Garey Sage Internship

During the final week of my Jonathan and Darla Garey-Sage internship, I finalized selections, background information, and display ideas for each section of the exhibit. I met with my supervisor to relay these final findings. This included photos of mentionable athletes and this really cool piece of UNR athletic history. There was a scheduled game in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 23, 1948 when the team was coached by Joe Sheeketski. At the time, Jim Crow laws forbade black athletes from participating in organized sports in Oklahoma. Coach Sheeketski took the wolf pack to Tulsa with every intention of playing two of his star players Alva Tabor and Sherman Howard. The Oklahoma coach made mention of canceling if UNR played the young men. Howard started as fullback and officially became the first African American to play in a major college football game on Oklahoma turf. Tabor played as well, and both made history. In front of some 11,000 spectators, Nevada won 65-14 (Tulsa’s worst loss in 35 years). A thing of poetic justice and beauty!

This week marked the conclusion to a wonderful summer and experience working in the special collections and archives. I learned about the department functions, tools, and programs that aid in researching, as well as in formulating ideas and visions for an exhibit. I also learned so much about the history of the University and its evolution over the past 150 years! My focus is in art with a minor in Museum Studies, and It is important in the museum field to be flexible, wear many hats, and be able to contribute to projects in a variety of ways. I can definitely approach research, collections, and archives with more ease. Thank you to all those who made this possible and allowed me the opportunity to be a part of this project. Senior year, here I come!

This week of my Jonathan and Darla Garey-Sage internship has been fun and exciting. I have been wrapping up my research and diving into the archives to find more interesting documents or information I may have missed or overlooked that will help add context to subjects of interest in the exhibit, as well as materials that answer the question, “What tells the story of the University?”. Looking at the ASUN collections has been fruitful. I found more information about different student groups like the Gothic “N” Society this week. The Gothic “N” Society was an organized women’s group that sought to promote sportsmanship and the highest ideals in women’s athletics. It was formulated in 1913 and, as stated in the Gothic “N” Society Constitution, the qualifications for invitation included: enrollment in the second term of sophomore year, 3 varsities or 1 or 2 varsities with 2 proficiencies, qualities of good sportsmanship, and “good posture”. Initiation would be announced on Mackay Day. The folder included two felt “N” patches and a book of dated declarations of loyalty where the edges of the old paper were burned, giving the pages a look of a contract. Cool!

I also assisted my supervisor with a pop-up exhibit that would be set up for incoming students and their parents to enjoy orientation welcome week! It was fun using the information and materials I’ve gathered inventory onto curate displays about the history of UNR! Four cases were comprised of different themes such as early years, athletics, student publications, and The Book of the Oath. Speaking of The Oath, I looked through Walter E. Clark’s, the 5th president and creator of the Book of the Oath, journals that noted when he penned and completed The Oath. Applying what I’ve learned and curating a “mini” exhibit was exciting!

This week of the Garey-Sage Internship has been a lot of fun. I’ve narrowed down some elements I had too much of like photos of student life, sports memorabilia, and the too many University songs that I had chosen excerpts from. We thought perhaps the “Hollywood Era” may be unnecessary also when considering student publications or the history of the mascot. I have also been going back and looking through more archives to peruse documents. I had mentioned before how visual of a person I am and that was showing through with the amount of images I had selected overall. My supervisor reminded me that the beauty of archives is that we have the documents, personal accounts, and correspondence letters that will give further life to the history.

I’ve looked into more archives and found some great things, like the description of a ball held at the Elko Preparatory School and Independent Association meeting minutes from 1893 when students met in secret in the basement of a church in downtown Reno to bring the first student publication into being: The Student Record. Such a fascinating find. I also saw an “Order Book” of the first books bought for the humble library that existed in 1919. The list included Jane Eyre, a cyanide handbook, Business of the Household, and Architectural Engineering. These are some good finds of substance that I think would be intriguing. I’ve also been looking through the ASUN records of organized groups such as the Black Student Union, Asian American Alliance, The Gay and Lesbian Student Union, and others to put a spotlight and elevate the rich diversity that has enriched this campus and the the community of UNR for decades, even when it wasn’t always easy. I will continue with that collection next week because there were at least 7 boxes of interest.

I also read James Hulse’s more current history of the university and Nevada’s higher education that spans from the 70s to 2000. I was able to fill in a lot of blanks there. Two more weeks of the internship and I can’t believe how quickly it’s wrapping up.

