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.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created this series to provide a lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique items at Spencer. “That’s Distinctive!” is meant to show that the library has something for everyone regardless of interest. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page. All collections, including those highlighted on the blog, are available for members of the public to explore in the Reading Room during regular hours.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing an item from our artificial portraits collection. Artificial collections contain smaller collections that have been grouped and stored together based on some similarity. Oftentimes, items in artificial collections do not come to the library together. Per the finding aid for the portraits collection, “many of the purchases were selected by Spencer Research Library’s Kansas Collection photo archivist during the 1980s and 1990s. The collection consists of real photographic postcards, lithographic print postcards, cabinet cards, cartes de visite, mounted and unmounted prints, glass plate negatives, and other visually-based formats of individuals, couples, and groups posed formally, often in photographic studios.” The items date from approximately 1868 to 1986.
The portrait shared today is of John Brown (May 9, 1800-December 2, 1859). Brown was an American abolitionist who, according to PBS, “could not be deterred from his mission of abolishing slavery.” Throughout his life, Brown settled in many various states, held numerous jobs, and fathered twenty children. He “first reach[ed] national prominence in the 1850s for his radical abolitionism and fighting in Bleeding Kansas,” notes Wikipedia. For example, “in May 1856, Brown and his sons killed five supporters of slavery in the Pottawatomie massacre, a response to the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces.” In 1859, Brown was “captured, tried, and executed by the Commonwealth of Virginia for a raid and incitement of a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry.”
The Todd Family Photographs collection consists of thirty-seven photographic reproductions donated by Loretta Estelle Carraher. They depict three generations of her family, the Todds.
After they were freed from enslavement to a family in Platte County, Missouri, Adam and America Todd moved to Kansas with the Payne family, also freed from slavery. They raised six children, settling first in Leavenworth and then moving to Oskaloosa. Adam Todd died at the age of 98. America Todd died in 1920.
Below are a few images from the collection for you to enjoy.
America Todd, undated. Todd Family Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 37. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Adam Todd, undated. Todd Family Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 36. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Tom Todd (son of Adam and America Todd) and Eliza Walton Todd, undated. Todd Family Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 8. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Unknown man in front of farmhouse, undated. Todd Family Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 35. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Norman Estelle’s class at Lincoln School in North Lawrence, Kansas, undated. Todd Family Photographs. Call Number: RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 28. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
Soldier Bruce James, undated. Todd Family Photographs. RH PH 74, Box 1, Folder 7. 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! I am sharing a glimpse into the activities of a Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, school in the early twentieth century via a 1918 scrapbook of photographs. Although the scrapbook is titled “eighth-grade class snapshots,” some images include other grades such as fifth and seventh. Other photos show the inside of the classrooms. There are also class portraits throughout the scrapbook. In the back of the book is a May 1918 copy of the City School Monitor, which was “edited and published by the pupils of the City School.” The one included in the book is volume 2, number 3, and it includes “local school news.” Some topics covered are student illnesses, teacher departures, and new students. One notable topic is the small comment that “Willie Ellis, who was a member of the fourth grade, was struck by lightning while fishing near Buck Creek May 4th.”
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, is nestled in the heart of the Flint Hills in Chase County. With a population of approximately 850 people, Cottonwood Falls is the largest “city” in Chase County. Though small, the town boasts art galleries, antique shops, a historical museum, and many dining experiences. It is also home to “the oldest consecutively utilized courthouse west of the Mississippi.”
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Selected pages a scrapbook of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, eighth grade class snapshots, 1918. Call Number: RH PH P2836. 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.
The back of the Hays postcard is labelled “J. BOWERS Photographic Co., London.” According to the Flint Hills Special Digital Magazine, John Bowers was born in 1865 and took up the trade of photography in 1896 after returning from a two-year world tour. Around 1906, Bowers and his family moved to Long Beach, California, where he opened a photography studio. During this time, he frequently visited Topeka, Kansas, by train where he “engaged in photographic excursions…Between 1907 and 1910, Bowers produced a large volume of postcard photographic views from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska.” Bowers’ postcards from Kansas are described as “numerous and noteworthy.” In 1908, there was an explosion of interest in collecting real photo postcards, which only fueled Bowers’ business. There is no evidence that he ever operated a studio in London. More on Bowers’ life and adventures, along with more images of his postcards, can be found via the Flint Hills Special.
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Postcards from Burlington (top) and Eudora (bottom), Kansas. Kansas Towns Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 134. Click images to enlarge.
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The front and back of a postcard from Clyde, Kansas, 1907. Kansas Towns Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 134. Click images to enlarge.
Here is a transcription of the postcard from Clyde:
7-31st Weather here is cooler since our nice rain Sat. night & Sun. morn. Will help corn & pastures Am better since it is cooler. It’s the heat gets away with me. All the rest are well. Am going to Clyde tomorrow As Lizzie [L?] & [Jeremia?] are both home on a visit. Sister Jennie
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The front and back of a postcard from Hays, Kansas, 1910. Kansas Towns Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 134. Click images to enlarge.
