Senator Hattie W. Caraway (Ark) with 1938 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Buddy Poppy girl. By Arthur E. Scott, from the Arthur E. Scott photograph collection, C0096, Box 44. Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University

While processing the Arthur E. Scott photograph collection, approximately twenty negatives were separated due to vinegar syndrome. The term “vinegar syndrome” is used to describe the chemical deterioration found in acetate based film. The negatives show signs of deterioration in the vinegar odor they emit, as well as, bubbling, shrinking, and channeling on the surface of the film. In order to preserve the image before the film deteriorates further, we have scanned and saved the negatives at a high resolution. The above image is of the first elected female senator Hattie Caraway and a Buddy Poppy girl from 1938. Even though the image is obstructed by the white dots created by the vinegar syndrome, we are still able to see the subject of the image and will be able to preserve the digital surrogate into the future.

To see more images from the collection, a sample of almost 200 digitized images is available through this website.

This collection was reprocessed with funds provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

This is the second in a new series on researchers who use our collections. Meet Erica Deschak! Here are her thoughts on the research process and the special collections of George Mason University Libraries.

Please tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Erica Deschak. I turned 21 last week, I’m a junior at George Mason University majoring in History. I would like to minor in either linguistics or literature.

Describe your research project:

My research project is an archival paper about local history. I used George Mason’s Special Collections and Archives to research the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, and their views on the local juvenile justice system.

How did you find the collections here at SC&A?

I took History 300 with Professor Laura Moore this past semester (Fall 2011). On our first day of class, she took us to Special Collections to meet
Leah [Richardson], and to get some basic exposure to archives; procedures, folders, boxes etc.

How did you learn to conduct primary source research?

As a student, I have been exposed to primary source research before, but this semester allowed me to further my research a lot more. English 302 with Professor Saunders, History 352 with Professor Ritterhouse… I had many opportunities to do “original” research.

Advice on primary source research for other undergraduates or first-time researchers?

When doing archival research for the first time, take your time, and write down EVERYTHING. Pay attention to details. Everything has meaning.

What are your impressions of GMU? The archives?

Mason has been a great experience so far.  Special Collections is not intimidating. It’s for students and scholars, and everyone I talked to was extremely helpful. It made my research paper a lot more enjoyable.

“Human sculptures” dance performance in front of America by Alfredo Halegua. Photograph by Carl Zitzmann, May 6, 1985.

A recently processed addition to the GMU archives includes photographs from GMU’s Creative Services office. These photographs range in date from 1964 to 2007 and consist of negatives, contact sheets, prints, and slides. Subjects cover all aspects of the university including student life, faculty and staff, campus scenes, construction, annual and one time events, classes, and the broader Mason community.

We have scanned and attached metadata to 22 of these photographs focusing on images of sculpture on campus. Sculptures include:  Alfredo Halegua’s America (1970), Lila Katzen’s Untitled (1974), Reinaldo Lopez-Carrizo’s Man Awakening to his Consciousness (1986), Azriel Awret’s Woman in Hammock (1987), Charters de Almeida’s Arch III and Landmark (1991), and Azriel Awret’s Communitas (1992). These images and more can be seen on Flickr at the GMU Archives’ photostream and are included in the updated University Photograph Collection finding aid.

This post is Part 2 of 2 parts. Part 1 can be read here.

George Mason College, Fairfax Campus, ca. 1965. Photograph is from the George Mason University Photograph Collection.

Fairfax, Virginia George Mason College’s New Home in 1964

Once moved from its original location in Bailey’s Crossroads, George Mason College would now operate out of it’s new quarters in Fairfax.

The first four buildings were quite spartan in design, appearance, amenities (with the exception of the air conditioning), and name.  Each would have two levels and a basement which doubled as a fallout shelter.  The exteriors were to be of red brick with white vinyl-coated concrete columns.  The buildings would hold a total of four lecture rooms, four labs, half a dozen classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, library, bookstore, dining, and locker rooms for physical education.  Their names would be taken from the points of the compass: North, South, East, and West.

As completion of the campus at Fairfax approached excitement began to grow.  College functions once taking place in and around Bailey’s Crossroads shifted to its new adopted home in Fairfax. Instead of the Alexandria Episcopal Seminary, the 1964 Final Day Exercises took place in the Fairfax Town Hall on June 8.  New college director Robert Reid, who assumed the directorship from the retiring John Finley on January 1, 1964, brought groups both large and small by the construction site for tours. One such group, the Fairfax City Chamber of Commerce, presented Reid and the college with the Chamber’s first ever honorary membership during the last week of July.  (The Virginian, Friday July 31, 1964).

The Collage at Fairfax officially opened on Monday, September 14 to 356 registered students.  The original faculty consisted of 7 full and 18 part-time instructors. Though the weather on that day was a pleasant seventy-five degrees, Mason’s new director, Dr. Robert Reid, could not help but point out to the Fairfax Times that Mason was the only College in the Washington area that was fully air conditioned (Fairfax Times, Friday 9/18/64, p.13).  Perhaps the most sorely missed amenities were food service and a lounge for the students and faculty.  During the first week vending machines were hastily set up in a study hall.  Mason would later set up an actual dining hall, the Ordinary, in the South Building. The Ordinary would remain there until Student Union I was built in 1974.

Though the university has added about 450 acres and over 100 buildings to the Fairfax campus, the original four still stand and are still in use today.

The Video

The original 16 mm film was approximately 12 minutes long, and unlike that of the move from Bailey’s Crossroads,  contained audio.  In this film George Mason College Director, Robert Reid, gives the above mentioned tour of the nearly-finished campus to the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce during the last week of April 1964. He is presented with an honorary membership by members of the Chamber, and later an announcer interviews tour group members,  including Dr. Reid.

Some Still Images from the Video

Still image from the film showing members of the tour group enter the East Building during the July 1964 tour. In the background are the South (today known as Krug) Building at left, the Quadrangle. and the West Building at upper right.

Student members of the tour group gather in the lobby of the North Building (now known as Finley) in this still image from the film.

Director, Robert H. Reid (at right in dark suit) receives an honorary membership in the Greater Fairfax Chamber of Commerce from Chamber representative, Robert Parcels (at left). Still image from the film.

Tour group continues down the walkway past the West Building (at right) into the breezeway of the South (now known as Krug) Building. Still image from the film.

Director Reid is interviewed by an announcer simply known as "Ed". Still image from the film.

Segments from the Video

Please click here to view a 59-second segment from the tour portion of the  video.

Please click here to view a 1-minute 55-second segment from the interview portion of the  video.