New SCPA collection on Jim Henson

If you’ve visited the University of Maryland’s Adele H. Stamp Student Union since 2003, you’ll have spotted the statue of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog on a bench to the left of the Campus Drive entrance. The spot is a popular photo opportunity for students and visitors, where you can sit beside Henson and Kermit as they chat in the small memorial garden. Although Henson is perhaps not as internationally famous as his creations, the Muppets, he is one of the University of Maryland’s (UMD) most recognizable alumni. Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library (MSPAL) is already the home of the Jim Henson video collection, which gathers nearly seventy videos highlighting Henson’s career. Now, SCPA and MSPAL are proud to announce that another collection focused on Henson is available to students and researchers: the SCPA collection on Jim Henson.

Henson, born in 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi, was an artist, puppeteer, and filmmaker with an avid interest in television starting from a young age. He was already designing, writing, and performing for local television by the time he graduated from high school and came to UMD. While he originally enrolled as a fine arts major, Henson was more interested in commercial art and set design. He switched to Home Economics (later to be renamed Practical Arts) and took a class on puppetry, where, by many accounts, he was more of a teacher than a student due to his years performing in commercials and on the local short-form show, Sam and Friends. He also worked as the publicity director for the UMD drama department, designing and printing posters for the department and other UMD events and organizations such as the University of Maryland Symphonic Band. He even ran a silkscreen printing business out of what is now Stamp Student Union—examples of his work can be found in SCPA’s Edward L. Longley papers, as well as the new SCPA collection on Jim Henson.

LP cover by Jim Henson, 1958.

In addition to commercial Muppets publications such as records and films, and the original artwork by Jim Henson, the new collection includes photographs, recordings, a set of trading cards for the 1982 film The Dark Crystal, and nearly one hundred and fifty newspaper clippings dating back to 1957. They include articles from publications such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, all focusing on the Henson Company and the development and publicity of Sesame Street and the Muppets. They contain interviews with performers, designers, and characters and discussions and criticism of the Henson Company’s shows and movies, as well as pieces about international spinoffs and the company’s business decisions. The title of the oldest article in the collection, “Sam’s Best Friend,” is emblematic of his place in television overall; far more people know Bert and Ernie or Kermit the Frog than would recognize Jim Henson or Frank Oz.

This collection is a look behind a curtain—or beyond the stage—at the development and workings of the Muppets and Henson’s career. It holds particular research potential for experimental puppetry; the trajectory of children’s educational programming; and Henson’s life and career. The collection has been fully processed and the finding aid is available on SCPA’s website. Since this is an artificial collection curated by SCPA’s staff, rather than donated by a single entity, ongoing accruals to the collection are expected.

Molly Wulff is a field student at Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) in spring 2024

Jim and Jane Henson with characters from Sam and Friends.

New Exhibit – Nixon Drinks Ripple: The United Farm Workers Stance against The Department of Defense and the Nixon Administration

UFW Nixon Pins; copywrite University of Maryland; United Farm Workers Buttons; Special Collections and University Archives; University of Maryland.

“Nixon Drinks Ripple” and “Nixon Eats Lettuce” seem like rather innocuous statements. Without context, they do not seem like accusation or criticism. But these United Farm Worker pins displaying political cartoons of Nixon, claiming that he “Drinks Ripple” and “Eats Lettuce,” are the United Farm Workers’ condemnation of President Nixon for not supporting their strikes for better wages and working conditions.  The farm workers initially went on a grape strike in 1965 and subsequently staged a national consumer boycott of all grape products. They staged additional grape and lettuce strikes in the 70s. 

Nixon was not a friend to the United Farm Workers (UFW). Famously anti-union, Nixon did nothing to support them and at times actively worked against them. In the 1950s, he helped to exclude farm workers from national labor relations legislation. As part of his 1968 campaign, he publicly “denounced the California grape boycott.” The farm workers saw him as their opponent. This is why there are pins and posters attacking the disgraced president with phrases such as “Nixon Drinks Ripple,”  

Under the Nixon administration, The U.S. Department of Defense also became an enemy of the United Farm Workers because of the Vietnam War and their active attempts to thwart the strike. 

