Archives and Special Collections

Archives, Historical Records, Special Collections

Take a glimpse into Northeastern’s history

Perhaps you have noticed the Library’s redesigned display board on the first floor in the stairwell? It now features historical photos of Northeastern University from the University’s Archives and Special Collections. Included with each image is a brief description about the photo and the date each was taken. These images range from the First World Series game to the first few engineering classes held on campus. Check out the board and catch a glimpse of a time when our Husky Pride began. To see the full digital collection of Northeastern University historical photographs, visit http://www.lib.neu.edu/nuphotos or stop in Archives, located in 92 Snell Library.

Cy Young, a Boston Americans pitcher, intensely throws a pitch during the the first ever World Series. The Boston Americans won 5-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

NU Archives Receives Grant to Digitize Boston Chinese Community Records

The Northeastern University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections Department recently received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The award will go towards a project to digitize the entire Chinese Progressive Association collection comprising 12 cubic feet of historical material, including documents, posters, photographs, negatives, and audio and videotapes, dating from 1976-2006. Some of the images in the collection document rallies and protests, like the photo below, against the expansion of Tufts New England Medical Center in Chinatown. They also depict photos of celebrations in honor of Chinese holidays like Chinese New Year. To read more about the Chinese Progressive Association, the IMLS grant, and the collection read our published media advisory or visit the NU Archives and Special Collections website.

Protest against the New England Medical Center's proposal for a garage on Parcel C, ca. 1990.

University Archivist and Head of Special Collections Departs Northeastern

Joan Krizack, University Archivist and Head of Special Collections, will depart Northeastern University after 17 years since her arrival as the founding archivist. Joan resigned her position on July 7th to pursue a career as a freelance consultant. Joan leaves a legacy at the University of several hundred historical collections that document the struggles and triumphs of Boston’s African American, Chinese, Latino and GLBTQ communities. She has also received numerous awards; most recently the Champions of Freedom Award for her work managing Northeastern University’s collection of the historical records of Boston’s Freedom House and digitizing the Freedom House photograph collection. View the press release in its entirety below: http://www.lib.neu.edu/about_us/news_events/press_room/documents/JoanKrizackDeparts.pdf

Joan Krizack Receives Champion of Freedom Award

Joan Krizack, University Archivist and Head of Special Collections, received the Freedom House Champions of Freedom Award on April 5, 2011. The award recognized Joan for preserving the historical records of Freedom House in Northeastern University’s archives, including digitizing the Freedom House photographs and making them available online: http://www.lib.neu.edu/freedomhouse/. Freedom House was founded in 1949 by African American social workers Muriel S. and Otto P. Snowden to centralize community activism in the fight for neighborhood improvement, good schools, and harmony among racial, ethnic, and religious groups in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Freedom House Awards are given annually to outstanding individuals, non-profit organizations, and corporations in recognition of their commitment to diversity, educational achievement, and business development. To learn more Joan’s award, read this article from the Jewish Women’s Archive Blog: http://jwablog.jwa.org/Joan-Krizack-wins-Champion-of-Freedom-Award

Freedom House Collections featured in The Scout Report

Established in 1949 by two African American social workers, Muriel S. and Otto P. Snowden, Freedom House was created to centralize community activism in Roxbury, MA, a middle-class, racially mixed neighborhood. The hope of its founders was to link community members to existing services and to create new services in areas that were lacking by focusing on neighborhood improvement, good schools, and harmony among racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Eventually, archives from the Freedom House came to Northeastern University and were digitized creating the Northeastern University Libraries’ Freedom House Collection consisting of 2,265 photographs, negatives, and slides. These images document a variety of topics including the organization’s early activities to create an integrated Roxbury, to initiate citizen participation in the urban renewal of Roxbury, and the early oversight of Boston Public Schools desegregation.  The images also include representations of well-known figures like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator John F. Kennedy. More recently, on March 18, 2011, the The Scout Report listed NU Libraries’ Freedom House Collection as a featured research and education source. The article can be found here. The The Scout Report is a weekly publication that provides information on new or newly discovered online resources of interest to researchers and educators. To sign up to receive the The Scout Report in text or HTML format go to: http://scout.wisc.edu/About/subscribe.php To find out more about Northeastern University’s Digital Collections go to http://www.lib.neu.edu/archives/digital_collections/