Happy Galentine’s Day, everyone! Valentine’s Day, while perhaps more well-known and vastly more commercially successful, is not the only holiday in February that deserves some love. And if you ignore Groundhog Day, the Lunar New Year, Super Bowl Sunday, and Mardi Gras, you’ll finally land on one of our favorite holidays of the year: Galentine’s Day! Originally introduced by hit television show Parks and Recreation in 2010, February 13th is a day dedicated to celebrating sisterhoods across all genders and ages. Dozens of you may be wondering how to celebrate this historic day. It can be a lot of pressure to find the time (and money) to spend quality time with friends. There are only so many hours in a day to make your friends feel appreciated, after all!
Fortunately, we here at the Spencer Research Library have combed through our Digital Collections and curated a list of our top ten ideas to help make your Galentine’s Day historic! Gather your closest friends and try out these fun (and inexpensive) activities.
1.) Teach a cooking class together.
Nothing ages finer than friendship, and what “butter” way to show how “fondue” are than to make something delicious to share with one another! Let’s not “mince” words. You “knead” to show how well you “jell” together!
“4H Clubs – Baking demonstration – Gloria Ousdahl (left) and Mary Miller,” 1956. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW, Box 9, Folder 1, Item 212. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
2.) Enjoy the nice weather with an outdoor activity.
With the weather so nice, why don’t you “rope” some of your closest friends into a fun outdoor activity? “Jump” into the spring-like weather and keep your lines from getting crossed because friendship is not something to “skip” out on!
“Girls playing jumprope,” undated [circa 1900]. Leavenworth Public Library Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 72, Box 2, Folder 168. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
3.) Serenade one another.
Why not express to your friends how much they mean to you through the transcendent power of music? Whether you throw on a classic or compose a new, original tune, dedicating a song to a friend can be the perfect way to keep your friendship harmonious.
“Anita Burney[?] and unidentified woman,” undated [circa 1950]. L. K. Hughes Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 506, Box 19, Folder 5. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
4.) Play a rousing game of cards.
What’s wrong with a little competition every now and again? If you and your besties prefer a quieter night out of the spotlight, a game night can be an excellent way for everyone to be dealt a good hand.
“Portrait of King sisters playing cards,” 1900. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 586, Box 16, Pennell Number 635C. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
5.) Spill the tea.
With good tea and conversation, you’ve got any get-together in the bag. Everyone could use some time to “steep” into someone else’s business and get that good-natured tea. Remember: sharing tidbits with friends helps you all “blend!”
“Women’s club meeting,” undated [circa 1890]. Artificial Non-Kansas Photographs Collection. Call number: RH PH 539, Box 5b, Folder 21 (previously RH PH P1017). Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
6.) Design new outfits for one another.
When celebrating the ties that bind, gather a group of friends to create a new wardrobe together! Show how at ease you are with one another by knowing all your style quirks and colors. Friendship will never have felt so seamless, and you can count on being anchored for life!
“Haskell – Dorothy Osceola, Seminole, hopes to become dress designer,” 1957. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW, Box 11, Folder 15, Item 205. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
7.) Hold a costume party.
What better way to show how authentic your friendship is than by pretending to be other people? Show new sides of yourself to old friends in a themed extravaganza celebrating famous friendships throughout history!
“Group of women in costumes at Lulu Stanely party,” 1907. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 1825, Box 40, Pennell Number 1343F. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
8.) Hold a sports tournament.
Take time out from your day-to-day to place your friendships front and center. It would be foul to leave your friends on the sidelines, so why don’t you call them in to assist you with a sports tournament? Just a little free throw-away idea for you and yours!
“Sophomore girls basketball team,” 1913. Joseph Judd Pennell Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH Pennell, Print 2635, Box 56, Pennell Number 1400H. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
9.) Build a show pyramid.
If you’re looking for signs on how to clasp your friendships tight and provide that foundational base for your squad, cheer up because we have the ultimate friendship activity! Grip your friends tight together and prove to them all that this isn’t some sort of stunt but the real deal!
“LHS [Lawrence High School] girls’ sport show – pyramid (L to R) back row,” 1957. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call number: RH PH LJW, Box 11, Folder 12, Item 141. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
10.) Leave your life behind and take a trip.
If life is making it hard for you and your friends to “coupe,” don’t leave each other in “suspension” and shift your perspective with a trip! You’ll find your spirits starting to lift as you leave that exhaust behind and steer you and your friends into new adventures.
A group of women next to a train, undated [circa 1950] Duke D’Ambra Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 69. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
![Sepia-toned photo of a dirt street with two-story buildings - and some horses and wagons - on each side. A handwritten note says "2803 Chesnut [sic] St, Hays, Kans."](https://blogs.lib.ku.edu/spencer/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RH-PH-134_Hays-front.jpg)
