Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.
On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the bill that designated the first Monday of September as a day to celebrate the workers of America known as Labor Day. Below are photographs selected from the Joseph J. Pennell Collection that feature workers in various occupations.
From the 1890s to the 1920s, Joseph J. Pennell photographed life in Junction City, Kansas, and the nearby Army base, Fort Riley. It is my belief that the strength of the collection is that Pennell wasn’t content to just stay in his studio, taking portrait photography. He went out into the community to photograph its people, businesses, activities, groups, and families. And Pennell was inclusive of community members from diverse groups, revealing a more complete representation of Junction City history. Because of his work, we are provided with a comprehensive view of life in a moderately-sized Midwestern army-post town on the Great Plains at the turn of the century.
A group of people at work in Dixon’s Laundry, 1899. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 468.5, Box 13. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Workers at a water works site, 1911. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 2339, Box 50. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Men and boys working in Counts Shoe Shop, 1915. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 2807, Box 60. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
A group of men working on a road with horse and mule teams as part of the Good Roads Movement, circa 1911. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 2464.16, Box 52. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Bakers in front of Frey’s Bakery, 1900. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 507, Box 14. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Miss Crook and Miss Mickey at a telephone switchboard, 1900. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 632, Box 17. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
A portrait of Alfred Londin and a friend in work clothes, 1916. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 2867, Box 62. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we are focusing on folklore, “the traditional legends, beliefs, culture, etc., shared by a group of people” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). Spencer Research Library’s Culture and Folklore Studies Collection consists of 37 document boxes and one oversize box. The material dates from 1959 to 1992 and contains information a range of topics from folklore, to customs, to culture. Robert J. Smith, KU professor emeritus in cultural anthropology, created the collection and gifted it to Spencer in 2007. Smith’s research interests included folklore theories, material culture, foraging societies, and more. The part of the collection we share today is from Box 7 and covers the superstitions and beliefs of children, documented by Sally Jenkins in 1973.
First page of Sally Jenkins’s statement about collecting folklore and superstition examples, 1973. Culture and Folklore Studies Collection. Call Number: RH MS 966. Click image to enlarge.
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Superstition memories and stories recorded by Sally Jenkins, 1973. Culture and Folklore Studies Collection. Call Number: RH MS 966. Click images to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we share an original letter from George E. Young, a survivor of Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence. This Monday, August 21st was the 160th anniversary of the raid, which left much of Lawrence in disarray and burned to the ground. Many innocent people lost their lives, and you can tell in the letter from George to his father that it seemed to be quite a distressing day for those who survived. The letter was written just two days after the raid. The results of the raid will likely never be forgotten.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
“First day of school! First day of school!” Nemo says excitedly in the beginning of Finding Nemo. The return to school is often an exciting time for students around the country. After a lengthy summer break, students are ready to return to the classroom with their new clothes, classroom supplies, and fancy lunch boxes. The night before, old routines are picked back up and much thought is put into the perfect first day outfit. Teachers have spent weeks preparing for the return of students, prepping to provide a safe and welcoming space for all identities.
As it is once again time for students of all ages to head back to school, I thought it would be fun to share some Lawrence Journal-World photos from 1954 and 1955. The folders containing the photos are labeled “Back to School Edition.” The Journal-World Photograph Collection consists of approximately 660 boxes that house photos ranging from the 1950s through 2001. There are about 545 boxes of negatives, and an additional 113 boxes hold physical prints. Many of the photos involving KU have been removed from the collection and re-housed within University Archives.
A boy with his schoolbooks, 1954. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
A girl on the front steps, 1954. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
A woman, possibly a teacher, with a book, 1955. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
A woman, possibly a Lawrence School District employee, typing a budget ledger on a typewriter, 1955. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we share a photo collection from the flood of 1951. The photographs were taken by U.S. Naval Air Station Olathe personnel, unit NA87-2098-7-51 (Call Number: RH PH 172). According to Kansapedia, “July 13, 1951, has been called by some Black Friday.” This is the day that historic floods swept through the Kansas River Valley. Flooding began in Manhattan and continued down to Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City. The Kansas River crested in Lawrence at 29.90 feet, which was 11.90 feet above flood stage. In the end, 116 towns and cities were affected with 85,000 people evacuating homes and 10,000 farms suffering damage. According to the National Weather Service, damage was estimated to cost $760 million, which would be over $5 billion today.
North Lawrence in the vicinity of the Union Pacific Railway station at the height of the flood, 1951. 1951 Flood – Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas, Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 172. Click image to enlarge.
The bridge over the Kansas (Kaw) River looking toward North Lawrence at the height of the flood, 1951. 1951 Flood – Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas, Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 172. Click image to enlarge.
Locust Street in North Lawrence, 1951. 1951 Flood – Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas, Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 172. Click image to enlarge.
North Lawrence, looking south, at the crest of the flood, 1951. 1951 Flood – Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas, Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 172. Click image to enlarge.
The library houses many collections that share local history. Search our finding aids to see what we have.
More images of the flood can be found in person within other collections at Spencer or online through the Watkins Museum of History website.
