On Oct. 21, Providence College Archives and Special Collections staff invited members of the PC community to view some of our most-loved collection items. Our team had the chance to chat with nearly 40 visitors about historical collections, research projects, upcoming courses, and more. Thank you to everyone who came by!
Were you in a meeting or too busy studying for midterms to come see us? No worries – below, see some highlights from our fall Open House.
Many of our materials are accessible online, anytime. View our digital collections.
What’s Old is New: Our latest facsimile acquisitions
The PC ASC facsimile collection includes high quality reproductions of medieval manuscripts including religious and secular texts. In addition to these facsimiles, we hold a small number of medieval manuscript fragments and early texts from the Reverend Bonniwell collection which contains over 1,000 theological and liturgical texts.
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Canterbury Tales To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: The Canterbury Tales: The new Ellesmere Chaucer Facsimile, San Marino, Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, EL 26 C 9, The Canterbury Tales: the new Ellesmere Chaucer Facsimile by Yushodo Co., 1995.
Limited Edition: 100 copies
Liber Bestiarum facsimile To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Liber Bestiarum, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms Bodley 764, Facsimile edition by The Folio Society, 2008.
Limited Edition: 1980 copies
The Man Behind the Bowtie: John E. Fogarty
John E. Fogarty (1913-1967) was an American legislator who became known as “Mr. Public Health” for his advocacy of federal funding for medical research, health education, and health care services. The John E. Fogarty Papers range from c.1941 to 1967 and contain personal and legislative correspondence, speeches, legislative records, photographs, and audiovisual materials.
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On Display: John E. Fogarty campaign ephemera, 1958 To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Drafts, designs, and final product for green, bowtie-shaped, fold-out campaign flyers used in Fogarty’s 1958 congressional campaign. Fogarty’s signature bowtie became a key element of his campaign strategy.
What on Earth: Spooky natural history books
The ASC natural history book collection is comprised of hundreds of natural history books and was donated by former long-time Providence College staff member, Rebecca “Becky” Ramos. It covers a broad spectrum of natural history research, including botany, zoology, ornithology, etc. Published in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of these volumes include high quality, detailed illustrations. It is Spooky Season, so these selections highlight some of the creepy, crawly, and deadly things in our natural world!
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Vampyre Bat To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display:General Zoology or Systematic Natural History Vol. I Part 1. Mammalia 1800 George Shaw Illustrated by James Heath
This image of a “Vampyre Bat” from one of the books in our natural history book collection was suitably spooky – our Archives Open House was held the week before Halloween.
The Poisonous or Suspicious Boleti Mushroom To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
The Poisonous or Suspicious Boleti Mushroom can be easily confused with the edible mushroom of similar name “if attention is not paid to the color of the tubes”. On Display:Mushrooms of America: Edible and Poisonous 1885 Julius A. Palmer Jr.
History Repeated, Revisited, and Reimagined: Student zines
Students studying the U.S. Civil Rights movement created zines to explore and highlight their research topics. Drawing upon the Urban League of Rhode Island collection, the college archives, and digital archival sources, students documented the historical movement and made connections to current issues in creative ways. These student examples draw upon some of the Urban League materials and college records also on display. Students also explored issues of race and racism through the lens of PC history and made connections to recent history.
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Student Zines To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display:Student Zines, History 347 Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Lopez, Spring 2023 and Spring 2025
Early PC Student Life in Textiles and Scrapbooks
The PC Archives collects and makes available all parts of college history. Student life is documented through the varied student activities and organizations on campus, and come in all kinds of forms and formats from letters, photos, t-shirts, video, and documents. These examples are just a few of the bespoke scrapbooks and textiles in the college records collections.
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Veritas Yearbook 1944 To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Veritas Yearbook 1944 During World War II, Providence College students created handmade yearbooks in an effort to save resources. Using photographs and clippings from college publications and other printed materials, each 1944 yearbook is unique.
The 1944 edition of the Veritas yearbook was handcrafted by students during WWII.
Friars Club bucket hat, 1931 To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Friars Club bucket hat, 1931 While we hold a few examples of the infamous white Friars Club blazer, this bucket hat is one of our favorites!
PC Football Letter Sweater, 1940 To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Providence College Football Letter Sweater, 1940 Did you know that PC had a football team?! One of the earliest sports organized on campus, the football team was active until WWII when it was paused due to low student numbers. The team returned in the 1960s as a club sport until it disbanded in the 1980s.
Since 1917, Providence College has been shaped by the Catholic and Dominican vision that faith and reason are complementary in the pursuit of truth. Founded by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, the College draws on more than 800 years of Dominican tradition. These selections from the archives document the service and impact of two Dominican priests who taught at PC and made lasting impressions on the community.
