Anthony Wright de Hernandez Civil War, The 1960s

VOICES OF INFLUENCE

Poster introducing the "Voices of Influence: War and Propaganda Through the Ages" exhibit from Special Collections and University Archives at Virginia Tech University Libraries. It features a U.S. Navy recruiting poster showing a World War I era airplane.

During the summer of 2024, our outreach assistant, Sterling Bryant, curated an exhibit on propaganda before leaving to pursue his Master’s degree with Virginia Tech’s Department of history. He did a spectacular job and this has been one of our most popular exhibits. This blog post translates the exhibit into digital form so that we can share it more easily online.

This exhibit explores the powerful role of propaganda as it was used during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The items featured here include pamphlets, posters, books, and artifacts which illustrate how governments, political parties, social movements, and others employed propaganda to sway hearts and minds during some of the most tumultuous periods in history.

Curated By

Sterling Bryant, SCUA Outreach Assistant; Master’s Student, Department of History
Anthony Wright de Hernandez, Archivist

Sections

American Civil War
World War I
US Red Scare
World War II
CHINA Cultural Revolution
Cold War
VIET NAM
US PEACETIME
Additional Content

American Civil War

Union Recruitment Poster

Broadside poster recruiting for the Union Army
Date1861
CreatorUnited States Army
PublisherIngalls, Brockway & Beebee Printers
CollectionHomer E. Davis Papers (MS.2001.051)
DescriptionRecruitment posters like this one were used by the United States Army during the American Civil War. They were designed to recruit Americans to join the Union Army by stoking fears of a Confederate invasion of Washington D.C. This poster is a replica from the New York Historical Society.

George F. Doyle Scrapbook

A scrapbook page featuring some political cartoons, American flags, and the music and lyrics for "The Massachusetts Line"
Datecirca 1861
CreatorsGeorge F. Doyle
PublisherNone
CollectionGeorge Doyle Scrapbook (Ms.1989.096)
DescriptionScrapbooks like this were compiled during the American Civil War. Some contained information on the 1860 election or memorabilia on the Confederate States of America. This scrapbook was patriotic to the Union and contains music and images that can be recognized by Americans today. The full scrapbook can be viewed online.

World War I

Thrift and Economy

A poster showing a statement signed by the Council of National Defense and the Advisory Commission of the Council.
Datecirca 1917 or 1918
CreatorsCouncil of National Defense
The Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense
PublisherUnited States Food Administration
CollectionWorld War I Food Posters (Acc.2021.094)
DescriptionPosters like this were common during the First and Second World Wars. They urged Americans to conserve resources so that they could be used by the military in the war effort. This poster depicts a signed statement by the Council of National Defense and the Advisory Commission of the Council of National Defense encouraging citizens to avoid all unnecessary expenditures to help the war effort.

Sugar Means Ships

Poster featuring a line drawing of a woman drinking from a straw in a cup. The bottom of the cup is pulling water with cargo ships labeled "Sugar" away from their path toward Europe. Rising above Europe is a black cloud labeled "War".
Datecirca 1917
CreatorFuhr, E. (Ernest), 1874-1933
PublisherUnited States Food Administration
CollectionWorld War I Food Posters (Acc.2021.094)
DescriptionSugar rationing for commercial uses began in fall 1917, reducing production of ice cream, sodas, and other treats which had become popular in part thanks to their promotion as alternatives for alcohol by the Temperance movement in the United States. Rationing for civilians did not begin until 1918; however, the United States was not capable of producing enough sugar domestically to meet demand. This led to calls for people to reduce sugar consumption so ships could be used for the war rather than to ship sugar.

Baker Recruitment Poster

Datecirca 1917
CreatorUnited States Army
PublisherNational Printing and Engraving Company, New York
CollectionWorld War I Baker Recruitment Poster (Ms.2021.029)
DescriptionRecruiting posters were a necessity during the World Wars. Conscription could only add so many specialties to the military, meanwhile specialists like bakers were greatly needed. This baker recruitment poster likely dates to New York City in 1917 and gives a quota on how many bakers are needed to support the United States Army.

