WVU Libraries

Blog post by Stewart Plein, Rare Book Librarian.

At first glance, Puck may not be what you might consider one of the jewels among the collections in the Rare Book Room, however, it is an important publication that deserves its place in those rarified surroundings.  In its day, Puck was known as a magazine that satirized American politics and politicians, reporting events, sports and fashion trends throughout its run during the latter nineteenth and early twentieth century.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Jane Metters LaBarbara, Assistant Curator, WVRHC.

I wanted to write another blog post combining two things I love, food and history, and my fellow blogger Lori recommended a recently published book that has exactly what I’ve been looking for.  Serving Up History: Savor the Flavors of Early West Virginia Cookery 1776-1860 was written by Martha and Richard Hartley, who researched part of the book here at the WVRHC.  (We are ordering the book for our collection, so check the shelves soon!)  The cookbook is a companion to their earlier book, The Frontier Table: A Treatise & Source Book on Western Virginia Foodways History 1776-1860, and contains over 100 historical recipes with modern translations.  It also has “Cook’s Notes” that contain useful tips or recipe variations, and “Historic Insights” to help modern readers understand the original recipes.  Out of all the fantastic recipes it contains, I chose to make Hasty Pudding, Lemon Pudding, and A.P.s.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Lori Hostuttler, Digital Projects and Outreach Archivist, WVRHC.

I was attending the Harrison County Historical Society Christmas Party last weekend and some friends and I were trying to identify a postcard that was labeled as Main Street, Clarksburg.  It was unrecognizable as Main Street as we knew it, so we started talking about the clues that the postcard presented us about the time period it was created so we could use Clarksburg City Directories to find the location of the home in the photo.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Michael Ridderbusch, Associate Curator, WVRHC.

During this busy time of year people often choose the convenience of eating out to save time, and the diner has always been there as an option for those with challenging schedules.  Having emerged in the late 1800s, diners are now attracting interest as a historical phenomenon as evidenced by the considerable attention given the topic by publishers in recent decades.  There are now many books that survey the subject photographically by region with some related historical narrative.  A variety of genres are represented in this publishing effort, including children’s books, cook books, mysteries, travel diaries, and even a dictionary (entitled The Diner’s Dictionary:  Word Origins of Food and Drink by John Ayto).  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Stewart Plein, Rare Book Librarian.

From its early origins in Germany, where a cut and decorated tree was called “Tannenbaum,” to its arrival in this country in the mid-19^th century, Christmas trees have become an essential component of our holiday celebrations.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Danielle Emerling, Assistant Curator, WVRHC

The West Virginia & Regional History Center announces the opening of a new digital collection, “From Our Family to Yours: A Collection of Rockefeller Family Holiday Cards.” The collection draws on materials in the Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV papers and includes holiday cards sent by the Rockefellers to family and friends throughout his many years in public service. The cards, which became a popular collectible among some supporters, span the years 1971-2014 and feature photographs of the family, illustrations of the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion and State Capitol, and the U.S. Capitol building.

An exhibition in the John D. Rockefeller IV Gallery in the Downtown Library accompanies the digital collection and will be open December 1, 2015-January 15, 2016.

1978 Rockefeller family holiday card, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV papers, West Virginia & Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, https://rockefeller.lib.wvu.edu/cards/catalog/wvulibraries:2599

Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV came to West Virginia in 1964 as a 27-year-old VISTA volunteer in the small community of Emmons, an experience that shaped his extensive career in public service. He entered politics in 1966 as a Kanawha County candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates.

In April 1967, he married Sharon Lee Percy, daughter of U.S. Senator Charles Percy of Illinois. The Rockefellers had four children, John Davison “Jamie” V, Valerie, Charles, and Justin Aldrich, and later several grandchildren.

After his time in the West Virginia House of Delegates (1966-1968), Rockefeller served as Secretary of State of West Virginia (1968-1972); President of West Virginia Wesleyan College (1973-1976); and Governor of West Virginia (1977-1985).

In 1984 he was elected to the United States Senate and was reelected four times, in 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008, before retiring in 2015. He was a leading champion for health care reform, an advocate for improving the lives of children and working families, and a supporter of the nation’s soldiers, veterans, and senior citizens.

In 2014, Rockefeller donated his papers documenting his 30-year career in the U.S. Senate to the WVU Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center. To learn more about Senator Rockefeller and his Senate career, visit the Center’s “Jay Rockefeller” website at https://rockefeller.lib.wvu.edu.

Blog post by Jane Metters LaBarbara, Assistant Curator, WVRHC.

The WVRHC recently acquired a bound volume of typed minutes from various meetings of the Charleston, West Virginia branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded in the summer of 1918.  The minutes in the book span the years 1922 to 1936; during that time, attorney and politician T. Gillis Nutter served as the branch president.  Many meetings were held at Garnett High School (founded ca. 1900, sometimes spelled Garnet), an African-American high school in Charleston; branch member Charles Wesley Boyd was the school’s first principal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Michael Ridderbusch, Associate Curator, WVRHC.

The West Virginia and Regional History Center recently acquired a collection of photographs documenting Appalachian Folk Music Festivals from the 1970s.  Among the many candid images of musicians playing guitars, banjos, and dulcimers are shots of the fiddlers, many of whom have achieved acclaim as Vandalia Award winners, including Ira Mullins (1982), Franklin George (1994), and Bobby Taylor (2010).  In its recognition of a lifetime’s contribution to West Virginia’s traditional culture, the Vandalia Award bestows upon its recipients public recognition of their accomplishments, and sets a standard for future artists and their development.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Lori Hostuttler, Digital Projects and Outreach Archivist, WVRHC.

