Archives Display: Victorian Valentines

Valentine's Day is drawing near--have you gotten your valentine a card yet? If not, maybe you can draw some inspiration from these gems from the Victorian period! The Victorian Valentine Collection was donated to the St. Catherine University Archives and Special Collections by Helen Schoenheider in 1988. Schoenheider attended St. Kate's from 1924 to 1925. These early cards of love date all the way back to 1840! The collection has over 100 valentines dating all the way back to 1840! Some are even just for friends.

The collection contains the work of numerous artists such as Louis Prang (1824-1909), who was a German immigrant that settled in Boston in 1850. He was known as the "father of the American Christmas card" after he introduced Christmas cards to the American market in 1875.

Other notable artists and companies within the collection include Raphael Tuck & Co., McLaughton, Esther Howland, and George C. Whitney Manufacturing Company. Pictured below is a German mechanical card. They were called mechanical because of the unique way they popped out to the viewer. This particular card was made somewhere between 1890 and 1910, when they were extremely popular.





To see more Victorian valentines, visit the February display in the St. Kate's library, which can be found just behind and to the left of the circulation desk.

For more information on the history of St. Catherine University, visit the Archives and Special Collections online or in person in Room 062 in the lower level of the Library; open Monday-Friday from 9:30-4:30

Archives Display: Santons

A few figures in our santon display

In the spirit of Christmas, the reading room display in the Archives and Special Collections features an arrangement of santons. Santons, or little saints, are small clay figures created in the Provence region of southeastern France. They depict the nativity scene as well as people traditionally associated with village life in the Provence region. Santons are made of hand-painted fired clay, though more rarely they may be clay figures dressed in cloth, and once were made of wax and wood.

French artist Jean-Louis Lagnel, who had made figures for church nativity scenes, made the first santons. This was during the French Revolution, when anti-religious sentiment made large nativity scenes in churches forbidden, making smaller household ones desirable.  Some people even set their santons among flowers or moss to create a more realistic setting. Many families may move the figures daily, for instance increasing the distance the wise men traveled or placing Jesus in the crib only on Christmas.

Memo from Sister Marie Ursule Sanschargrin, 1986

Our set includes tradespeople, fishmongers, scissor-grinders, women spinning flax or wool, and fishermen, among other characters.  This set seems to be a mixture of pieces produced by several artists, with the signatures “Carbonel,” “TS,” and “Wincy[?]” marked on some of the figures. It was donated in 1986 by Sister Marie Ursule Sanschargrin, who taught French at St. Kates from 1926 to 1972, and who brought these santons from France.  Santons continue to be created today, with one website claiming that for between $880 and $1100 you can commission a santon of yourself!

We have over two dozen santons of various sizes in our display. The colors are bright and cheerful and the attention to detail is quite amazing. See for yourself when you visit the display (and us!) in person in Room 62 of the Library, open Monday-Friday from 9:30-4:30 p.m. 

Earth Day Archives Display

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, this month’s display highlights the work of Mel Knapton, groundskeeper at St. Kate’s from 1967 - 1976. Known as “Mr. Green Thumbs,” Knapton was recognized for his efforts in making St. Kate’s one of the most beautiful urban campuses in the nation. In addition, he was a pioneer of ecological and sustainable practices in landscape gardening long before these were widely used.

Knapton was awarded the Blue Flame Ecology Salute from the Blue Flame Gas Association in recognition of his achievements in ecology and conservation in 1972. That year, Knapton released 10,000 ladybugs on campus in an effort to control other insect pests while avoiding the use of potentially harmful pesticides.

Knapton’s work was recognized on a national level when St. Kate’s was named one of the top five best kept campuses by the Professional Grounds Management Society in 1975. He attended the awards ceremony in Williamsburg, VA and noted that St. Kate’s was the only school not on either coast that was given an award. An article was written about this achievement in St. Paul's evening newspaper, The Dispatch.

This display will be on view during the month of April on the main level of the St. Paul Library, in the case in front of the video of the carrels. Stop by to learn more!

Archives Display: St. Kate's Veterans

Private Verla Phillips, 1944

In honor of Veterans Day, there is a display featuring items from St. Kate’s archives that were collected by Verla Phillips. Phillips served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. She was originally from Minneapolis and was deployed to Italy to serve in the Army Air Force. During her time in service, she kept a scrapbook, which she filled with keepsakes, news clippings, postcards and other mementos she collected.

Items from her scrapbook include a WAC calendar, a newsletter and a nursing pamphlet published by the American Red Cross. She also kept ticket stubs and playbills from performances she attended during her time in service. 

In addition to items collected by Phillips, the display also features articles about St. Kate’s students who served in the military. In the 1940s, several students formed the St. Catherine's Veterans' Association (known as the K-Vets), a club for students who had served in WWII. An article from The Wheel shows members of the K-Vets looking at photos and reminiscing about their military days.

Another article features a story about former service women who were pursuing an education at St. Kate’s under the G.I. Bill. One of the women featured in this article is Catherine Moore (later Sister Anne Joachim Moore). She went on to become the president of St. Mary’s Junior College, which is now the Minneapolis campus of St. Kate's.

This display will be on view for the month of November on the lower level of the St. Paul Library, in Archives and Special Collections, room 62.