Food Saving and Sharing

  • Yellow book cover with the title Food Saving and Sharing. In the center is a circular seal with the words "America's food pledge 20 million tons" above a stars and stripes shield. Wheat stalks wrap around the words and shield as a border.
  • A book's title page.
  • Line drawing in green ink showing a young woman and young man filling a picnic basket bearing a U.S. coat of arms with food.
Date1918
CreatorsTappan, Eva March, 1854-1930
United States Food Administration
United States Bureau of Education
United States Department of Agriculture
PublisherDoubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, New York
CollectionRare Books Collection (TX367.U6 1918)
DescriptionSubtitled “Telling how the older children of America may help save from famine their comrades in allied lands across the sea.” Toward the end of the First World War, famine began affecting families around the world. The United States Food Administration published literature urging families to conserve and share food with their neighbors so that comrades in allied lands across the sea could be saved from starvation.

Japanese Coronation Prints: Emperor Taishō

These lithograph prints were created to commemorate the enthronement of Yoshihito, later known as Emperor Taishō, to Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne. The ceremony, held in November 1915 while Japan fought alongside the Allied forces in World War I, was the first of its type held as a public event and with foreign leaders in attendance.

Emperor Seated Upon the Throne in Shinshinden Palace

Lithograph depicting Emperor Taishō seated on a throne inside a blue-curtained structure with many embellishments that is atop a raised platform.
Date1915 (Taishô 4), Nov. 5 (printed)
1915 (Taishô 4), Nov. 8 (published)
CreatorRyôzô, Tanaka
PublisherShôbidô Tanaka
CollectionJapanese Coronation Prints, Emperor Taishō
DescriptionHis Majesty the Emperor Seated upon the Throne in the Shinshinden Palace at the Enthronement Ceremony. The ‘Takamikura’ H.i.M. The Present Emperor’s coronation ceremony at ‘Shinshinden.’ From the series commemorating the Imperial Ceremonies.

Emperor Passed Through the Royal Gate

Lithograph showing a red horse-drawn carriage passing through a large gate as part of a procession while soldiers stand in formation along the sides of the roadway watching it pass.
Date1915 (Taishô 4), Nov. 18 (printed)
1915 (Taishô 4), Nov. 20 (published)
CreatorRyôzô, Tanaka
PublisherShôbidô Tanaka
CollectionJapanese Coronation Prints, Emperor Taishō
DescriptionHis Majesty the Emperor passed through the royal gate to perform the official ceremony. From the series commemorating the Imperial Ceremonies.

Red Scare: Communism in America

These pamphlets published between the 1930s and the 1950s vary in support or opposition to the working class in the United States who may be identified as “communist” or “socialist” by the United States Government. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the United States was experiencing something called the “Red Scare” and there were federal investigations to determine if individuals were spies for Soviet Russia.

The Un-American Dies Committee

  • Cover for a pamphlet titled "The Un-American Dies Committee"
  • Pages 16 and 17 of a pamphlet titled "The Un-American Dies Committee" which describe the actions and reason for the existence of the Dies Committee.
Date1939
CreatorsLapin, Adam
PublisherWorkers Library Publishers, Inc.
CollectionBlack History Pamphlet Collection (Ms.2012.066)
DescriptionOn May 26, 1938, the House Committee on Un-American Activities was established to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities of private citizens, public employees, and organizations suspected of communist or fascist ties. It was chaired by Martin Dies Jr. (D-Tex.). This pamphlet describes the activities of the committee and its apparent willingness to believe any accusation of communist tendencies.

The Plot to Gag America

Date1950
CreatorsGurley-Flynn, Elizabeth
PublisherNew Century Publishers
CollectionBlack History Pamphlet Collection (Ms.2012.066)
DescriptionWritten by a member of the National Committee of the Communist Party and a leader in the American labor movement, this pamphlet argues against the Mundt-Nixon Bill, formally called the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1948 that would have required all members of the Communist Party of the United States to register with the Attorney General.

Let the People Know

  • Cover for a pamphlet titled "Let the People Know: The Truth About the Communists Which the Un-American Committee Tried to Suppress"
  • Pages 10 and 11 of a pamphlet titled "Let the People Know" which describe the Rankin Bill (H.R. 1884) and the Sheppard Bill (H.R. 2122) from the perspective of the American Communist Party.
Date1947
CreatorsDennis, Eugene, 1905-1961
PublisherNew Century Publishers
CollectionBlack History Pamphlet Collection (Ms.2012.066)
DescriptionThis pamphlet subtitled “The Truth About the Communists Which the Un-American Committee Tried to Suppress” was written by the General Secretary of the American Communist Party and lays out arguments against the Rankin Bill (H.R. 1884) and the Sheppard Bill (H.R. 2122) which were both intended to curb or outlaw the Communist Party in the United States.

