Wright State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives

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Wright State University Libraries Special Collections & Archives

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Wright State University Libraries' Special Collections & Archives collects, preserves, and makes available the history of aviation, the local and regional history of the Miami Valley of Ohio, and the university's history.

10/09/2026

⚙️PROJECT UPDATE⚙️ Our shelving project is moving right along! Half of our new compact shelving units are built and operational. Hooray!

Please note that our reading room remains closed to research appointments (see third photo), but we are committed to answering reference questions by phone and email to the extent our access to the collections allow. Please don't hesitate to reach out.

We're grateful to everyone for their patience as we work to complete these exciting upgrades and can't wait to show you the final setup!

10/02/2026

"Show honor, show a stony heart, and sink them with it."

's production of The Crucible continues this weekend, and we're going! We recently found photos of the program's 1978 production in the University Archives. Take a look!

📸1-3: "WSU Theatre - The Crucible - Production Shots," 28 February 1978 (University Photographs Collection).

10/01/2026

How iconic is this image? On October 1, 1967, Wright State became an independent university after starting as a branch campus for The Ohio State University and Miami University. Happy 59th Birthday, WSU! 🎂

📸: Brage Golding with Wright State University Sign (before independence), 1965 (University Photographs Collection).

09/24/2026

Ten years. Thousands of gifts. Countless student stories.💚 💛 This September 30th and
October 1st, every gift helps power scholarships, research, hands-on learning, and more.
Get ready to make your mark on !

09/17/2026

Color matters in digital preservation! This famous photo of Orville Wright taking flight just doesn't look the same without accurate color.

Thanks to a partnership grant from the National Aviation Heritage Area, Wright State University Special Collections & Archives has added an iPublish Pro 3 color calibration system to our digitization workflow. Color calibration helps ensure that our digital images faithfully represent the original archival materials, providing researchers and the public with accurate, preservation-quality digital surrogates for years to come.

We're grateful for NAHA's investment in preserving the Dayton region's aviation heritage. Read more on our blog: https://bit.ly/4y0of4V

📸 1: "First Flight" with simulated color discrepancies, 17 December 1903. Wright Brothers Collection (MS-1_16_2_10)
📸 2: Calibrating a monitor at one of our digitization work stations.
📸 3: "First Flight" with accurate color.

09/16/2026

So fresh and so clean. 🧹 ✨
Check out the process of cleaning the Wright Flyer.
https://bit.ly/4hwPC0A

08/27/2026

Exciting news: we are replacing our compact shelving units! This exciting opportunity is funded by a Ohio Community Investment Grant.

Because of these facility upgrades, our reading room is temporarily closed and we are not scheduling research appointments at this time.

Phone and email reference services are still available, with limited access to the collections. Researchers may need to resubmit their inquiry in October. Aviation Trail stamps are available at the Circulation Desk on the first floor of the library.

We apologize for this inconvenience, but thank you for your patience. Stay tuned for updates. 🔨

08/26/2026

Here is more stunning conservation work by Laura Moeller at Strange Stock Art Conservation, made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act Conservation & Preservation Grant, administered by the State Library of Ohio and funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services!

In the past, these have been some of our favorite items to pull for tours and display. The French Legion of Honor Palm and Olive Leaf, awarded to Katharine Wright in 1924, is a real looker with that gorgeous purple color. And it doesn't get more iconic than reading Bishop Milton Wright's diary entry from December 17, 1903. But we haven't been showing these items in recent years due to their structural weaknesses.

All that's changed now with the support of this grant and Laura's work. These items—as well as Orville Wright's botany sketch book and the Wright's copy of Octave Chanute's "Progress in Flying Machines"—are now remarkably conserved and will be added back into our display rotation.

To read more about these items, read out blog: https://bit.ly/4y1Iy1w

📸 1-2: After and before of the French Legion of Honor Palm and Olive Leaf award
📸 3-4: After and before of Milton Wright's 1903 diary

08/20/2026

Did you catch the Throwback piece in the new Wright State Magazine? It tells the story of an 1876 mystery letter given to Wright State by the National Archives in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations. Labeled “Not to be opened and re-read until the 4th of July AD 1976,” the letter captured the campus's imagination that summer. Check out the story here: https://bit.ly/3UynyRq 🔎 📜

06/12/2026

Hey MCM fans, what color are you choosing for your 1954 kitchen? Wheat, Terracotta, Coffee, Avocado, or Almond?
Let us know: 🌾🏺☕🥑🌰

Frigidaire Decorator Color Selector, 1954. Frigidaire Historical Collection (MS-262).

Address

401 Dunbar Library, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway
Dayton, OH
45435

Telephone

+19377752092

Website

http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/

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