Special Collections & Archives

News and more from ZSR’s Special Collections & Archives

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville (1851)

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick has one of the most recognizable opening lines of any American novel. Everyone knows about Ishmael, Captain Ahab, and the Great White Whale. But how many readers have actually made it to the end of Melville’s epic? Moby Dick; or, The Whale is today a staple of Best American Novel lists... Continue reading “Moby Dick, by Herman Melville (1851)”

October is Archives Month!

October is American Archives Month! Each year, archives across the nation celebrate Archives Month by advocating for archives, planning events related to archives, and generally singing the praises of archives near and far. The Society of North Carolina Archivists (SNCA) assigns a theme for North Carolina’s Archives Month. This year’s North Carolina Archives Month theme, “Celebrating... Continue reading “October is Archives Month!”

The Playboy of the Western World, by J. M. Synge (1907)

A dramatist once wrote a play about an Irish peasant, We heard some of the audience say “The motive is not pleasant.” Our own opinion, we admit, Is rather—well—uncertain, Because we couldn’t hear one bit From rise to fall of curtain. The Abbey Row (Dublin: Maunsel & Co., 1907) John Millington Synge’s drama The Playboy... Continue reading “The Playboy of the Western World, by J. M. Synge (1907)”

The True Source of a Happy Life, 1909

This Religion in North Carolina blog post was written by Caroline Green, Religion in NC student assistant. An ever-growing barrage of self-help books attests to a modern fascination with achieving elusive happiness. Principles like minimalism, focus on others, and appreciation of small details prevail as themes when success is not mistaken for happiness. Titles like... Continue reading “The True Source of a Happy Life, 1909”

The ABCs of Special Collections and Archives: G is for…

G is for… Needham Yancey Gulley Papers Needham Yancey Gulley, born June 3, 1855, was the son of a farmer in Jackson County, N.C. before starting at Wake Forest College in 1874. He earned his M.A. degree in 1879 and spent the next several years as a teacher, principal, and lawyer. Gulley married Alice Wingate,... Continue reading “The ABCs of Special Collections and Archives: G is for…”

Special Collections & Archives 2015 NEH Grant for Visiting Consultant

The National Endowment for the Humanities as part of their Preservation Assessment Grant for Small Institutions recently funded a visit to Special Collections & Archives by nationally known Facilities Consultant, Tom Wilsted. Tom’s goals for his consultancy included the following: Review existing building plans and collection documents including preservation and emergency plans Travel to Winston-Salem,... Continue reading “Special Collections & Archives 2015 NEH Grant for Visiting Consultant”

Repairing Mr. Bayle’s Dictionary

Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) was a French scholar and philosopher who spent most of his adult life as a Huguenot exile in the Netherlands. His most famous work was the Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, a multi-volume biographical encyclopedia that encompassed Bayle’s wide-ranging and often unorthodox ideas. His arguments, carried out largely in the footnotes of the... Continue reading “Repairing Mr. Bayle’s Dictionary”

Zion’s Landmark

This Religion in North Carolina blog post was written by Caroline Green, Religion in NC student assistant. In 1867, Pleasant Daniel Gold (1833-1920), a pastor of Wilson Primitive Baptist Church, began publishing the semi-monthly newsletter, Zion’s Landmark. The periodical served as a hub of information for subscribers who paid one dollar per year, including sermons,... Continue reading “Zion’s Landmark”

Bags of America Exhibit by Leigh Ann Hallberg in Special Collections

Special Collections will host a unique art exhibit in the Reading Room, entitled Bags of America by Wake Forest Art Professor, Leigh Ann Hallberg, which begins on August 17, 2015. This installation features an “artist’s book” of cereal bag drawings titled, Bags of America and an installation of actual cereal bags in the Rare Book... Continue reading “Bags of America Exhibit by Leigh Ann Hallberg in Special Collections”

Special Collections & Archives Annual Report, 2014-2015

Special Collections & Archives (SCA), in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, recently completed a very successful year, 2014-2015. Here is a brief listing of accomplishments and activities. For further information, please contact Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Director: zanisht@wfu.edu Departmental Accomplishments: Stephanie Bennett joined SCA as the Department’s new Collections Archivist. Her responsibilities focus on collections management, accessioning,... Continue reading “Special Collections & Archives Annual Report, 2014-2015”