Special Collections Department

Special Collections Department - Collections - Artifact Collection

Artifact Collection

The Special Collections Department not only collects rare books, papers, and photographs to document the history of Iowa State University, agriculture, science, and technology; the department also collects a variety of three-dimensional items. Currently, there are about 2,500 items in the artifact collection dating from 1849 to the present. Examples of these objects include the death mask of Margaret Stanton (preceptress and wife of Edgar Stanton, class of 1872), a letter sweater, freshman beanies, the National Medal of Technology given to John Vincent Atanasoff, and numerous buttons and pins from various campus organizations and events. The most recent artifacts acquired by the department include printing blocks made from drawings done by Ada Hayden and an umbrella used to campaign for William McKinley for president.

Recently, the department has undertaken the task of rehousing, identifying, and describing each artifact in the collection. The information and digital images for each artifact are being entered into a database, which will allow better access to the objects. The Department hopes to provide additional online access to researchers in the near future.

If you have any questions regarding the artifact collection, please contact Michele Christian, University Records Analyst, at 294-4216 or michelec@iastate.edu.