Kenneth Spencer Research Library

For the last two years, I’ve had the joy of leading a tour for a group of very energetic library users, a group that will not need to create Aeon accounts, but does need to be reminded to use their walking feet. I’m talking about the Lawrence Community Nursery School, a cooperative preschool that has existed since the 1940s. In addition to being the school where my children attend(ed) preschool, LCNS has another special relationship with the Kenneth Spencer Research Library. Like many community and civic organizations, the co-op gives their historical archives to the Kansas Collection. In fact, during the school’s last parent work day, I picked up a new accession of records that will soon be added to our collection (RH MS 616).

Students from the Lawrence Community Nursery School examine historic
photograph albums from the Kansas Collection.

It’s always exciting, when giving a tour of the building, to see what holds a particular group’s attention. This is even more the case when the group in question has an average age of 4.5 years old. This year, fewer children wanted to touch the 4000 year old clay tablets than to page through the photo albums to see what the playground used to look like. The horn books, which generally elicit audible squeals once their purpose is understood, seemed strangely uninteresting this time around. And, of course, the 100 Years of Jayhawks: 1912-2012 exhibit, complete with cardboard Jayhawks, was hard to compete with.

I always remind our visitors that the collections we hold are theirs to use. And in some cases, such as the many community groups with which we work to document their essential work, the collections would not be possible without them in the first place. Looking at the faces of these eager children as they examine photographs of their beloved school from decades past, it’s hard not to feel excited about the future of our mission.

Beth M. Whittaker
Assistant Dean for Distinctive Collections and Director of Kenneth Spencer Research Library

Do you remember these people and/or events in Wichita, Kansas? The Leon K. Hughes Photography Collection consists of more than 2,000 photographs documenting African American community life in Wichita, Kansas from the 1950s through the 1970s.

From top: Unidentified child’s birthday party, n.d. Call number: RH PH 506 Box 1, Folder 5;  [?] Johnson and unidentified bride, n.d. Call number: RH PH 506 Box 3, folder 37;  Ted Crochet and unidentified bride and their wedding party, June 14, 1969. Call number: RH PH 506  Box 2, Folder 20; Rosie Hughes and unidentified girl surrounded by a variety of camera equipment, n.d. Call number: RH PH 506 Box 18, Folder 30. Click images to enlarge.

The University of Kansas Libraries is honored to steward the Leon K. Hughes Photography Collection and make it accessible to viewers worldwide. As you can see when you browse through the amazing photographs found in this collection, many pieces of information are missing. Names, dates and/or events may not be known; some information may be incorrect or misspelled.

The collection is not static – it is intended to grow and it needs to grow!

We need your help to identify the community represented through this comprehensive and timeless collection. If you have additional information about any of the descriptions related to the collection photos, please click on the “Add Comments” link in the “Related Objects” field for any image in the collection and your knowledge about the photo will be sent to us here at KU so we can revise the information. All digitized Hughes photographs can be found at http://luna.ku.edu:8180/luna/servlet/kuluna01kui~16~16.

You may also submit your information by contacting Deborah Dandridge (ddandrid@ku.edu).

Start exploring the collection:

• Browse through a selection of images in the online exhibition, Leon K. Hughes: African American Life in Wichita.

• Explore the complete database of images for the L.K. Hughes Photography Collection.

• Read through the online finding aid for the Leon K. Hughes Photography Collection.

Deborah Dandridge
Field Archivist/Curator, African American Experience Collections

Written at a time of great bloodshed and uncertainty, this valentine poem’s tone is more self-reflective and, perhaps, morbid, than you are likely to find in a card in the drugstore rack in 2013. The choice of stationery heightens the war-time effect.

The year on the first page of the poem might read either /64 or /66. What do you think it says? Was this valentine poem written during or just after the Civil War?

“A Valentine” Addressed to Mr. Stephen Jones, [Kerney?] City, Colorado Territory. [1864 or 1866?] Amory K. Chambers Collection. Call number: RH MS 531, Box 1, Folder 7. Click images to enlarge (poem transcribed below).

A Valentine

When years have wrought their changes
Up on the human heart
When lifes bright hopes have vanished
And early friends depart
And would some voice attend
I think that mine for one would say
I truly am thy friend
—
When time has parted us on earth
And years have taken flight
Lets not forget our friendship here
That hope hath made so bright
Let us oft think of how we met
[page 2]
Our voices raised in prayer
And let our lives be pure on earth
That we may meet him there
—
When shared each others griefs and joys
We know each others hearts
But years will make great changes
For we will have to part
Yet let our friendship ere be true
While earth life here has given
And we if live as God requires
We will meet again in heaven

Whitney Baker
Head, Conservation Services

Kate Warthen was a teacher who homesteaded and taught in Hamilton County, Kansas in the 1880s. Shown here are her 1889 teaching contract, and a photo of her as a young woman.