This week of the Jonathan and Darla Garey-Sage Internship was a productive week. I’ve been working on the organization and design of the exhibit. I’ve been having difficulty narrowing down the content of each theme of the exhibit because there is so much good and interesting history, people, and stories I want to include. I’m learning that is part of the process of a curator: focusing on the themes that tell the story, and finding the interesting artifacts, documents, and images that tell the story. I am a visual person, so I went to the exhibit hallways and mapped them out on a piece of paper, noted the measurements and made a mental and physical map of the space. That has helped me put into perspective what we’re working with. I made a Word document reflective of a Finding Aid that will allow my supervisor to reference in the future so to make her job easy when she goes to pull the objects, documents and photos from our collections. It is exhilarating. There are only 3 weeks left in the internship, which is bittersweet. It’s such a privilege to be here working on this and I’m going to miss it. I want to do a good and thorough job for future colleagues to put together the exhibit with ease.

My goal this week of the Darla and Jonathan Garey-Sage internship has been to begin organizing the notes from research and sift through visual aids like maps, ephemera, and artifacts that will tell the story of the University. There will be a space entitled UNR Through the Years where we will provide campus maps juxtaposed with aerial photos of campus that will be a fun and interesting way for visitors to track the expansion and how the university has evolved over time. They can point out structures they recognize as well as those that have changed drastically. Another section will be dedicated to university ephemera such as Cane Rush canes, dance cards, UN drumsticks, and an “N” athletic sweater from the early 20th century. The Morrill Hall bell clapper will be another interesting object to include. It will tell the story of the mysterious prank that caused the clapper’s disappearance for half a century until being returned to Special Collections with an anonymous letter, where some of those that work in this department were there to witness. An area I am really excited about, because of my love for history and photography, will be the section depicting student life on and around campus since the institution’s inception. I think it will be a favorite of the students too, as it shows those in the same shoes 100 years before as they sit in class and games, trudge through snow, have fun taking part in traditions, or gather in the quad to take a break. The college experiences are about gaining knowledge and preparing for the future but also the connections, relationships, and sense of community felt during the time remembered with fondness. I hope to convey that in this section.

A notable task this week was a write-up I did for President Brian Sandoval on the Cane Rush. The Cane Rush was an annual tradition that started in the 1890s and ceased in the 1920s where first-year students would face off with the sophomores in a type of new student initiation. The whole town would turn up to witness the event and the photos from the contest are entertaining. President Sandoval is an alum of UNR and a proud Nevadan who cherishes his own time here and has memories of campus life and traditions. It was an honor to apply my research to his curiosity.

The last couple weeks have been very productive as I continue to gather information and peruse through the archives, closed stacks, and artifact collections; and finding materials that will tell the story of the history of UNR.

I looked through old ledgers that documented the beginnings of the ROTC, circa 1900. Young men were required to attend as part of their schooling as well as wear the uniforms while on campus. They would be graded in accordance with the drills and their ability to maintain a proper uniform. The ledger documented their names, titles, attendance records, and test scores. It also included notes when the officers in training were not wearing proper uniforms or if they were untidy.

The student and illustrator of the Sagebrush John Kennedy was a delightful find. He has an archive of materials that include drawings of the Wolf Pack athletics, western themes, campus life, and politics. He created a cartoon entitled “Campus Kitty and Casino” that combined humor and student life together; a wonderful addition to the Sagebrush newspaper.

It was also brought to my attention that Hollywood took a liking to our beautiful campus and there were a number of movies filmed at the University during the mid-20th century. Craig Sheppard has a cool illustration of the period and there are many photos that show the actors in various places like the quad, dining hall, and classrooms. Some of the titles include Mother is a Freshman, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College, and Andy Hardy’s Blond Trouble.  

The athletic history of the University is extensive. It was a few days of researching athletes, statistics, and newspaper clippings that account the wins, losses, and achievements of individuals and teams. I thought it would be fun to trace the history and evolution of the facilities, the mascot, the cheerleaders, and the spectators over the years. Nevada didn’t become the Wolf Pack until 1922. We were the Sagebrushers and sometimes the Sagehens. A Sagebrush newspaper article from February of that year features a thoughtful consideration of an appropriate new name that would demonstrate the spirit and tenacity of Nevada athletics.

“Why all this agitation for a new name?”, many students have asked. – “What is the objection to Sagebrushers or Sagehens?” “Sagebrushers too long… headline writing is an art in itself.” “Pomonans are Sagehens … the meek and inoffensive Sagehen in no way, shape, or manner can be construed to symbolize NV’s fight or do-or-die determination” … “A Desert Wolf: Did you ever see one in his natural state? A silver gray brute of a beast, whose main characteristic is Endurance and who will fight as long as a spark of life is left in him.”

