Collins Unbound

Winter Carnival Snow Queen Candidates, 1949

Snowfall on Campus, 1954

It’s almost finals week and yes, I do know that it is not snowing yet! A girl can hope, can’t she? As I look back on my final fall semester at Puget Sound and forward to the spring, I realize my favorite time on campus has always been when there’s a layer of snow covering everything. Here’s a couple of images of campus in the snow that make me so excited for winter break! I hope thinking about sitting by the window watching snow fall with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand helps get you through your finals. Good luck and have a restful break!

The Archives & Special Collections has drop-in hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM or is open by appointment.

By: Laure Mounts ‘20

 Indian Melodies, by Thomas Commuck, was published in 1845 and is widely recognized as the first book of music published by a Native American author. Commuck was a member of the Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island. Indian Melodies contains 120 hymns to which Commuck assigned names of “noted Indian chiefs, Indian females, Indian names of place, &c [sic]. This has been done merely as a tribute of respect to the memory of some tribes that are now nearly if not quite extinct; also as a mark of courtesy to some tribes which whom the author is acquainted.” (Commuck, vi)

Commuck writes in the preface:

“The author of the following original tunes wished to get some person better educated than himself to write a preface or introduction to his little work; but on reflection it occurred to him that he could tell the public all about it as well as any one else… He is, however, fully aware of the difficulties attendant upon an attempt to appear successfully as an author before a scrutinizing and discerning public, especially when unaided by the influence of wealth, or a long list of influential friends… Add to this the circumstance of having been born, not only in obscurity, but being descended from that unfortunate and proscribed people, the Indians, with whose name a considerable portion of the enlightened American people are unwilling to associate even the shadow of anything like talent, virtue, or genius, and as being wholly incapable of any improvement, either moral, mental, or physical, and the wonder will cease to be a wonder. In view of all these disadvantages, it is not without great diffidence that he attempts to appear at the bar of public opinion, not knowing but JUDGE PREJUDICE may preside, and condemn his work to the deep and silent shades of everlasting oblivion, without even a hearing.” (Commuck, iii)

Commuck’s Indian Melodies can be viewed in the Archives & Special Collections on the 2^nd floor of the Collins Memorial Library.

The Archives & Special Collections has drop-in hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM or is open by appointment.

By Laura Edgar, Assistant Archivist

Photo from the November 18, 1999 issue of The Trail.

The Repertory Dance Group (RDG) had their fall show, “Dancing on Sunshine,” this past weekend at Wilson High School. In honor of that, we thought we’d tell you a bit about the history of the RDG at Puget Sound.

Photo from April 11, 2014 issue of The Trail.

RDG was founded in 1996 as a student-run dance group. Performances are choreographed by students and the club welcomes everyone, no matter what their dance background is, through their “no-cuts” audition process. The group had their first performance, titled “A Taste of Things to Come,” in 1997 with only 18 dancers. RDG quickly gained popularity on campus. The November 18, 1999 issue of The Trail reports that there were 90 dancers and 15 different dances in the show “Dancin’ Groovin’” that year. The performance took place in Norton Clapp Theater and the students performed three shows. The November 16, 2000 issue of The Trail reports that the RDG shows had sold out for the past two years and “will most likely do the same this year.”

RDG is composed of a diverse group of students that come together because they love to dance. Everyone who auditions performs in the show and the club has enjoyed great success over the past two decades.

The Archives & Special Collections has drop-in hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM or is open by appointment.

By Rowan Coates

The Archives & Special Collections is home to over 70 manuscript collections, which are collections of personal or family papers. These collections contain materials that relate to the people, history, economy, and politics of the Pacific Northwest region and the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented peoples. One of our largest manuscript collections is the Abby Williams Hill collection, which features the correspondence, journals, photographs, ephemera, and other materials belonging to this early Tacoma artist.

Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943) was a painter and activist with an insatiable love of travel and learning. Just as her artwork provides us with a lasting vision of many of the iconic sights of the American West, her papers paint a remarkably rich picture of American life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hill’s correspondence and journals provide a unique female perspective into significant issues that were affecting the nation as a whole during that time, including the westward movement, African American and Native American rights, early childhood education, and the preservation of federal lands. In addition to Hill’s personal papers, Puget Sound is also home to over 150 pieces of Hill’s artwork, including paintings, ink drawings, and sketches. You can see many of these on display on the first floor of the library.

The Archives & Special Collections recently received a Washington Digital Heritage grant to digitize and transcribe nine of Hill’s journals. We anticipate those being available online in fall 2020. In the meantime, browse our digital collections of Hill’s artwork and family photographs, or drop in to the archives during our open hours and browse the collection!

The Archives & Special Collections has drop-in hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM or is open by appointment.

By Laura Edgar, Assistant Archivist