From the beginning, the UFW claimed they “always opposed the war.”¹ In October 1969, the organization officially stated in their publication El Malcriado that they were joining anti-war protests. This followed Ceaser Chavez, director of UFW,  joining other “prominent Americans in calling for an end to the war.”² As a movement dedicated to nonviolence and inspired by other social movements of the 60s, anti-war protests were aligned with the United Farm Workers beliefs. The farm worker’s community, as Chavez points out, was also heavily victimized by the Vietnam draft and the subsequent loss of life. In the same article in El Malcriado, the UFW cites a study done by UC Santa Cruz that revealed “Mexican Americans make up more than 20% of the casualties of Americans from the southwestern states.”³ As a community that often doesn’t have the privilege of college, they are are not able to use the main draft deferment.

Cesar Jailed; Boycott goes on – El Malcriado Vol. IV 1970; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries.

A lot of the farm workers’ rhetoric and messaging called out the forces funding and supporting the war. For example, the UFW used the phrase “Napalm & lettuce – Dow supplies both” to call out the partnership of the grower Antle and Dow chemicals. Dow is a chemical supplier who worked with various growers to supply the pesticides used in the fields. Dow also supplied the Napalm that was horrifically used as a chemical weapon in Vietnam. This slogan, “Napalm and Lettuce,” calls out chemical supplier’s involvement in the war. They were condemning Dow Chemicals, linking their involvement in the war with their involvement in the strike. Furthermore, as seen here, the farm workers drew comparisons between the injustices in the Vietnam War and in California’s fields. The cover design for an issue of El Malcriado was an image of an armed guard watching over strikebreakers in the fields of Salinas Valley with the title “Why Vietnam When There Is A Salinas.” The farm workers were engaging with the Vietnam war on a moral level, utilizing a negative connotation of the war to condemn similarities with their own struggle. 

Why Vietnam When There Is A Salinas – El Malcriado Vol. IV 170; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries.

Opposition to the war was also political for the UFW.  The Department of Defense was buying grapes from the list of boycotted growers to feed soldiers in Vietnam, effectively crossing the picket line. While the Department of Defense exporting grapes was not unheard of, the purchases of scab grapes by the Department of Defense skyrocketed during the strike. The  political cartoon “You Know We Gotta Be Neutral” calls out this practice, poking fun at the Department of Defense for even pretending to be neutral. The purchase of grapes was the worst under the Nixon Administration. By October of his first year in office, there was a “300% increase in the purchase of table grapes.”⁴ In 1968, 555,000 lbs of grapes were purchased by the DoD for export to Vietnam. In 1969, the first year of Nixon’s presidency, that number jumped to 4 million. While the DoD tried to defend themselves saying that this was an impartial decision made on the basis of efficiency and availability, there is no denying these numbers, especially under Nixon.

You Know We Gotta Be Neutral; copywrite University of Maryland; Bernard Seaman labor cartoons; Special Collections and University Archives; University of Maryland.

Protest in front of the DoD; copywrite University of Maryland; AFL-CIO Information Department, Special Collections and University Archives; University of Maryland.

Ending this targeted purchase of grapes by the government became a part of the farm workers’ agenda. The UFW organized demonstrations in front of the DoD, demanding an end to this purchasing practice as seen in the pictures on the left. Chavez said during a press conference that “if it hadn’t been for these huge purchases of grapes by the Federal Government and its Department of Defense, this strike would have been settled by now.”⁵ Additionally, in 1971, the UFW took this issue to court. When the farm workers were engaged in a lettuce and grape strike and lettuce was on the list of boycotted goods, Chavez announced that the “union sued the Department of Defense to prohibit the army from buying lettuce.”