World War II

War Bond Poster

Date1944
CreatorsUnited States Treasury
PublisherUnited States Government Printing Office
CollectionRalph Minthorne Brown Papers (Ms.1970.002)
DescriptionWar Bonds were integral to funding the United States military during World War II. Posters like these went up to urge Americans to buy bonds that would later be paid back to the purchaser at value plus interest after the war.

Make America Strong Posters

Date1941
CreatorsExtension Service, United States Department of Agriculture
PublisherUnited States Government Printing Office
CollectionMake America Strong Poster Collection (Ms.2008.012)
DescriptionBefore World War II, the science of nutrition was not well understood. Scientists knew that protein, energy, and minerals made for a healthy diet, but they did not know the specifics. With the approach of World War II, the government was very concerned about malnourishment among the citizenry following the Great Depression. The “Make America Strong” poster campaign was created by the United States Department of Agriculture Extension Service and included thirteen posters promoting the importance of dietary needs, healthy eating habits, and ways to fight food insecurity. Three of the thirteen posters were featured in the exhibit.

The first poster in the series shows an idealized depiction of masculine strength and sets the tone for the campaign.

In the middle of the series is a poster encouraging meals that are ample, well prepared, and rich in “protective foods.” Included under the label “protective foods” were milk, leafy vegetables, eggs, fish, and organ meats.

The final poster serves as a rallying cry for Americans to get to work making a positive change.

More Production

Ad from General Cable Corporation urging more production and showing smokestacks from numerous factories.
DateMay 1942
CreatorsGeneral Cable Corporation
PublisherArmy & Navy Journal (John Callan O’Laughlin)
CollectionRare Books Collection (D769.U55 1942)
DescriptionThis special issue of the Army and Navy Journal, titled “United States at War December 7, 1941 – December 7, 1942,” was sponsored by General Cable Corporation. The advertisement from that company on the inside front cover supports the “More Production” war effort. The rest of the journal contains letters and reports by government employees and military commanders detailing the first year of the war effort.

England and Normandy in Seabee Roads to Victory

  • Cover of the book "Seabee Roads to Victory" featuring battalion badges from U.S. Naval Construction Batallions.
  • Map of England and Normandy from "Seabee Roads to Victory"
  • Descriptive text and image captions for the England and Normandy map in "Seabee Roads to Victory"
Date1944
CreatorsMetzl, Ervine, 1899-1963 (maps)
Huie, William Bradford, 1910-1986 (text)
PublisherE.P. Dutton & Co.
CollectionRare Books Collection (D769.U55 M4)
DescriptionThe Seabee Roads to Victory serves as recruitment propaganda for the United States Navy. The Seabees, still around today, are the construction wing of the Navy. During the Second World War, the Seabees constructed bases, staging areas, and training facilities in the Mediterranean and Northern Africa. Featured here is the book’s account of Seabee involvement in landing operations in Normandy during World War II.

Paper Bullets: Great Propaganda Posters, Axis & Allied Countries WWII

Cover of "Paper Bullets: Great Propaganda Posters, Axis & Allied Countries WWII" featuring a poster of a woman holding a baby with shadowy, clawed, hands bearing Japanese and Nazi symbols reaching toward them. It is a propaganda poster promoting Victory Bonds.
Date1977
CreatorsLerner, Daniel, 1917-1980
PublisherChelsea House Publishers, Distributed by Whirlwind Books
CollectionRare Books Collection (D743.25 P36)
DescriptionThis book contains various propaganda posters from the World War II era. Seven were featured as part of the exhibit.

Ecco I “Liberatori”!

A poster showing a skeletal Statue of Liberty removing a mask to reveal her skull while standing over a burning city.
Date1944
CreatorsArtist Unknown
OriginItaly
DescriptionThis poster comes from Italy in 1944 and suggests that the Allied forces coming through Italy were leaving a trail of destruction behind them. The text reads “Here are the ‘liberators’!”

Соревнуйтесь На Лучшую Помощь Фронту!