The last week was a good opportunity to finetune research in the other areas of development of the University such as the University HS that would be eventually dropped once the area school system reached a point to prepare young people in their corresponding districts and allow the University to set a higher standard for admissions and level of education. Extension programs began outreach in the 50s bringing educational services and knowledge to a broader Nevada and included two year programs by mail, night classes, and 4H clubs. The School of Nursing and School of Medicine would come to be in the 1960s, as well as the Planetarium that allowed for inspiration and wonder in the field of science, atmosphere, and astronomy. Reno would evolve into what it is today: a top research institute and hub for innovation. Notably, the Universities in Reno and Las Vegas became arboretums for the state of Nevada in 1985. The rich greenery that dots and spans the landscape of the campus is evidence of this.

With a month remaining in the internship, I will now be moving to organize the different areas of the exhibition space. This includes designating where to place the various themes of the exhibit, narrowing down photos and stories, and writing up the wall text. We are seeking priority in representing the diversity in students and participation. The purpose of this internship project is to tell the story of the University. A lot of amazing people from all over the globe have contributed their generosity, brain power, and effort to create this plot of hope and opportunity. I think this exhibit surrounding the sesquicentennial birthday of the University will bring context, spark pride, and allow for acknowledgement of what a wonderful place this really is.

Taryn Trapani

Student Intern

Taryn Trapani

First Month Reflection July 1, 2022

My name is Taryn and this is my first reflection in regard to my newly acquired student internship at the University Special Collections and Archives at UNR. I have been tasked with gathering ideas and organizing materials and objects that will be used in the university’s sesquicentennial celebration exhibit on view in 2024. My goal is to tell the story, honor the history of the university and all the people that have made it what it is today. I’ve learned so much about the university from its humble beginnings in Elko in 1874, its move to Reno, to the ongoing developments in education, programs, facilities, and the thriving expansion that has bloomed over the last 150 years.

The first two weeks laid the foundation of the project and required me to learn about the development and progress of higher education in the state of Nevada. I researched, browsed the special collections website and digital archives, and read a couple books that allowed me to understand the timeline of the university, the important people, and the events that were noteworthy and implemented progress or change in some way.

The team of people I work with in the department have been so helpful and supportive as I familiarize myself with the collection and how it is housed in the closed stacks, shelves, flat drawers, and of course the magnificent MARS. I have to say, along with looking at and handling interesting and fascinating files, letters, and artifacts of history, simply using and observing the awe-inspiring MARS has been a treat. There are multi-faceted programs that communicate and work together to keep this well oiled collection machine going.

It has been such a pleasure and positive learning experience thus far and I look forward to coming here every day I work. I try to work between 15-20 hours a week. It’s exciting to be in this environment doing what I hope to do as a career in the nearing future. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be hands-on and be in this department that fosters my growth as a future museum professional and researcher. This project has given me pride in what I’m doing and also pride as a student here at the University of Nevada, Reno. Contextualizing its history makes me appreciate this place and time in my life that much more.

My ninth week of the Jonathan and Darla Garey-Sage Internship has consisted of editing the finding aid I created last week. Most of the editing was cutting out unnecessary information or wordy sentences. Editing was difficult because the administrative history is very complex with a lot of information. It is difficult to cut out information without making the reader lost and confused. The company made many deals with other companies that resulted in new properties and company name changes seen throughout the collection. A lengthy, yet clear and detailed history is necessary to understand the collection. After I finished editing my finding aid, I continued inventorying the cyanotypes. I want to look at as many cyanotypes as possible before the white glove event next week so I can choose good photos to display. I am really excited about the white glove event, but I am sad that the internship is coming to an end. I enjoyed working with the collection and learning about mining. However, I heard about another mining project in the department that I am hoping to work with. The new project will consist of picking out items for a mining exhibit next year, which sounds fun and interesting.

My eighth week of the internship has been very interesting. I started to write the finding aid for the collection and I am almost finished with it. I have written the administrative history, series, date, and scope and content sections. All I have left to write is the abstract, which is the hardest part. I think it is difficult because I often struggle with being concise and straight to the point in my summaries. I am worried that I will make it a little too long by including unnecessary information. I really enjoyed writing the administrative history, which is the longest part because it requires a lot of research. I have an investigative personality and love to research new things. I learned a lot about the company history, which is quite complex. The company changed hands and names several times. It also made agreements with other companies for mining ventures. My favorite part about the research was that it made the collection make more sense. I had questions about the various mines and company names I saw in the collection. Now I know how and why those documents got into the collection.

This week I worked on inventorying the cyanotypes and processing the collection. I got through a few photo albums of the collection, but will not be able to inventory all of them because of time. Another student will have to inventory the rest of the cyanotypes. I also processed the first box of the collection by putting all of the items into labeled folders and put them into a new box. I have not started arranging the collection yet. I will start arranging the items when I have finished the initial processing. Today, I learned how to format and write a finding aid. I also started researching for the administrative history and abstract of the finding aid. I’m learning about how and where the company began mining. I will be focusing on creating the finding aid today and next week. The process is new to me because I’ve never created a finding aid before, but I’m excited to try it out.