The farm workers faced a lot of opposition in their struggle for collective bargaining, adequate wages and safe working conditions. These barriers were only strengthened as powerful forces such as the Nixon Administration and the Department of Defense were at odds with the UFW. Despite this adversity, the farm workers signed their first round of successful contracts in 1970 and became a recognized AFL-CIO union in 1972. These wins gave the farm workers better wages, conditions and collective bargaining power. While the UFW made progress in the 1960s and 1970s, the plight of farm workers is far from over and exploitation still continues today. 

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Evelyn Reidy is a student in the College Park Scholars Justice and Legal Thought program and completed this project and exhibition as her CPJT230 Capstone.

1. UFWOC Joins War Protests – El Malcriado Vol. III 1969; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries. ↩︎
2. UFWOC Joins War Protests – El Malcriado Vol. III 1969; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries. ↩︎
3. UFWOC Joins War Protests – El Malcriado Vol. III 1969; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries. ↩︎
4. Prevent Strike Settlement Chavez: Pentagon Grape Purchases – El Malcriado Vol. III 1969; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries. ↩︎
5. Prevent Strike Settlement Chavez: Pentagon Grape Purchases – El Malcriado Vol. III 1969; copyright University of Maryland; El Malcriado; United Farm Workers Publications; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Maryland Libraries. ↩︎

New Exhibit – Treatment of Vulnerable Populations Throughout Maryland History: Children, Prisoners, and Mental Illness

Most people have learned about issues in the USA’s past through standard history courses. However, certain topics may seem out of reach until they are contextualized in an individual’s home state and seen through firsthand accounts. Child labor, the horrors of the prison system, and “insane” asylums are all topics that most people have basic understandings of. In this exhibit, we aim to display some of the more horrific elements of Maryland’s specific role in these industries and give students of our University a wider understanding of the state in which they study. 

Looking through archives is a critical step in discovering Maryland’s disturbing past. However, it is also important to acknowledge the gaps and lack of minority representation exhibited in the archives, therefore, accounts may be biased or have a one-sided view. Through lots of exploring, and searching we were able to uncover information regarding the treatment of groups in Maryland, and the terrible conditions that they faced. In order to create a society in which these injustices stop occurring, we must educate ourselves on what has been done wrong. 

Child Labor 

When an individual thinks about child labor, their first thought may be that this could never happen in the United States, and it is only prevalent in countries in which there are limited restrictions on labor laws. However, through research we found that Maryland was one of the last states to ratify the Child Labor Amendment, which sets strict age restrictions and work hour limits for child labor. 

Maryland in particular had large issues in the canning industry, and while restrictions were passed in 1906, they were discovered to not have been followed. Children in canaries typically lived in dormitories with their families, under restricted and unhygienic conditions. The hardest part of researching child labor was finding actual pictures of it, as this is a huge part of our history that is often covered up and brushed under the rug.  

Treatment of the Mentally Ill in Maryland Hospitals 

When looking at one of the hospitals that was mentioned, Rosewood Training Academy, we found a slew of allegations of abuse prior to its closing in 2009. One case that truly stuck out was the idea of the Rosewood Girls, which was told by Leo Kanner. The story revolves around affluent residents of the Owings Mills area adopting women from Rosewood only to utilize them to do laborious work around the house. A prestigious lawyer at the time, Harry B. Wolf, pleaded habeas corpus to allow for the girls’ freedom. 

When looking at the general scope of treatment in these facilities, one can see the poor living conditions which were overlooked during the state’s yearly inspection of the facilities. While sifting through the pages of Rosewood State Training School we came across an intriguing quote: “unless a spark of intellect be found which can be developed by careful training in the state institution, otherwise, these unfortunates are supported in our Almshouses, insane asylums, jails, and penitentiaries at public expense” (Maryland State, p. 9). This depicts the connection between prison and mental illness, and the conclusions that were drawn at the expense of these young individuals.