Poster with Cyrillic writing that shows a young man proudly holding a red flag bearing the faces of Stalin and Lenin. In the background is an industrial plant and an airfield launching many planes.
Date1942
CreatorsKorkorekin, Alexei Alekseevich (Кокорекин, Алексей Алексеевич)
OriginUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics
DescriptionUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics World War II propaganda poster. The text reads “Follow this worker’s example. Produce more for the front!”

這個美國空軍把日本人趕出了中國的天空ー援助他！

Leaflet with Chinese writing that depicts a heavily armed American airman stamping on a cowering Japanese soldier.
Datecirca 1945
CreatorsUnited States, Office of War Information
OriginUnited States of America
DescriptionA Pro-American leaflet in Chinese showing a heavily armed American airman stamping on a cowering Japanese soldier. The text reads “This American airman drives the Jap from China’s Skies –Give him your help!”

人人敌忾，步不设防，坚强壁垒，制敌死命

A poster divided into four sections each with its own line drawing in red ink. One shows soldiers marching. Two shows stone walls with guns sticking from the top. Three shows multiple gun barrels. Four shows Japanese Emperor Hirohito on the ground.
Datecirca 1937
CreatorsJunshi weiyuanhui zhengxunchu (军事委员会政训处)
OriginChina
DescriptionA Chinese woodcut poster. The text reads “Everybody must hate the enemy, defenses must be constructed step-by-step, fortifications must be strengthened, the enemy must be exterminated!”

der Fuehrer’s Face

Date1942
CreatorsWalt Disney Studios
OriginUnited States of America
DescriptionPromotional poster for the animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film “der Fuehrer’s Face.” The film was originally titled “Donald Duck in Nutziland” or “A Nightmare in Nutziland.” It was released in 1943 and attempted to lift the spirits of Americans experiencing rationing as the country shifted toward a war footing.

Holding The Line

Datecirca 1942
CreatorsGuigmon, Henri
OriginUnited States of America
DescriptionThis United States poster caricatures Winston Churchill as a British bulldog to highlight the tenacity of the British people holding the line on the European front in World War II.

Anti-German Postcard

Date1944
CreatorsUnknown
OriginBelgium
DescriptionThis Belgian postcard from 1944 features the allied forces represented by a winged depiction of the Roman goddess Libertas or “Liberty” who is holding the flags of the allied nations as she defeats Germany.

China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

Mao Quotation on Study Classes

Datecirca 1969
CreatorsArtist Unknown
PublisherUnknown
CollectionAlice Langley Hsieh Papers (Ms.1979.004)
DescriptionEnglish translation: Holding study classes is a good method; many problems can be solved in study classes. During China’s Cultural Revolution, posters containing “Chairman Mao’s Latest Instructions” were published regularly and were celebrated by the people.

Mao Quotation on Revolutionary Committees

Datecirca 1969
CreatorsArtist Unknown
PublisherUnknown
CollectionAlice Langley Hsieh Papers (Ms.1979.004)
DescriptionEnglish translation: Erect revolutionary committees of three unions, do great criticisms, clean up the revolutionary ranks, consolidate the Party organization, simplify the structures, reform irrational regulation systems, send the administrative staff to the countryside, struggle, criticize, correct in the factories, in the main go through this process a few times.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics During the Cold War

Pamphlets published by Russia’s state-owned domestic news agency. Sovinformburo (Совинформбюро) was founded in June 1941 and operated under that name until 1961 when it became the Novosti Press Agency (APN). It underwent a series of name changes and reorganizations from 1990 to 2013 and was absorbed into the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, known as Roskomnadzor (RKN).

Towards Freedom and Progress

Cover of a pamphlet titled "Towards Freedom and Progress"
Date1970
CreatorsKhamid Sharapovich Inoi︠a︡tov
PublisherNovosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow
CollectionSoviet Propaganda Literature (Acc.2011.040)
DescriptionThe Soviet Union experienced ups and downs within its tenure as a world power. This pamphlet lays out a plan to continue their rise and grasp over world affairs.

Anti-Sovietism – Profession of Zionists

Cover of a pamphlet titled "Anti-Sovietism - Profession of Zionists"
Date1971
CreatorsVladimir Viktorovich Bolʹshakov
PublisherNovosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow
CollectionSoviet Propaganda Literature (Acc.2011.040)
DescriptionThis propaganda piece discusses how Zionism is anti-Soviet.

