About This Exhibition:
An heirloom from a loved one, a keepsake from a first date, a souvenir from a road trip – the things we save say a lot about us and our lived experiences. As with these mementos, the objects and materials within Special Collections help to preserve the memories and experiences of the individuals represented in our collections.
In What They Saved: Souvenirs and Mementos in Special Collections, visitors will explore keepsakes from the collection, learning about the people who held onto them and the reasons why. From hats and handkerchiefs to dolls and dog tags, the mementos on view are imbued with personal meaning and connection while providing insights into histories, events, celebrations and celebrities of days gone by.
Credits
This exhibition is curated by Petra Clark, instruction librarian for Special Collections; Alexander Johnston, rare books librarian; Hillary S. Kativa, head of Special Collections; Mark Samuels Lasner, senior research fellow; Arline Wilson, digital humanities and Africana scholar. The digital version of this exhibition and additional interpretative content for individual exhibition items was created by Logan Peterson, a graduate student with the Department of History.
View this Online Exhibition