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from the issue of April 24, 2008
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UNL photo record shifts to archives
BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
University Communications has transferred more than 80 years of campus history - all captured on film - to the University Archives.
| | INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY - Lois Brinton sorts through the University Communications Photography Collection.
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And Lois Brinton, the steward of the collection for the last 27 years, is helping move the visual history into the digital age.
"This is an unprecedented transfer of a great university asset to the Archives," said Mary Ellen Ducey, associate professor with the University Archives. "We have the tools, skill and opportunity to turn this photo collection into a resource for future study."
Tentatively called the University Communications Photography Collection, the transfer includes photo negatives that range from the 1920s to today. The images are from a variety of interests - from athletics and campus events to animal carcasses and classroom work.
The images will be scanned digitally and added to the University Archives' online photo collection.
The exact number of images has yet to be determined. However, Ducey said the collection was housed in 38 five-drawer file cabinets in the Publications and Photography office in Nebraska Hall.
"We estimate that the collection will fill 150 boxes," Ducey said.
Brinton is completing an initial sort of the collection. She retired in March, but has returned on a temporary, part-time basis to help with the transfer.
"I was always worried about what would happen to these files once I left," Brinton said. "Now I get the chance to help take care of them and make sure they will be well preserved. That means a lot to me."
During the initial accounting of the collection, Brinton is pulling images related to university athletics and the Nebraska Legislature.
"We are looking for the athletics photos first because we get the most requests from people writing football books or from family looking for athletics shots," Brinton said. "I'm separating those images out from the rest of the collection so they can be digitized first."
The Legislature photos are mainly mug shots, taken by university photographers since the 1920s.
"This is how we are going to break down this collection," Ducey said. "We'll sort out distinct series in the collection, then make them available online.
"We really don't know what we'll find in here. It's really an untapped treasure trove in regard to things we might learn about the people of the university and its history."
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| | | HISTORIC SHOTS - Negatives in the University Communications Photography Collection include this picture taken for Engineering Week in 1949.
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To help sort the collection, Brinton is using original Publications and Photography image records. She's also able to fall back on years of experience - including the time she spent on campus working toward the bachelor's degree in physical education she earned in 1951.
"This one is Tom Novak," said Brinton, examining a negative from a small, manila envelope. "He was a football player I dated briefly when I went to school here."
That experience is invaluable to university archivists.
"When we contacted the University Archives about transferring this collection, they were excited, especially about the chance to have Lois available as a historian," said Meg Lauerman, director of University Communications. "Lois has an incredible memory that is helping us nurture this collection into the 21st century."
Ducey said the collection is, "a long-term project," that will be made available online gradually as images are scanned by archive workers. She also credited University Communications for working with the Archives on the project.
"This is a great partnership that illustrates the way two departments should work together," Ducey said. "We are sharing resources - which includes the work of Lois - on this project to make this collection available to everyone."
GO TO: ISSUE OF APRIL 24
NEWS HEADLINES FOR APRIL 24
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Grant places Narboni, piano on the road
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ReTree Nebraska pursues 1M tree goal
The Scarlet in PDF Format
Anderson to talk at space law conference
Report outlines UNL's earth-friendly activities
University will continue to host AAU Data Exchange
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