Soviet Sport: The Way to Medals

Two page spread from a book. One page has a photograph of a stadium with many people outside it. The other has photos of a man supervising a young child climbing a rope ladder and a group of men practicing water polo in a small section of open water cut into some ice while two skiiers watch.
Date1988
CreatorsAleksandr Rostislavovich Lavrov
PublisherNovosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow
CollectionSoviet Propaganda Literature (Acc.2011.040)
DescriptionThis pamphlet showcases the athletic talent of Soviet athletes in the 1980s. The Soviet Union also published propaganda for events like the Olympics, to display their legitimacy on the world stage.

We Are Building A Long-Term Policy Speech

Cover of a printed English language copy of Gorbachev's 1988 speech "We Are Building a Long-Term Policy"
Date1988
CreatorsMikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev
PublisherNovosti Press Agency Publishing House, Moscow
CollectionSoviet Propaganda Literature (Acc.2011.040)
DescriptionSubtitled “speech on the occasion of the meeting in Moscow of the US-USSR Trade and Economic Council, April 13, 1988.” Pamphlets like these were common in the Soviet Union throughout their time as a world power. Gorbachev was very notorious for pushing them out in the late 1980s as their empire looked as if it were ready to crumble.

Viet Nam

South Viet Nam in Struggle

Cover page of a newspaper
Date1971 Nov 29
CreatorsNational Liberation Front of South Vietnam (Mặt Trận Dân Tộc Giải Phóng Miền Nam Việt Nam)
PublisherNational Liberation Front of South Vietnam Information Commission
CollectionBlack History Pamphlet Collection (Ms.2012.066)
DescriptionThis paper was written for an English-speaking audience to demonstrate to the world that the United States was not dampening the spirit of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (also known as the Viet Cong).

Peacetime in America

Our Most Important Unit

Newspaper page featuring a recruiting ad for the U.S. Army
Date1996 Apr 8
CreatorsThe Army Times
PublisherThe Army Times
CollectionJohn A. Coulter Collection on Richard T. Shae, Jr. Newspaper Articles (Ms.2000.090)
DescriptionIn The Army Times, this picture advertises how the family unit is the most important unit in the United States military. Its purpose is to recruit people who may have a spouse and children. It details benefits available to Army spouses and children such as spousal employment assistance and assistance locating childcare.

Additional Content

Following the creation of the exhibit, Sterling began work on a related project during his first year of graduate school. This project will conclude with three live presentations on his Twitch channel and content about the exhibit materials on his website.

Twitch schedule

Join Sterling’s live presentations about this material in late November 2024 at https://twitch.tv/Strlang.

Part ITuesday, November 26 at 9:00 pm
Part IIWednesday, November 27 at 7:00 pm
Part IIIFriday, November 29 at 7:00 pm
archivistkira Civil War

Camp near Petersburg, Va (Dec 15th 1864)

I feel like I probably spend too much time blogging about Civil War history on this site, when we have so many collections here at Special Collections and University Archives. But, what can I say? I’m not-so-secretly intrigued by reading dead people’s mail (it’s part of why I like working in archives) and Civil War letters are some of my favorites. I’m always surprised by what soldiers or families on the home front were writing to each other, what tidbits seemed of most value at the time, and how those pieces of information can be of interest to people today. I’m always excited to find food references (since my other love is food and drink history) and on more rare occasions, references to alcohol and spirits. This letter, for me, hits the trifecta.

Written from a camp near Petersburg, Virginia on December 15 1864, from Joseph Rule to his “Friend Silas.” Rule was part of Company B, 50th New York Engineers and his letter, among other things, talks about the regiment’s raid on Weldon Railroad, which was a significant supply line for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Like I said, though, I fixate on the stranger stuff. On page two, Rule writes, “we had chickens Turkeys geese Pigs Beef milk Preserves & in fact there was nothing that could be thought at but we had Apple jack there was by the barrel there could hardly be a cavalryman be found sober and there was some foot Soldiers drunk enough.” The fact that this amount and variation of food was available is a testament of sorts, to the success of the raid. As someone who actively goes looking for food and drink references, as I said, spirits and alcohol can be rare. A specific reference to applejack is exciting to see. It is no wonder that Rule reports on the drunkenness of soldiers–the barrel probably wouldn’t have lasted long to begin with and it was likely celebratory consumption, too.

