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 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.
With the conclusion of the 2023 football season, I thought it would be fun to share some photos from KU football’s beginning. The football team at the University of Kansas played its first season in 1890, which makes it one of the oldest college football programs in the country. According to Wikipedia, “The most successful era for Kansas football was 1890 to 1952, when the program recorded four undefeated seasons and posted an overall .603 winning percentage, over 300 wins, several conference championships, and made major bowl appearances.” After 1952, the team’s success progressively fell. However, since 2021 the team has had a dramatic change of pace, ending the 2023 regular season with an 8-4 record. The season also led the Jayhawks to the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, where they won against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 49-36.
The Jayhawks’ home stadium, David Booth Memorial Stadium, opened in 1921 and is the seventh oldest college football stadium in the country. In December 2023, construction began on the stadium to kick off the Gateway District project. The project includes restructuring of the stadium, the addition of a hotel and a conference center, and more. A livestream of the construction can be viewed online. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be finished in time for the 2025 football season.
Below I am sharing team photos from 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. Interestingly, KU’s first African American football player, Edward Harvey, was a member of the 1893 squad; you can see him in the last photo below. An all-around athlete, Edward also played on the 1890 and 1891 baseball teams. His two brothers were also athletes at KU.
These photos are from University Archives. Located in Spencer, University Archives houses all things KU related; from photos, to ephemera, to manuscripts, much of the history of KU is documented here. Digital collections from University Archives can also be found via Spencer’s website.
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The University of Kansas football team in (from top to bottom) 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 66/14 1890 Team Prints: Athletic Department: Football (Photos). Click images to enlarge (all 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.
In honor of the upcoming new year, this week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing An Ode to the Sun, For the New Year by Elijah Fenton, published in 1707. The poem comes from Spencer’s Horn Collection, a collection of poems and pamphlets (satirical and panegyrical) concerning John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722). A transcription of the poem can be found via the All Poetry website, and a digitized copy of the entire document can be found via the Internet Archive.
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The front cover and first three pages of An Ode to the Sun, For the New Year by Elijah Fenton, 1707. Call Number: Horn E44. 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.
In honor of the upcoming Christmas holiday, this week on That’s Distinctive! I share the book Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens (1812-1870), with illustrations by A. E. Abbey. Published in 1876, this particular printing was a part of a posthumous series, The Works of Charles Dickens: Household Edition. The volume includes 14 stories.
The first story in the book, A Christmas Carol, was first published 180 years ago in 1843. It’s a story of an elderly miser (Ebenezer Scrooge) transformed into a kinder man after he is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Beloved by many, the story has had many adaptations including theatrical productions, movies, animations, and operas. The book is available online through the Library of Congress. Spencer Research Library also houses a first edition copy of the book.
Other stories in the book include The Cricket on the Hearth, The Holly-tree, and The Haunted Man. Published in 1848, The Haunted Man is similar to A Christmas Carol. As described by the Charles Dickens Museum, it is “a story of ghosts and redemption. The protagonist and chemist, Professor Redlaw, is a haunted man. He is followed by a spectre who looks exactly like him. But what if he could get rid of all his sadness and despair? Redlaw strikes a ghostly bargain and suffers the consequences; is living without sorrow really worth it?” A copy of the book can be read via Gutenberg.org.
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The front cover (top), title page (middle), and table of contents (bottom) of Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens, 1876. Call Number: D7635. 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! I am highlighting a Lawrence staple: the Bowersock Opera House program collection. Known today as Liberty Hall, the building on the corner of 7th and Massachusetts streets used to be known as the Bowersock Opera House and, later, the Bowersock Theatre. Purchased and renovated in 1882 by Justin DeWitt (J. D.) Bowersock, it was a well-known entertainment destination. Bowersock (1842-1922) moved to Lawrence in 1877 and held multiple jobs, mostly in banks. According to the Kansas Historical Society’s Kansapedia, he also “built and maintained the dam across the Kansas River, which powered many of the city’s manufacturers.” Spencer Research Library houses a few collections involving J. D. Bowersock, including his business papers.
The Opera House burned down in 1911 due to a fire started by poor electrical wiring. The building was completely rebuilt the following year. It became the Jayhawker Theater in the 1930s, and during the 1960s and 1970s it transformed into a night club and disco. In 1986, the building was renovated and renamed Liberty Hall. Today Liberty Hall continues to show movies and host live events. It also houses a video library and just recently opened a candy shop called Squishingtons.
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Front covers and pages from selected Bowersock Theatre programs: from top to bottom are 1912, 1922, 1924, and 1924-1925. Bowersock Opera House Collection. Call Number: RH MS P475. 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! I am taking you on a little tour of KU’s campus via the C. J. Moore collection. Dating from 1893 to 1946, the collection of prints and glass plate negatives follow Moore’s photography through many places in Kansas. This week I am sharing scans of Moore’s glass plate negatives of campus buildings from 1894. Since many buildings on campus have been rebuilt, I thought it might be fun to show the buildings as they stand today as well.
First up, Old Fraser Hall. Built in 1872, the first Fraser Hall (originally named the New Building and later University Building) was built of limestone with signature towers and a red roof. According to KU’s online place directory, the first Fraser was “designed by John G. Haskell and housed virtually all university departments, administrative offices, a chapel/theater, lecture halls, classrooms and, at various times in its basement and attic, gymnasiums.” By the early 1960s the stability of the building was greatly concerning, and authorization of the building’s replacement was granted in 1962. Construction of the new Fraser Hall began in 1965 and in 1967 the building (which was more the twice the size of Old Fraser Hall) opened about 50 feet west and just north of the original building.
Left: Old Fraser Hall, 1894. C. J. Moore Collection. Call Number: RH PH 2. Right: Modern Fraser Hall, 2023. Photo by Tiffany McIntosh. Click images to enlarge.
Next up, Old Blake Hall. Named after physics professor Lucien I. Blake, it opened just south of Fraser Hall on the hill in 1895. KU’s place directory notes that, “with its steep roofs, turreted façade and giant tower clock peering across campus like an all-seeing cyclops, the original Blake had the distinction of being one of the most unique buildings on Mount Oread.” By 1963, the building had been empty for several years and could not be renovated; it was also torn down. Present-day Blake Hall opened in 1964 and was also double the size of the original building.
Left: Old Blake Hall, 1894. C. J. Moore Collection. Call Number: RH PH 2. Right: Modern Blake Hall, 2023. Photo by Tiffany McIntosh. Click images to enlarge.
Next on the tour is Spooner Hall. Opened in 1894, Spooner is the only building highlighted today that has not been demolished and rebuilt. Originally opened as a library, Spooner has housed many campus departments and facilities. In 2010, renovations were done on the exterior of the building to clean, waterproof, and repair any damage. Spooner Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Left: Spooner Hall, 1894. C. J. Moore Collection. Call Number: RH PH 2. Right: Spooner Hall, 2023. Photo by Tiffany McIntosh. Click images to enlarge.
And the final stop on this brief tour of campus buildings is Old Snow Hall. It opened in 1886 and resided in the northwest corner of the Watson Library lawn. Snow Hall had seriously deteriorated by the mid 1920s, and it was eventually demolished in 1934. New Snow Hall opened in 1930 further west on Jayhawk Boulevard. In the 1950s the building was renovated to add additional wings with a major renovation in 1989 to add more classrooms and offices.
Left: Old Snow Hall, 1894. C. J. Moore Collection. Call Number: RH PH 2. Right: Modern Snow Hall, 2023. Photo by Tiffany McIntosh. Click images to enlarge.
“A Plan of the Campus of the University of Kansas” by Marjorie Whitney, a KU student in the Department of Design, 1926. University Archives. Call Number: RG 0/24. Click image to enlarge (redirect to Spencer’s digital collections).