Maryland Penitentiaries and Treatment of Prisoners 

The first prison in Maryland was known as the Maryland Penitentiary and it opened in 1811. The Maryland Penitentiary was known for benefiting from intense prison labor including the manufacturing of cotton and wool goods, shoe making, carpet weaving, stone cutting, etc. This system ran until 1916 when the Board of Prison Control was created, but prisoners continued to labor through document printing, license plate creation, among more. Despite these changes, overcrowding, unhygienic living conditions, programs, and education continued to be issues. Some issues and effects are still present today. 

When conducting our research, we found a lot of photographs depicting prison conditions in Baltimore, and a lot of these demonstrated that when they tried to protest these conditions, they were met with harsher punishments. In our research we also found large intersections between prison and the mentally ill, as there is evidence of institutions for the “criminally insane”. It is also worth it to note that there were special institutions for Black people, corroborated by a majority of the photos we found, and we believe the history of race in prisons and asylums proves to be its own important issue deserving of future research.

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Juli Magud and Sophia Marlin are students in the College Park Scholars Justice and Legal Thought program and completed this project and exhibition as their CPJT230 Capstone.

Processing the Hogan papers – Watergate and Impeachment

“After having read and reread, sifted and tested the mass of information which came before us, I have come to the conclusion that Richard M. Nixon has, beyond a reasonable doubt, committed impeachable offenses which, in my judgment, are of sufficient magnitude that he should be removed from office. The evidence convinces me that my President has lied repeatedly, deceiving public officials and the American people.” ~Lawrence J. Hogan, July 23, 1974

Lawrence J. Hogan spoke these words in his speech, “Why I Will Vote for Impeachment,” before the House Judiciary Committee on July 23, 1974, four days before the House Judiciary Committee voted on the First Article of impeachment. As a member of the Judiciary Committee (1971-1974), Hogan was one of 38 committee members who presided over the formal hearings on the impeachment proceedings against President Richard M. Nixon for his questionable role in the Watergate scandal and other illegal activities. Hogan was the first Republican minority committee member to call for the impeachment of President Nixon and the only Republican to vote yes on all three articles of impeachment [1]. Hogan was also the father of Larry Hogan, Maryland’s 62nd Governor (2015-2023), and was a big inspiration for his son’s own journey and career in politics as they both navigated the challenging times to their respective eras.

(“The 38 who weigh Nixon’s fate,” New York Times Magazine, April 28, 1974, Lawrence Joseph Hogan papers, 0256-MDHC.)

Special Collections Spotlight: Maryland Poets Laureate

The Poet Laureate of Maryland is an honorary State position. The selected poet serves at the discretion of the Governor and provides public readings and special programs for the citizens of Maryland. In 1959 the Maryland General Assembly authorized the Governor to appoint a citizen of the State as Poet Laureate of Maryland. Originally the Poet Laureate served for three years however, some Poets Laureates have been reappointed. Vincent Godfrey Burns served the longest as Poet Laureate of Maryland for 17 years, followed by Stanley Plumly who served for 9 years. 

Special Collections and University Archives holds the personal papers of six of the ten Poets Laureate of Maryland. In the collection are the Vincent Godfrey Burns papers, who was Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1962 until his death in 1979; the Reed Whittemore papers, the Linda Pastan papers and the Roland Flint papers. Two forthcoming collections are the Michael Collier papers and the Stanley Plumly papers.

Explore the Vincent Godfrey Burns papers finding aid.

Explore the Reed Whittemore papers finding aid.

Explore the Linda Pastan papers finding aid.

Explore the Roland Flint papers finding aid.

_{Four Maryland Poets Laureate on the set of HoCoPoLitSo’s The Writing Life at HCC-TV, October 12, 1999. Left to right: Roland Flint, Linda Pastan, Reed Whittemore, