Certain items in our collection can be accessed digitally through CONTENTdm and Internet Archive. The archive collections are being digitized on an ongoing basis. Digitization priorities are determined by preservation requirements, user requests, and special projects. Higher resolution images from our digital collection are available upon request. To do so, email archives@dom.edu. For further information please read our access & circulation and Duplication of materials policy.
The idea for the formation of the American Library Association came into being from a gathering of library professionals during the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. During the Exposition, 103 librarians (among them were Justin Winsor, William Frederick Poole, Charles Ammi Cutter, Malvil Dewey, and Richard Rogers Bowker) decided on holding a "Convention of Librarians" to be held October 4-6 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The register for charter members was signed on October 6, 1876 which marks the foundation of the American Library Association.
The 27 pieces of correspondence in this collection originate in the Association's decision to pursue an official Charter. These letters are written by various officers of the ALA and other constituents who were to attend the 1879 annual gathering regarding the Charter. It was on December 10, 1879, that the Association was legally organized and established, and signed the official Charter. The secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Henry B. Peirce, certified the event granting Justin Winsor, C. A. Cutter, Samueal S. Greene, James L. Whitney, Melvil Dui, Fred B. Perkins and Thomas W. Bicknell as well as their associates and successors with the "powers, rights, and privileges, and subject to the limitations, duties, and restrictions, which by law appertain thereto."
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
The Japanese Lantern Slide Collection consists of 154 lantern slides, circ 1880s, depicting a variety of Japanese scenes. The collection includes images originally photographed by Kinbē Kusakabe (1841-1932) and Kazumasa Ogawa (1860-1930) and original slides manufactured by Chicago's McIntosh Stereopticon Co. Of particular note are slides depicting the wisteria trellises at Kameido Shrine and the destruction resulting from the 1891 Nōbi earthquake.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
The Noah Hart Papers consist mainly of correspondence during the Civil War from Captain Noah Hart (1813-1891) to his wife Emily Julia Peck Hart (1824-1884). Hart enlisted in the 10th Michigan Infantry in 1862 and remained in the service until 1865, moving through Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. The letters provide information on the everyday life of the regiment including health and nutrition, supplies, sleeping conditions, weather, pay, and matters back home in Michigan. Of particular note are the letters of July and August 1864 regarding General Sherman's siege of Atlanta. The papers also contain Hart's military records, a portion of his diary, correspondence from Noah and Emily to their son Clarence in the 1880s, a Hart family genealogy beginning in 1605, clippings and publications about Hart family members, and a small selection of photographs. Annia Hart (maiden name Keating), a 1927 graduate of Rosary College, donated the materials in 1967 as the "Stephen Hart Genealogy". Annia's husband, Stephen Hart, was Noah Hart's grandson. Annia's son, Patrick, later authorized the digitization of the collection.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
Patricia Ellen Ricci Posters Digital Collection Patricia Doyle (née Patricia Ellen Ricci), Rosary College alumnae from the class of 1957, was a graphic designer who worked for numerous Catholic institutions in the Chicago area for several decades. Born July 10, 1934, Patti was a lifelong Chicagoland resident who took part in and contributed to the cultural and religious life of the city, until her passing in May of 2010. This digital collection showcases some of her posters created for Dominican University (known as Rosary College until 1997) and for Argus Communications. Argus Communications was a Chicago-based design company created as a means to disseminate information in response to Vatican Council II, published books, videos, audio recordings, posters, educational materials and various articles of ephemera. Patti worked primarily with Richard C. Leach (August 24, 1927-May 29, 2001), founder in 1922 of Resources for Christian Living (RCL), the parent company of Argus, and then company President. Patti ceased working for Argus in 1973.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
Wilson A. Bentley Snowflakes Digital Collection Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931), known as the "snowflake man," photographed snowflakes, dew, frost and other forms of water near his farm in Jericho, Vermont. Using a microscope fitted to his camera, Bentley photographed over 4,000 single snowflakes. He published articles and gave lectures on his work, and his images can be valuable research tools for scientists and photographers alike. Dominican University's Wilson A. Bentley Snowflake Collection consists of 155 glass plates containing detailed, close-up images of snowflakes and of other forms of water. The collection was acquired from the University of Wisconsin.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
Mary Florence O'Shea was born September 8th, 1920. She graduated from Rosary College in 1941. From there she attended University of Chicago Teachers' College and Loyola University from 1941 to 1943. During the same period she taught math at Wendell Phillips High School and chemist at Marshall High School. In 1943 she, along with her sister Mary Jane, enlisted in the Naval WAVES program, and served as Navigation Instructor, Navigation Training Officer and Assistant Communications Officer, until 1946. Mary Florence and her sister Mary Jane were the first women ever to serve on military crews. During the years of 1952-1954 she received a Fulbright Grant to teach in Burma. She taught for the State's central High School from June 1953-1954, and was given the name Daw Myint Swe by her students and associates, who continued to use this address in their correspondence with her over the years. While in Southeast Asia she used the opportunity to visit Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand, finally returning to the United States via Hawaii in April 1954. After returning from her travels and work in Burma, Mary Florence began work with Philips High School. On March 14, 1955 she was transferred from Phillips High to Hyde Park High School, an assignment which began March 14, 1955. Mary Florence was later appointed principal of Phillip Murray School on September 7, 1959. She later served as principal for Luke O'Toole Elementary School from 1964 until [1985]. She retired from Chicago Public Schools on December 20th, 1985. Mary Florence continued to travel until the early 2000s. She passed away on the 20th of February, 2010.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
The Literary Manuscript Collection documents correspondence between authors and their editors. Some notable correspondences include Hall Caine, a British novelist, poet and short story writer of the late 19th and 20th century, as well as Jane Addams, a prominent activist and social reformer who co-founded the Hull House in Chicago.
Please direct questions about this digital collection to archives@dom.edu or (708) 524-5929.