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Edward P. Doyle, O.P. papers To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
Edward P. Doyle, O.P., Ph.D. (1907-1997) was a Catholic priest and member of the Dominican Order, who also served as Chaplain with the U.S. Army’s 104th Infantry Division during World War II. Father Doyle taught philosophy and theology at Providence College before and after his service in the military. The collection is primarily composed of clippings, correspondence, and documents relating to his military service, his personal witness of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Nordhausen, and his involvement in Holocaust memorial events. The collection also contains photographs taken in April 1945 by Fr. Doyle at the Nordhausen concentration camp. This collection has been digitized and is available in Providence College Digital Collections.
On Display: “Somewhere in Germany”, photographs, May 1945 In May 1944, Father Doyle enlisted and became the Army Chaplain of the 1st Battalion, 413th Infantry Regiment, 104th (Timberwolf) Infantry Division. Five months later, he landed in France to begin this overseas service which also took him to Belgium and Germany.
Fr. Thomas McGlynn, O.P. collection To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
Thomas McGlynn, O.P. (1906-1977) was a Catholic priest and member of the Dominican Order, as well as an artist, sculptor, writer, and teacher. The Thomas M. McGlynn, O.P. collection contains manuscripts, drafts, poetry, correspondence, news clippings, pamphlets, and photographs. The College also maintains a sculpture collection of around seventy original works of art; the bronzes of St. Dominic and St. Martin de Porres are on public display on the campus grounds.
On Display: Our Lady of Lourdes, undated
This is one example of many from the Fr. McGlynn collection which extensively documents his artistic process for his pieces including idea drafts, sketches, and sculpture models.
Rare Books
The ASC holds a wide array of rare and non-circulating books. These are just a few staff picks from unique finds and well-known classics, including early editions of DWC texts, children’s educational books, local history, religion, and literature.
Unlike the books in the library’s general collection, these texts have been identified as too rare, old, or fragile to circulate. Like our other manuscript and special collections in the ASC, you can view these items in the reading room.
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Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Milton, John, and Elijah Fenton. Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books. Printed for J. Robertson, and J. Gillies, 1797.
This tiny copy of Milton’s Paradise Lost is one of ASC’s most-used books in our rare and non-circulating books collection.
The Vision, or, Hell, Purgatory, & Paradise of Dante Alighieri To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Dante Alighieri.The Vision, or, Hell, Purgatory, & Paradise of Dante Alighieri. R. Worthington, 1844.
The Candid and Personal Side of Politics
John V. Brennan collection
John V. Brennan (1937-2023) was a United States Marine Corps officer who rose to the rank of Colonel and a political aide to President Richard Nixon. He also served as Nixon’s post-presidency Chief of Staff. In 1969 he was appointed Marine Aide to President Nixon. In this role, he accompanied Nixon on his landmark trip to China in 1972.
The Brennan collection documents the many aspects of his relationship and work with former U.S. President, Richard Nixon. The materials selected from this collection highlight more personal side to the typical activities documented in a political collection. This ephemera often fills in the blanks and creates a more complete narrative of an individual.
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White House Christmas Ornaments, various dates To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Each year the White House Historical Society creates a collectible Christmas ornament. Col. Brennan donated his collection along with the rest of his papers.
Nixon’s trip to China To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: photographs taken by John V. Brennan, 1972, 1976
Comic Books and Campaigns
The ASC staff are always learning something new about our collections as we answer research questions and prepare for classes or exhibits. Recently, we’ve been intrigued by several political comic books in our collections. Produced in the late 1940s through 1950s, these publications capitalized on the popularity of the colorful and approachable medium.
Comic books have been identified in the J. Lyons and Marian Gilmore Moore collection, the John O. Pastore collection, and the John E. Fogarty collection.
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Comic books of political figures, various dates To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Comic books of political figures, various dates (Pastore and Fogarty)
ASC holds many comic books of political figures, including former President Harry S. Truman.
Political advertising company “look book”, 1952 To change this label, please fill in the field “Tab Label” on the right.
On Display: Political advertising company “look book” promoting comics as a campaign tool, 1952 (Pastore)
Interested in viewing any of the items mentioned, or have questions about our collections?
The Providence College Archives & Special Collections team is always happy to help. Whether you’re curious about a specific item, want to explore our digital collections, or need support with a research project, please reach out! You can contact us at archives@providence.edu or visit our Providence College Digital Collections to access materials anytime, from anywhere. We look forward to connecting with you!