Rule goes on, after his food talk, to detail a bit about the raid and the immediate aftermath–it involved not only destroying railroad tracks, but burning of houses and barns, seemingly in retaliation for the loss of lives in the regiment. Like many letters of the time, he talks about things he misses, has questions about issues at home, and contemplates a future furlough.

The finding aid for the collection has a little bit more detail and you can view it online. If Rule’s handwriting isn’t your thing (it’s not awful, but his punctuation is lacking!), we have digitized this letter. It’s online with the original envelope and a transcription, for your reading pleasure. Our digital site is full of Civil War letters and diaries, offering us tiny looks into the lives of people from 150+ years ago. There doesn’t need to be a lesson in there, but sometimes there can be. I guess, in this case: Don’t dive into your applejack barrels–Make them last a while, instead? (Cheers?)

LM Rozema Architecture, Local/Regional History

The Life and Architecture of Smithey & Boynton

After several years, I recently finished processing the Smithey & Boynton, Architects & Engineers Records, Ms1992-027. Partner in the firm, Kenneth L. Motley purchased the firm in 1992 and donated their historical records in 1992 and 1994. About 30% of the collection was made available before I arrived at Virginia Tech in 2014, but the oversize, rolled architectural drawings and blueprints were not (although I must thank my predecessors for labeling and locating the rolls, which helped me significantly). Over the past four years, I arranged, described, and boxed up nearly 1,500 project drawings, totaling over 220 cubic feet and including over 920 boxes. (This isn’t even the largest collection we have in Special Collections!)

Louis Phillipe Smithey and Henry B. Boynton formed the Smithey & Boynton partnership in 1935. Smithey & Boynton built and renovated thousands of buildings throughout the state of Virginia. They designed Lane Stadium and several other buildings on the Virginia Tech campus, buildings for the Norfolk & Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern), and the Lyric Theatre and Armory Building in Blacksburg. The firm became best known for building public schools, even using the same basic layout for numerous schools. They had nearly 150 school design commissions from 1945 through 1953 in at least 19 counties and 10 cities in Virginia.

Drawings of the Armory Building in Blacksburg, designed by Smithey & Boynton:

Armory Building
Armory Building

Louis Phillipe Smithey (1890-1966)

Smithey graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 1910, before attending both Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an engineer for Virginia Bridge & Iron Company from 1916 to 1920. He then opened his own practice, before partnering with Matthews H. Tardy, as Smithey & Tardy from 1922 through 1932. Smithey again had his own practice, occasionally working with Henry B. Boynton, before they partnered as Smithey & Boynton in 1935. Smithey was a registered architect in Virginia and West Virginia, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and served as president of the Virginia chapter of the AIA in 1940. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War I and World War II. Smithey married Dorothy Terrill in 1938, and they had one daughter.

Photos and drawings of the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, designed by the firm of Louis Phillipe Smithey:

Henry B. Boynton (1899-1991)

Boynton graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1923, before taking classes at the University of Illinois (now the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign). He worked for Carneal & Johnston, Architects & Engineers, from 1924 to 1928. (We previously wrote about Carneal & Johnston on this blog in “A New Collection and a New Look at Virginia Tech’s Architectural Style.”) Boynton joined Smithey’s practice in 1929, becoming a partner in Smithey & Boynton in 1935. He was a registered architect in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania; held several positions of the Virginia chapter of the AIA; and served as the Governor’s appointee to the State Registration Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, and Land Surveyors from 1962 to 1972. Boynton also served on the VPI Alumni Board of Directors from 1969 to 1979 and the VPI Education Foundation, Inc.’s board from 1978 to 1982. He also served in the Army Corps of Engineers during the World War II. (Special Collections also has the Henry B. Boynton Papers, Ms1992-002, which include some records from Smithey & Boynton.)

Drawings of the Norfolk & Southern Railway’s General Storehouse in Roanoke, designed by Smithey & Boynton:

Norolk & Southern’s General Storehouse in Roanoke
Norolk & Southern’s General Storehouse in Roanoke

For more, I recommend reading “Smithey and Boynton and the Designing of Virginias Modern Architecture” by Mike Walker, which is about Smithey & Boynton’s work and includes photographs of some of their buildings, primarily in Covington, Virginia.