This Wednesday, November 11, Pulitzer Prize winning author and Don Knotts biographer Daniel de Visé will discuss the research for his new book, Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show.  Please join us for the discussion and book signing at 2:00 p.m. in the Robinson Room of the WVU Downtown Campus Library.

To learn a little more about Mr. de Visé before his visit, we asked five questions about his career, interests and Don Knotts!

  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Stewart Plein, Rare Book Librarian.

William Henry Edwards’ (1822 – 1909) business was coal.  Although born in New York, Edwards spent most of his adult life in Coalburg, a small town outside Charleston, West Virginia.  As a co-founder of the Kanawha and Ohio Coal Company, Edwards moved to Coalburg in order to be closer to his mining operations.

However, the real love of his life was butterflies.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Catherine Rakowski, Administrative Associate, WVRHC.

Trivia Question:  What do Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Powley’s Creek, WV have in common?

Answer:  Jack Warhop, of course!

Jack Warhop, from Powley’s Creek near Hinton, delivered up a few home run pitches during his major league career to baseball greats such as Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb, but none as historic as the one he threw to Babe Ruth.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Ashleigh Coren, Resident Librarian, WVU Libraries.

From the Men Of West Virginia, Volume I

The diaries and ledgers of Reverend Theodore L. Gardiner (April 15, 1844 – July 3, 1938), collection A&M 4130, offer a glimpse into the history of Salem College (now Salem International University) and the life of a man who suffered many tragedies during his lifetime. While Gardiner led a long and memorable life, he is mainly known for being the former president and instructor of Salem College in Salem, WV from 1892-1906, and for being an active member of the Seventh-Day Baptist Church.

Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Michael Ridderbusch, Associate Curator, WVRHC.

The West Virginia and Regional History Center recently acquired research papers regarding Kingsley Spitzer, a B-17 gunner who participated in the strategic bombing of Germany as a member of the 95th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force.  Compiled by his brother William Spitzer, the papers include information regarding not only Kingsley, who died in a plane accident in Wales on 29 December 1943, but also of his crew mates and others, including service records from World War II and information from living veterans.  There is also material regarding efforts to preserve the history of the unit.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Stewart Plein, Rare Book Librarian.

The serendipitous convergence of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States and this year’s Banned Books Week has me thinking of an earlier collision between a pope and a book.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Beth Toren, Research and Media Services Librarian, Downtown Campus Library.

In observance of the season, we offer three poems about witches and witchery written and performed by Morgantown poet G. Sutton Breiding, whose books of poetry and archives are available in the West Virginia and Regional History Center. Beneath each video is an image of the poem produced in a font created from G. Sutton Breiding’s handwriting.

In these videos, he reads three witch poems accompanied by the music from the band SAY provided by Larry McClurg, a WVU alumnus and founding member of Mind Garage. Mind Garage was a WVU student psychedelic rock band who pioneered Christian rock music in the late 1960s. SAY included members of Mind Garage and another 1960s West Virginia band, Glass Menagerie. Mind Garage posters, CDs, and more are archived in the WVRHC.

Gather the children in a circle, turn off the lights, and enjoy the witchy weirdness.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Lori Hostuttler, Digital Projects and Outreach Archivist, WVRHC.

Over the summer, staff at the WVRHC and WVU Libraries completed work on the Clarysville Civil War Hospital Digital Collection.  The online collection features over 750 hospital bed cards from the U.S. General Hospital located at Clarysville, Maryland during the American Civil War.  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Stewart Plein, Rare Book Librarian.

Although Pauline Gertrude Wiggin Leonard was a librarian at West Virginia University for a short time, 1902 – 1907, she made an impact in the world of academic scholarship.

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Blog post by Jane Metters LaBarbara, Assistant Curator, WVRHC.
To start us off right on the first day of the month, I bring you a selection of toys from the past, all found in the WVRHC’s collections.

Unidentified toy, ca. 1850-1860?, probably belonging to Aretas Brooks Fleming (1839-1923; 8th Governor of West Virginia)

  Read the rest of this entry »

Blog post by Lori Hostuttler, Digital Projects and Outreach Archivist, WVRHC.

Bishop George W. Peterkin established Episcopal Hall to serve as a dormitory for future ministers as well as other male WVU students who needed living quarters.  The residence hall stood at the corner of Willey and Spruce Streets, the current site of Trinity Episcopal Church.  When the building was completed in 1895, it could house about 16 students, but an addition was built soon after that increased this capacity to 40.

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Blog post by Michael Ridderbusch, Associate Curator, WVRHC.

The West Virginia and Regional History Center was recently loaned the glass plates of Bruce Washburn, a photographer who lived and worked in Harrison County, West Virginia, at the turn of the last century (ca. 1900).  Discovered in the 1980s within a wall of Washburn’s former home, the plates were then preserved over the years by Robert Nichols, eventually finding their way to the History Center as a loan for copying.  Particularly significant in the collection is a plate documenting the late 18th century frontier home of Colonel William Lowther as it appeared in 1908:

Home of Colonel William Lowther (1742-1814) of Harrison County
from a photograph in the Washburn glass plate collection  Read the rest of this entry »