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.
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
Who’s excited for the return of KU basketball this week?!
The interior of Allen Fieldhouse under construction, 1954. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 0/22/1 1954: Campus: Buildings: Allen Fieldhouse (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
What does that view look like today? The answer to that question comes courtesy of KU student Rick McNabb. As part of a project for HIST 348 (History of the Peoples of Kansas), Rick found the above image in University Archives and later juxtaposed it with a picture he took at the men’s basketball game against Eastern Michigan on December 29, 2018. Play the video below to see! You can also move the slider back and forth yourself by visitingRick’s post on the re.photos website.
A video created from two juxtaposed images of Allen Fieldhouse. The first is the image above, from 1954. The second was taken from roughly the same position in 2018.
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
Welcome back, Jayhawks!
After a five-month hiatus while Spencer Research Library was closed, we’re excited to resume these weekly snapshots of KU history.
We’re also excited to welcome research and visitors back to Spencer. Remember to bring your face covering! But, don’t follow the lead of the students in this week’s photo: a basketball net is not an approved or effective option.
KU basketball fans, 1991-1992. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 71/66/13 1991/1992: Student Activities: Sports: Basketball (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
We hope the KU women’s basketball team brings home another victory when they battle K-State on Sunday!
A KU women’s basketball game against the Kansas State University Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse, January 4, 1997. The Jayhawks won, 70-54. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/20/13 1997 Games KSU: Athletic Department: Women’s Basketball (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
KU basketball player Wilt Chamberlain looks at vinyl records in a radio studio, 1955-1958. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/13 Chamberlain, Wilt: Athletic Department: Basketball: Players (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
According to the article “Center of Attention” on the KU History website, Chamberlain “had his own thirty-minute weekly radio show on student station KUOK” during his time at the University of Kansas. “‘Flip’er with Dipper’ featured current hit records and Chamberlain’s banter, as well as occasional guest appearances by his fellow Jayhawks.”
Each week we’ll be posting a photograph from University Archives that shows a scene from KU’s past. We’ve also scanned more than 34,800 images from KU’s University Archives and made them available online; be sure to check them out!
Phog Allen draws up a play on the blackboard while members of the basketball team look on, 1930s. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/22 Forrest C. Allen 1930s Negatives: Athletic Department: Coaches and Staff (Photos). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