Top: Photo of Kate Warthen. Kate Warthen Searcy Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH MS-P 34, Box 1, Folder 3. Bottom: Kate Warthen Teaching Contract, 1889. Kate Warthen Searcy Papers. Call Number: RH MS 34, Box 2, Folder 7. Click images to enlarge.

Sheryl Williams
Curator of Collections / Kansas Collection Curator

Estrela Bet Login

Trying to decide what you would like to do over the winter holidays?  Why not get a head start on your research?  Here is a list of the newest finding aids and additions to finding aids available at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library.  Please scroll down for images from three of these collections.

• Acton, Harold, 1904-1994. Letters to Geoffrey Elborn, 1978. (MS P736)
• Arkansas River Coalition. Corporate Records of the Arkansas River Coalition, 1997-2010. (RH MS 1268, RH Video 38)
• Condon, Edwyna Forsyth. Personal Papers of Edwyna Gilbert, 1955-2011. (PP 519)
• Creeley, Robert, 1926-2005. Letters by Robert Creeley, 1959-1965. (MS 15CR)
• Devin, Dorothy Barto, 1897-1987. Dorothy Barto Devin Diary, 1915-1916. (PP 500)
• Dyche, Lewis Lindsay, 1857-1915. Personal Papers of Lewis Lindsay Dyche, 1882-1914. (PP 66)
• Finlay, Ian Hamilton. Poetry and Correspondence, 1964-1967. (MS 48, MS Q49)
• Goff, Charles W. Manuscript letter of Charles W. Goff, 1918. (MS P734)
• Griffin, Dorr C. Manuscript journal of Dorr C. Griffin, 1914. (MS B174)
• Hall, E. Raymond (Eugene Raymond), 1902-1986. Personal Papers of E. Raymond Hall, 1890-1983. (PP 167, PP 513)
• Hamilton, Gail J. KU Twelve Incident, 1980-1983. (PP 497)
• Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786-1846. Clipping Book, 1813-1846. (MS 305)
• Hazard, Ebenezer, 1744-1817. Ebenezer Hazard letter to Jedidiah Morse, New York, 1789. (MS P737).
• Inge, William. Peter Stansky’s William Inge Collection, 1968-1972. (RH MS 1249)
• Jackson, Elmer C. (Elmer Carter), 1912-. Elmer C. Jackson papers, 1896-1999. (RH MS 410, RH MS 760, and additional call numbers)
• Johnson, Jennie. Correspondence of Jennie and Will Johnson, 1885-1888. (RH MS P909)
• Kaw Valley Quilters Guild. Kaw Valley Quilters Guild records, 1977-2011. (RH MS 695, RH MS 1248, and additional call numbers)
• Lawrence Association for Innovative Education. Alternative Schools in Lawrence Kansas, 1970-1980. (RH MS 1225, RH MS Q360, RH MS R324)
• Levertov, Denise, 1923-1997. Letter by Denise Levertov, 1964. (MS 15L)
• Pitney, Jerome. Letters of Jerome Pitney, 1882?-1888. (RH MS P908)
• Purdy, James. Letters to Geoffrey Elborn, 1976-1981. (MS 302)
• Reddin, Kenneth, 1895-1967. Writings and correspondence of Kenneth Reddin, 1914-1958. (MS 14)
• Rhodes, Richard, 1937-. Richard Rhodes papers, 1938-2011. (RH MS 1134  and additional call numbers)
• Sauer, Gordon C. (Gordon Chenoweth), 1921-. Personal papers of Gordon C. Sauer, 1947-1991. (PP 349)
• Shenk, Henry A., 1906-1989. Personal Papers of Henry A. Shenk, 1933-1971.  (PP 211)
• Sullivan, Anna C., 1848-. Collection of Anna C. Sullivan, 1914-1920. (MS B175, MS R11)

Top: “Free the KU Twelve” buttons. Gail J. Hamilton Collection. Call Number: PP 497: Box 1, Folder 26; Left: Letter from Jennie Johnson to Will Johnson, January 26, 1886. Jennie Johnson Collection. Call Number: RH MS P909: Folder 1; Right: Letter from Ernest Boyd to Kenneth Reddin, October, 14, 1936. Kenneth Reddin Collection. Call Number: MS 14: Box 3, Item C1. Click images to enlarge.