I finished inventorying the boxes of materials and started inventorying the cyanotypes this week. I am excited to go through all of the photos because they have been interesting to look at so far. A lot of the pictures I have seen depict operations and equipment. One photo that I thought was interesting was a group of men in hazmat suits giving oxygen to another man. I also saw several images of explosive powder being put into the ground in preparation for an explosion. I will likely finish inventorying the cyanotypes next week. I met with Kim and Ian this week to discuss processing and arrangement. We decided to arrange the collection by business function. We decided on categories such as correspondence, operations, prospects, cyanotypes, and PR. I also learned how to label processing folders and how to arrange the collection into them. I will be going back and forth between processing the collection and inventorying the cyanotypes. I have never processed and arranged a collection before so I’m sure I’ll have many questions, but I’m excited to get started and learn.

My fifth week of the Johnathan and Darla Garey-Sage Internship has been more inventorying. I am almost finished with the last box of the collection and will move on to the cyanotypes next. The last box of the collection had 3 boxes of letters, telegrams, and documents that I had to sort through. Most of the material is easy to describe and organize, but the letters are a bit more challenging because of the quantity of them. I am almost finished with my second to last letters box. The letter box I’m working on now has a lot of court case documents inside whereas the previous box was full of telegrams. I am excited to go through all of the cyanotypes next. I hope to finish inventorying within a week and a half. Once I finish, I will come up with an arrangement for the collection and move on to processing the collection.

During my fourth week of the Johnathan and Darla Garey-Sage Internship, I made a lot of progress inventorying boxes. I have one more box to inventory before going through the cyanotypes. I found two more letter boxes that contained tons of letters from the cashier, business manager, and chief clerk to various employees, doctors, and businesses. I also got good news about an event for the collection. On August 7th, we will be holding a white glove event for the donors. I think this will be a good opportunity for the collection to be displayed, shown off, and appreciated rather than kept in storage boxes for years. I am also excited to meet all the people that donated to the event to give them gratitude. I know this is a great opportunity and I wouldn’t be doing it without them. I know one of the donors is an anthropologist so that will be a great opportunity to connect, give thanks, and network. I will be continuing to inventory next week, but I believe next week will be the last week on inventorying.

My third week of the Johnathan and Darla Garey-Sage Internship has been focused on inventorying. I am still going through the boxes of the collection and describing the items I find. I found three boxes full of letters and business documents this week. I have enjoyed going through the documents because I feel like I am going back in time and learning about the processes of mining. The process of describing is interesting, yet time consuming. I believe taking my time now will pay off in the end when I am forming my finding aid. The most exciting part of the week was finding a letter made out to a possible relative of mine. Much of the collection comes from the Ely and Elko area. My family emigrated to Carlin, Ely, and Elko from Switzerland in the late 1800s. One of the letters from 1907 was made out to someone with the last name of “Opdyke,” which is a family name of mine. It was definitely an exciting moment for me to not only connect with the past, but also my family in a way. I am excited to see what else I find in the collection! Next week I will continue inventorying because I have a lot more to do and it is a long process.

My second week of the internship was exciting because I started inventorying the collection. On Monday, I finished reading about arrangement and description. I made a timeline for how I would handle the collection. I then read about how to handle important documents and cyanotypes before starting to inventory. I enjoyed going through the items in the collection and describing them in the excel sheet. I have gone through almost three boxes of the collection. I found a lot of Nevada Consolidated Copper Annual Reports in one of the boxes. Some of the reports contain panoramic images of the pits as well as panoramas color-coded by materials. If an exhibit for the collection is made, I think these would be great for the display and showing how the pits changed over time. I also found a small cardboard infographic showing the process of making copper. I am currently going through letter boxes that contain many paper-clipped reports, documents, and data. I will likely continue going through these documents on Monday because there are many of them. It will take about 2 or 3 weeks go through the entire collection and cyanotypes. I am trying to be as thorough and timely as possible.

My first week as the new Johnathan and Darla Garey-Sage intern has been a wonderful experience. I was initially exciting to start working with the consolidated copper mine collection because of my interest in archaeology, geology, history, and photography. I wanted to gain more experience in archival and museums settings while learning the history of mining and photography. The internship began with an introduction to archival studies, mining, and photography. I was relieved to get background information for the collection because I was nervous about jumping right in. My first day consisted of reading about archival studies and processes. My task was to compare and contrast archives to my own field of study. Comparing and contrasting helped me simplify archival studies by relating archives to what I already know. My second day was spent reading about the history of photographs and photographic processes. On the third day, I was tasked to describe some photographs by format and process. This task is important because the copper collection has many cyanotype photographs. Gaining knowledge and practice working with photograph has prepared the new collection. My next task is to come up with a timeline for the project which I will start this week and finish next week.