Update, Jan. 12, 2021: An archived version of the page by Mike Walker is available from the Wayback Machine from August 15, 2019.

LM Rozema Events, Local/Regional History

Selections from Appalachian Collections

Today marks the beginning of the 40th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference, taking place here at Virginia Tech! Archivist Marc Brodsky has set up an exhibit in Special Collections to show off some of our collections documenting the history of Appalachia. Please come by to take a gander today or tomorrow during our open hours, if you are interested in what he has highlighted from our collections! If you can’t make it, take a lot at some of the display:

Let me tell you about some of the items on display and related material. There are selections from numerous collections that span 200 years. A few have been discussed previously on the blog, including the “Call to Arms” letter from the Robert Taylor Preston Papers, Ms1992-003, and a beautiful scrapbook with poetry, flowers, and rings of hair from Daniel Bedinger Lucas Papers, Ms1995-012.

One of the earliest documents regards slavery in the 18th century from the Dickson Family Papers, Ms1988-094. An example is the following bill of sale for a “Negro Boy Named Elijah”:

A bill of sale for a slave, a young boy named Elijah, in 1796
A bill of sale for a slave, a young boy named Elijah, in 1796 from the Dickson Family Papers, Ms1988-094

We also have items from the Black, Kent, and Apperson Families Papers, Ms1974-003. Harvey Black, the great-nephew of Blacksburg’s namesake William Black, was a field surgeon in the Civil War. He served as the superintendent of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum in Williamsburg, then became the first superintendent of the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum in Marion upon its opening in 1887:

Harvey Black portrait from the Mathew Brady Studios
Harvey Black portrait from the Mathew Brady Studios

Here is the text of the first annual report for the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum, 1887:

Some of the other collections that I have not pictured here include

These items are always available for you to look at, even if you can’t come to the temporary exhibit!

LM Rozema Local/Regional History, University History

Presidential Inaugurations and Virginia Tech

Well, tomorrow is the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, so I decided to scour our collections for items pertaining to presidents. At Special Collections you can find all sorts of material related to presidents – presidents of the U.S., presidents of organizations and businesses, and, of course, presidents of Virginia Tech. If you search our blog and our finding aids, you’ll find all sorts of posts and collections referencing all these presidential types. But I’d like to highlight items related to the presidential inaugurations of the U.S. and VT presidents that we maintain.

United States Presidential Inaugurations

The Highty-Tighties, Virginia Tech’s very own Corps of Cadets band, has performed for numerous U.S. presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt at an exposition in 1902 and in the pre-inauguration celebrations for Barack Obama’s first term in 2009. They have also gained national recognition through their performances at twelve inaugural parades, starting with Woodrow Wilson’s second inauguration in 1917 and ending with George W. Bush’s second in 2005. The band was also invited to play at William Howard Taft’s inauguration in 1909, which they were unable to attend, according to letters in Pres. Paul B. Barringer’s records, RG 2/6. During the mid-20th century, these parades doubled as band competitions, and the Highty-Tighties won first prize three years consecutively in 1953, 1957, and 1961, the last year of the inaugural parade competition. Special Collections has photographs and other items related to the Highty-Tighties at a few of the parades in the Historical Photograph Collection.

Highty-Tighties at Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s 1917 inauguration
Highty-Tighties in front of Pres. John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the 1961 inauguration
Highty-Tighties at Pres. Richard Nixon’s 1969 inauguration
Letter regarding Highty-Tighties’ first prize win in Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1957 inauguration parade

Special Collections also holds invitations to several U.S. presidential inaugurations in our manuscript collections. We also have materials related to the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration and a tintype from Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 re-election campaign. Below are inaugural invitations and programs for Zachary Taylor in 1849 from the Robert Taylor Preston Papers, Ms1992-003; Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 in the John Henry Johnson Scrapbook, Ms2009-053; and Richard M. Nixon in 1969 in the Earl D. Gregory Collection, Ms1972-004.

