Before texts, tweets, and swipes, there were calling cards, cartes de visite, and dance cards—the original social media of centuries past. Often dismissed as trivial, these small pieces of ephemera tell a big story: how we connected, flirted, and formed relationships before the digital age. Though fleeting in nature, they offer lasting insight into the […]
Meet Flora Harpham
In researching Columbia’s history in our archives, one meets a number of interesting characters whose stories are often underrepresented in our sources. Florence Ellen Harpham is an excellent example. She has the distinction of being the first woman to receive a Trustee appointment as an Officer of Instruction, or simply, the first woman faculty member […]
An A-to-Z of Oral History at Columbia: 5000 pages with Richard D. Heffner
An A-to-Z of Oral History at Columbia is a monthly posting featuring the people, events, and organizations in the Oral History Archive at Columbia’s collections, as well as behind-the-scenes info about oral history methodology. Title: Oral history interview with Richard D. Heffner, 1997 and Oral history interview with Richard D. Heffner, 2011 Interview […]
DO BETTER: A Call to Re-Imagine Oral History
How can we truly listen? How can we ensure the stories we capture are both authentic and accessible? These are the questions driving the Oral History Archives at Columbia’s latest display, DO BETTER: Reflexively + Critically Encountering Oral History Methods. Join us as we embark on a journey through the evolution of oral history, challenging […]
Nikola Tesla and Seth Low
In May 1895, newspapers around the country reported that Columbia President and alumnus Seth Low (CC 1870) had donated $1 million for the construction of the library building on the future Morningside Heights campus. This was at the time the largest donation ever made by an individual to a college or university. Low received letters […]