We celebrate the centennial of the birth of Jack Beeson, born on July 15, 1921. Jack’s story is a very New York story. While he was born in Indiana, at the age of 12 he was inspired by the Saturday afternoon live Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts to decide to become an opera composer. His 2010 […]
In Service to the New Nation: The Life and Legacy of John Jay
As part of Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s celebration of the completion of the seven volume Selected Papers of John Jay publication project, the physical exhibition “In Service to the New Nation: The Life & Legacy of John Jay” sheds light on the different aspects of John Jay’s personal and public life. Drawing […]
New from RBML’S Archivist | September 2021
Kevin Schlottmann, RBML’s head archivist, shares a selection of new and updated finding aids, as well as newly available collections. See below for newly processed, newly digitized, and/or newly described RBML collections, including some wonderful oral histories that are now fully available online. Kudos as always to the many staff members, both in RBML and […]
New Collection | Sheila Michaels Civil Rights Organization Oral History Collection
The Oral History Archives at Columbia is pleased to open for researcher use the Sheila Michael Civil Rights Organizational Oral History Collection. Here archives assistant Keri Kelly reflects on notable themes from her close work with the collection. The history of the Civil Rights Movement is often narrated through its most salient events and heroic […]
Moonlight Inside the Library
In April 1897, the Spectator reported on the “two mysterious hemispheres” which had appeared in the entrance of the Library being built on Columbia’s soon-to-be new campus in Morningside Heights. First, the two halves were joined to form a globe. And then, this wooden sphere was hung from the ceiling and could cast a soft, […]