Zachary Taylor 1849 inauguration invitation from Robert Preston Papers, Ms1992-003
Invitation to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 inauguration, p. 1, in the John Henry Johnson Scrapbook, Ms2009-053
Invitation to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 inauguration, p. 2, in the John Henry Johnson Scrapbook, Ms2009-053
Program of Pres. Richard M. Nixon’s 1969 presidential inauguration, specifically for Congressional Medal of Honor winners, from the Earl D. Gregory Collection, Ms1972-004
Insert from program of Pres. Richard M. Nixon’s 1969 presidential inauguration, specifically for Congressional Medal of Honor winners, from the Earl D. Gregory Collection, Ms1972-004

Here are items from the press packet for the inauguration of Harry S Truman in 1949 in the Evert B. Clark Papers, Ms1989-022:

Virginia Tech Presidential Installations

Being the repository for the University Archives, Special Collections, of course, maintains items related to the inaugurations or installations of the university presidents. For example, we have a video of James D. McComas’ inauguration in 1988 as 13th president of Virginia Tech. Several of the records of the presidents have files related to their inauguration ceremonies, including Walter Newman in RG 2/10, Boxes 2-3; T. Marshall Hahn in RG 2/11, Box 97; and William E. Lavery in RG 2/12, Boxes 1-2. Additionally, items related to the installation ceremonies are located in the Record Group Vertical Files and the University Libraries library catalog.

Program for Pres. Walter S. Newman’s 1949 presidential inauguration at Virginia Tech
Program for Pres. T. Marshall Hahn’s 1963 presidential inauguration at Virginia Tech
Program for Pres. William E. Lavery’s 1975 presidential inauguration at Virginia Tech
Program for Pres. Charles W. Steger’s 2000 presidential installation at Virginia Tech
Announcement for Pres. Timothy Sands’ 2014 installation at Virginia Tech, page 1
Announcement for Pres. Timothy Sands’ 2014 installation at Virginia Tech, page 2

LM Rozema Local/Regional History

Exploring Virginia and America Through Time (with Maps!)

When determining a topic for this week’s blog post, I discovered very little has been written about Special Collections’ historical maps. We have over 800 individual maps along with special map collections, such as the Robert Holman Map Collection and the Pocahontas Mines Collection. (We are currently working on the Pocahontas Mines Collection of over 7,000 maps and will have posts devoted to it in the future, so keep an eye out!) The maps primarily document Virginia and the Appalachian region from the 18th to 20th centuries. But the maps I’d like to share with you date to the days of European colonization and American independence.

Virgini partis australis, et Florid partis orientalis, interjacentiumque regionum Nova Descriptio, c. 1640
Back of “Virgini partis australis…” map from Latin atlas about Florida

The above map, “Virgini partis australis, et Florid partis orientalis, interjacentiumque regionum Nova Descriptio”, is a reproduction of Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu’s 1640 map of the North American coast from Florida to Virginia. Marked in the upper right corner is “Chesapeak” or Chesapeake Bay and towards center left are the “Apalatcy” or Appalachian Mountains. The map also identifies different Native tribes, such as the Houstaqua – probably the Yustaga people of the Florida Panhandle – and the Powhatans of Virginia. The back of the map discusses Florida, showing that the map was once part of a Latin language atlas.

Virgini Partis australis, et Florid partis orientalis, interjacentiumque regionum Nova Descriptio, c. 1671

This map, “Virgini Partis australis, et Florid partis orientalis, interjacentiumque regionum Nova Descriptio”, is a reproduction of a map in Arnoldus Montanus’ De Nieuwe en onbekend Weereld, published in 1671 by Jacob Meurs. When compared against Blaeu’s map, very little has changed in the description of the land, although the visual depictions are fuller and more colorful.

The United States of America According to the Treaty of Peace of 1784 (reproduction)

Jump forward to 1784, and you get this more detailed, albeit less visually arresting, depiction of North America east of the Mississippi River. This reproduction identifies the boundaries of the United States as defined by the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War. Like the other maps above, this one identifies Native tribes, but it also includes new landmarks, cities, and states, showing how the changing political and cultural landscapes affect cartographic description.

As I mentioned, these are just a few out of hundreds of maps held by Special Collections. If you’d like to peruse more, check out those we’ve digitized and put up online or come in to the reading room and take a look at them yourself!

Update, Jan. 12, 2021:

The processing of the Pocahontas Mines Collection, Ms2004-002 is now complete, and there are additional posts related to the collection: