Special Collections update

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 2,000 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 (see below), 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 allowing better access to the objects.

If you have any questions regarding the artifact collection, please contact Michele Christian, University Records Analyst, at (515) 294-4216 or michelec@iastate.edu.