were accepted for resettlement into the United States in 1985.[1]  Behind the numbers, though, is history that has been all but forgotten, hidden by the lingering shadow of the Vietnam War. Continue reading →

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Mapping 19th Century London: A Place of Extreme Inequality

Authored by Christina Boyle

A map of London from 1815.

A map of 1815 London, England, published by “G. Jones.” The map is part of the digital collections of The New York Public Library.

This map of London, published in 1815, represents the large, bustling capital of England. Today, London is the metropolitan cultural center of Britain,1 but in the early 19th century, it was a city of the poor working class.2 During this time, renowned authors such as Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Charlotte Bronte were writing, setting their works in the London depicted in this map. The London that they knew was far different from that of today. This map depicts a city rich in history, with still-relevant main streets, docks, and landmarks that currently remain. It also captures the London that has been portrayed by these and other Napoleonic and Victorian writers: a smoggy and sooty city rife with poverty and distress. Continue reading →

An American in Berlin, 1936

Authored by Lindsay Jankovitz

Postcard written by J.J Cole to Edward J. Bartlett’s parents while at the Berlin Olympics, August, 1936 (front)

Postcard written by J.J Cole to Edward J. Bartlett’s parents while at the Berlin Olympics, August, 1936 (front)

This postcard was found among the collection I have been working with during my Academic Service-Learning component for course LIS 203 at Bard College. This collection details the letters of a student, Edward J. Bartlett, to his parents during his time at Bard College from 1936-1940 and while serving in World War II from 1943-1945. This postcard is unique in that it places Bartlett at the Berlin Olympics at a time when most Americans felt strongly about boycotting the event, and when many European scholars and artists were finding refuge at his college, including Hannah Arendt, Stefan Hirsch, and Werner Wolff. This postcard was written to Bartlett’s parents by J. J Cole, whose relationship to Edward J. Bartlett is currently unknown.



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The Ward Brothers, World Champion Rowers

	


		

		
Authored by Kerin Santos


Studio Portrait of the Ward Brothers, Joshua and Gilbert appear seated in front, Henry and Ellis are standing behind.
The Ward Brothers, Winners of the Saratoga International Regatta (Joshua, Henry, Gilbert, Ellis) – From a Photograph by Baker & Record, Saratoga Springs


A group of distinguished athletes – all brothers – lived in the beautiful riverfront town of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York in the mid- to late-1800s (Norsen 1958, p. 20). These Ward Brothers took the world of competitive rowing by storm with their impressive talents. They were five of fourteen children born to Isaac and Winifred Ward. Isaac Ward, originally from Middle Hope outside of Newburgh, was an experienced seaman as a proprietor of fishing vessels, sloops, and “Yankee schooners” and was a hotel-owner as well (Norsen 1958, p.21). Isaac prided himself on teaching his sons to row and sail on the Hudson River from the time they were young and he shared with them everything he knew about the river and boats (Norsen 1958, p.21). From eldest to youngest, the brothers include William Henry (Hank), Charles, Joshua (Josh), Gilbert (Gil), and Ellis.


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