Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

07/27/2020

New and Updated Finding Aids

Hello one and all! It's that time again - finding aid time! The following are new and updated finding aids that you can access on our website. Though our reading room is currently closed, you can still access some of these items digitally! Daniel Monson World War II aviation collection This collection was processed by SCRC Archival Intern Jared Nistler. Images digitized by Amanda Brent. [ 1,082 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=8845

Hello one and all! It’s that time again – finding aid time! The following are new and updated finding aids that you can access on our website. Though our reading room is currently close…

07/07/2020

Diversity is our strength. https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=7256

07/06/2020

Chugging Along: My Year Working in SCRC

This blog post was written by Chris Babbitt, Processing Student Assistant and C-SPAN Digitization Project Assistant. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Economics from George Mason University. He is currently pursuing an M.A. in History from George Mason University. I started at Special Collections Research Center almost a year ago on the processing team. This felt like a monumental step for me, having only worked in food service and retail before. [ 988 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9300

This blog post was written by Chris Babbitt, Processing Student Assistant and C-SPAN Digitization Project Assistant. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Economics from George …

06/29/2020

Cookbooks as a Journey through Time

Cookbooks as a Journey through Time #cookbooks #rarebooks #cooking
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9278

This post was written by Colleen Gerrity, Reference Assistant. For the past three months, the people of the United States have stayed home due to the ongoing pandemic. Going to your favorite restau…

06/22/2020

The C-SPAN Chronicles: Season 2, Part IV

Kelsey here, coming to you from my kitchen table, a.k.a. my home office. I have good news and bad news for you—I’ll start with the bad news, because it’s always better to rip off the Band-Aid. Sadly, while we’re out of office, our actual “digitizing” (meaning our document photography) has had to be put on pause. I know, I’m as bummed about this as you are (you… [ 1,029 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9271

Kelsey here, coming to you from my kitchen table, a.k.a. my home office. I have good news and bad news for you—I’ll start with the bad news, because it’s always better to rip off the Band-Aid. Sa…

06/15/2020

Watching from the C-SPANopticon

This post was written by Teo Rogers, Digitization Student Assistant for the C-SPAN records Digitization Project. From time to time, this job makes me feel like the Marvel Comics character, Uatu the Watcher. If you’re unfamiliar with Uatu, congratulations; you’re a far cooler person than I’ll ever be. Let me bring you down to my level for just a moment. Essentially, Uatu is a cosmic entity tasked with watching over the Earth, as his full title implies, but never to interfere or to do anything appreciably useful. [ 1,096 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9240

This post was written by Teo Rogers, Digitization Student Assistant for the C-SPAN records Digitization Project. From time to time, this job makes me feel like the Marvel Comics character, Uatu the…

06/08/2020

One Final Appraisal

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts in Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. Lana has been a beloved member of the SCRC and URM team, and though she will be greatly missed, we wish her well on her journey to graduate school! [ 609 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9226

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She recently earned her Bachelor of Ar…

06/01/2020

“An die Musik” during COVID-19

As we come to the end of our blog series related to SCRC’s spring 2020 exhibit “Showing Us Our Own Face: Performing Arts and the Human Experience,” it is impossible not to reflect on the way that performance and the performing arts world have changed due to COVID-19. When my colleagues and I were creating the exhibit in the late fall and winter of 2019-2020, we could not have imagined a time when theaters, concert halls, and other performance venues were closed for months with no definitive end in sight. [ 563 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9049

As we come to the end of our blog series related to SCRC’s spring 2020 exhibit “Showing Us Our Own Face: Performing Arts and the Human Experience,” it is impossible not to reflect on the way that p…

05/27/2020

Remembering Dr. Alan Merten

There was a buzz around George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus on Monday, April 15, 1996. The Mason community was about to meet the university’s new president-elect in a press conference later that afternoon. Dr. Alan Merten, Mason’s fifth president, was set to officially assume the presidency on July 1, and he was about to be introduced to students, faculty, staff, and the press. [ 1,243 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9199

There was a buzz around George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus on Monday, April 15, 1996. The Mason community was about to meet the university’s new president-elect in a press conference later th…

05/22/2020

Alan Merten (1941-2020) was George Mason’s 5th president, serving from 1996 through 2012. He was a major force in transforming Mason from a regional university to a residential institution. During his 16 years as President Dr. Merten saw the construction of 20 major buildings such as the Art & Design and Engineering buildings in Fairfax, the Biomedical Research Laboratory and Hylton Performing Arts Center in Prince William, and Founders Hall in Arlington. Dr. Merten focused on increasing the university’s research profile and output, an important step in Mason becoming an R-1 institution in 2015. Enrollment grew from 23,000 to nearly 33,000 with 7,000 students living on campus. Under his leadership the university established partnerships with area high-tech leaders and led a capital campaign that brought $142 million into the university. During his tenure Mason hosted the 1998 World Congress on Information Technology, faculty member Vernon Smith winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002, and the George Mason Mens’ Basketball team made its run to the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in 2006, among other honors. We will always remember Dr. Merten as the kind man who always had time to talk to students and was a good friend to SCRC!

05/19/2020

In addition to our own #COVID_19 collecting efforts, we want to highlight our #archives neighbors efforts as well! See below for information on our friends at the #VirginiaRoom and the #ShenandoahCountyLibrary's COVID-19 Projects!

Virginia Room: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSf0M867MtkW-jaszPoiLw2BWhe0GaQDM2kCEuhS3ujoQU1w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

Shenandoah County Library: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfosftGvfWnVy7RXwddjpMufeqYpunQGlb5BIaGtTICQ7BKFQ/viewform

#FCPL #FairfaxCounty #ShenCo

05/18/2020

Presidents Series: 2012 – 2020 – Ángel Cabrera, Anne Holton, and Looking Forward

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. This is the last post in a six-part blog series exploring the campus culture of George Mason University through the lens of each of its six past presidents’ tenures. [ 418 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9173

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History …

05/15/2020

We are actively collecting materials which document the effects of #Covid_19 on our university community. We are asking members of the #MasonNation community to consider helping us build this collection. Click the link to learn more and donate. https://scrc.gmu.edu/COVID-19Project.php George Mason University

04/27/2020

Presidents Series: 1996 – 2012 – Alan G. Merten

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. This is the fifth post in a six-part blog series exploring the campus culture of George Mason University through the lens of each of its six past presidents’ tenures. [ 645 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9145

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History …

04/24/2020

Dr. Darius Lee Swann, 1925-2020: A Real Mason Hero

Last week we sadly found out that Dr. Darius Swann, a civil rights advocate and lifelong Presbyterian minister died at his home in nearby Burke, Virginia on March 25. Dr. Swann had been a popular and respected member of the George Mason University Faculty from 1971 to 1984. He is probably most well known as the plaintiff in the 1965 Federal Court case… [ 616 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9150

Last week we sadly found out that Dr. Darius Swann, a civil rights advocate and lifelong Presbyterian minister died at his home in nearby Burke, Virginia on March 25. Dr. Swann had been a popular a…

04/21/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner presents the perfect opportunity to freshen up on your #Latin and #Greek reading. Apollodori Atheniensis Bibliothecae (PA3870.A55 A7 1803) by Apollodorus translates to The Athenian Library and is a collection of #ancient Greek #myths and #legends. Special Collection’s edition is bound in original marbled paper boards.

#greekmythology #ancientgreek #apollodorus #athens #greece

04/20/2020

Adaptation: Stage and Movie Musicals in the 20th and 21st Century

Adaptation: Stage and Movie Musicals in the 20th and 21st Century
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9122

Inspiration for the creation of films can come from just about anywhere, but over the decades Hollywood has consistently borrowed stories from its sister entertainment world – Broadway. Stage…

04/10/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents The Elements of Experimental Chemistry (QD30 .H46 1814) by William Henry and Benjamin Silliman. Discover the early works of modern #chemistry through a technical analysis of #chemicals and their unique #properties from a nineteenth-century perspective.

#experimentalchemistry #modernchemistry #science #sciencehistory

04/07/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner is the beautifully illustrated Fireside Book of Folk Songs (M1627.B7 F5) by Margaret Bradford Boni and Norman Lloyd. With over 100 #arrangements of #music from across the globe, this book highlights the beauty of culture right through the lyrics.

#folk #songs #ballads #worksongs #marchingsongs #hymns #spirituals

04/06/2020

Thanks to everyone who participated in #MarchivesMadness this year! Here is a picture of the winning item, a book of ballet sketches from 1944. #performingarts #rarebooks #ballet

04/04/2020

Marchives Madness 2020 FINAL ROUND

Voting for the final pick of #marchivesmadness ends tomorrow. Vote here https://bit.ly/2UXins2 #archives #performingarts

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

04/03/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents Elements of Botany (QK47 .B49 1896) by Joseph Y. Bergen. Through scientific #experiments, figures, and descriptions, this book frames a comprehensive account of #botany from #seed to #blooms.