Spring Break "Staycation"

Staying in town for spring break? Check out our staycation ideas.

We have some great books and media available to make your staycation fun! Try some new recipes, learn a craft, take time to commemorate a special time in your life with scrapbooking--the possibilities are endless...


Here are some books to wet your whistle:

• Cooking light big book of salads
• Card-making techniques from A to Z by Jeanette Robertson
• Best in the world : 175 classic recipes from the great cuisines compiled by Martha Day
• Scarf style 2 : innovative to traditional, 26 fresh designs to knit by Ann Budd
• The classic encyclopedia of world recipes by Sarah Ainley
• SimpleChic : designer knits, SuperQuick! by Jil Eaton
• Minnesota's bounty : the farmers market cookbook by Beth Dooley
• Minnesota quilts : creating connections with our past
• The Barefoot Contessa cookbook : secrets from the legendary specialty food store for simple food and party platters you can make at home by Ina Garten
• Your scrapbook, your story : original ideas that focus on you edited by, Emily Curry Hitchingham
• Beginner's guide to quilting : 16 projects to learn to quilt by Elizabeth Betts
• The Taste of Africa by Rosamund Grant and Josephine Bacon

Archives Display: Ruth Sawyer's Christmas Stories

For the month of December we are displaying a collection of Christmas-themed books written by Ruth Sawyer, a prominent children’s author and storyteller who lived 1880-1970.  The books are from the Ruth Sawyer Collection, held in the Archives and Special Collections.

Two of the books included in the display are Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas, which includes illustrations by Maurice Sendak, and Joy to the World, a collection of Christmas stories and carols from around the world.  The display also includes original illustrations by Hugh Troy for Sawyer’s book The Year of the Christmas Dragon.

Ruth Sawyer’s connection to St. Catherine began in 1942 when she came to teach a summer school course in storytelling. The lasting friendships made then inspired the Library to name their collection of rare children’s literature in her honor. The collection, located in room 062 of the Library, contains complete runs of Caldecott and Newbery prize books, world folk-literature, and books on storytelling, as well as holding Sawyer’s writings, letters, recordings, and awards.

This display will be up during the month of December on the main level of the St. Paul Library, in the case right before the video carrels.

More about the Ruth Sawyer Collection

Ruth Sawyer at the dedication of the Ruth Sawyer Collection, April 16, 1958.

Saint Nicholas Day

In many parts of Europe today is known as Saint Nicholas Day.

St. Nicholas was a fourth century Greek bishop in Myra (now part of Turkey).  December 6th (or 19th in the Orthodox church) is his feast day because it commemorates the anniversary of his death in 343 AD.  St. Nicholas came to be known as both a patron and protector of children and as a giver of gifts to those in need.  From the legends about his life and the Dutch version of his name, Sinterklaas, came the American Santa Claus.

To the right is a 1959 drawing Ade Bethune made depicting St. Nicholas, shown in his bishop's vestments.  Below is a drawing in the Ade Bethune Collection that Bethune made in 1943.  It illustrates one of the stories told of St. Nicholas.  According to the story three small children became lost and were captured by an evil butcher.  The butcher murdered them and placed them in a pickling tub.  St. Nicholas heard of the children and appealed to God to return them to life.

Library's Holiday Hours

Update: 

The libraries will be closed for the Christmas holiday break beginning Friday, Dec. 21.

 

Closed?!?

Yes, the Libraries at St. Catherine University will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 6pm until Monday morning, Nov. 26. See complete library hours for details.

Services not offered during the holiday:

• Courier service from other libraries
• InterLibrary Loan will accept requests but requests will not be processed until after the break
• Reference service from St. Kate's librarians will not be available; AskMN service will be available

Help! I still have research to do!

You can still do library research via the library's website and the online subscription databases. Remember: you will need your KateWay login to access these services from off-campus.

Services available during the holiday:

• Databases for research from scholarly journals and e-books
• Search the Library's catalog for books to check out after break
• Online help guides including online guides to citing
• Access to e-books and e-reference books

Finals and Holiday Hours

The Libraries are here to help you during finals! The St. Paul Library will be open until 10:30pm on Friday, until 8pm on Saturday, and until MIDNIGHT on Sunday and Monday. Check for hours for both campuses through the weekend.

The Libraries will  be CLOSED Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, through Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.

Have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year's!

Music for Advent (Online and CDs)

Did you know that the St. Paul Library has an audio collection of Christmas music? You can listen online, check out a CD, or visit the Music page for more options.

Classical Music Library includes 60,000 tracks of classical music, including over 800 selections for Christmas.
Smithsonian Global Sound includes musical folk traditions from around the world.

Check out CDs to listen to while you finish up the semester or wrap presents. A sampling of CDs:

A Rose in Winter / Dale Warland Singers
M2085.D35 R67 1997

Welcome Christmas: Carols from Around the World
M5200 .W45 1995

Home for Christmas / Amy Grant
M1629.3.C5 G734 1992

On Christmas Night / King's College Choir (Cambridge)
M2065.K5 O5 1989

December / George Winston
M21.W56 D4 1982

*Stop by the Circulation Desk or Media to locate these and other holiday CDs.