In our current exhibition, Windows into the Past, we feature the Columbia College class photo albums from the 1850s to the 1890s. These volumes include photographs of the College president, faculty, staff and students as well as some campus views. But every so often, you will find a baby picture. Why are there babies in […]
Tag: Columbia University
On View | Windows into the Past: Columbia College Class Albums, 1856-1890
How do you capture your college memories? Columbians in the late 19th century took advantage of the new art of photography to collect their classmates’ images in keepsake volumes. A new exhibition in the RBML Chang Octagon showcases these photo albums and offers some insights into student life at Columbia before the move to Morningside […]
Now Available | Columbia School of Library Service records
We recently processed the Alumni Files, a large series in the Columbia School of Library Service records. Alumni here means former students who enrolled in a degree program (BS, MS, PhD), whether or not they completed their program, from 1926 to 1992. These files have often been requested by researchers so we are delighted to […]
Meet Flora Harpham
In researching Columbia’s history in our archives, one meets a number of interesting characters whose stories are often underrepresented in our sources. Florence Ellen Harpham is an excellent example. She has the distinction of being the first woman to receive a Trustee appointment as an Officer of Instruction, or simply, the first woman faculty member […]
Nikola Tesla and Seth Low
In May 1895, newspapers around the country reported that Columbia President and alumnus Seth Low (CC 1870) had donated $1 million for the construction of the library building on the future Morningside Heights campus. This was at the time the largest donation ever made by an individual to a college or university. Low received letters […]