#flowers #spring #gardening #plants #roots #leaves

03/31/2020

Martha and Maria – Two Dancers Who Changed the World

This blog was expanded from text in SCRC’s Spring Exhibition “Showing Us Our Own Face”: Performing Arts and the Human Experience. In mid-century America, you would be hard-pressed to find two dancers more popular than Martha Graham and Maria Tallchief. Both masters of their respective arts, the two women were trailblazers in the world of dance. Expressing emotion and narrative through movement of the body, or dance, is present in just about every culture on the planet, both in codified and non-codified ways. [ 629 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9084

This blog was expanded from text in SCRC’s Spring Exhibition “Showing Us Our Own Face”: Performing Arts and the Human Experience. In mid-century America, you would be hard-pressed to find two dance…

03/27/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents Notes on the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania (F516. D63 1824) by Joseph Doddridge. Dating from the years 1763 to 1783, this book outlines settlement of the region and the American-Indian Wars, as well as a comprehensive view of the first colonists.

#americanindianwars #virginia #pennsylvania #americanhistory #eighteenthcentury

03/26/2020

Can you believe we are down to our last two weeks of #MarchivesMadness? I can't. Time flies when you are consumed by panic. Anyway, here is the link https://bit.ly/2QJVdUA. Please vote for your favorite top 3! Will yours be the winner?

03/25/2020

History from the Ground Up: Voices of Virginia

About ten months ago, SCRC was approached by Dr. Jessica Taylor, a history professor at Virginia Tech. Dr. Taylor asked us to participate in a project to create an online open-access primary source "reader" made up of oral histories, This resource, Voices of Virginia would target high school and college US History survey classes in Virginia and feature audio segments from recorded interviews of individuals from across the Commonwealth. [ 421 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9112

About ten months ago, SCRC was approached by Dr. Jessica Taylor, a history professor at Virginia Tech. Dr. Taylor asked us to participate in a project to create an online open-access primary source…

03/20/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents The Crock of Gold (PR6037.T4 C7 1922) by James Stephens, keeping the St. Paddy’s Day spirit alive through the week. This uniquely illustrated book tells a comedic tale of classic philosophy and Irish folklore. Celebrate a belated St. Patrick’s Day by stopping by SCRC and taking a look at this novel.

#saintpatricksday #stpaddysday #irishfolklore #ireland #green

03/17/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner presents Les Atomes (QC173 .P4 1936) by Jean Perrin. The mystery of #chemistry explained in the #French language makes this a unique novel here at Special Collections. Read about #atoms, atomic theory, and more in this book – all in French, that is.

#atomictheory #electrons #ions #protons #molecules #science

03/16/2020

Online Research with Surveys and Polls | SurveyMonkey

Do you need a distraction right now? Vote for your favorite 6 items by March 22nd in our #MarchivesMadness contest. 😀 #exhibit #performingarts #music #dance https://bit.ly/2WkECtZ

Conduct and analyze online research projects on your own with a survey or poll from SurveyMonkey. Check out our templates and types and get started for FREE.

03/10/2020

Vote for your favorite 12 items by March 15th in our #MarchivesMadness contest. #exhibit #performingarts Also, we will be having a watch party on the 19th at noon with some light refreshments! Feel free to stop by. All are welcome.
https://bit.ly/2IzMBLJ

03/06/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents a twist on your morning cup of joe. Fun with Coffee (TX817.C6 F86 1956) by Pan American Coffee Bureau is perfect for any #coffee lover. From how to brew the best cup of coffee to #recipes for delicious coffee-flavored treats, this book has it all.

#cupofjoe #java #espresso #baking

03/03/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner presents The Art of Secret Information (Z103 .F18 1685) by John Falconer. Hailing from the late 1600s, this book explains various types of #ciphers and techniques on how to break them to help the reader become a master #codebreaker.

#cryptology #code

03/02/2020

Marchives Madness

Vote for your favorite 24 items by March 8th in our #MarchivesMadness contest. #exhibit #performingarts
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9089

  It is that time of year and SCRC is having another Marchives Madness contest. Our current exhibition is called “Showing Us Our Own Face”: Performing Arts and the Human Experience. All of the…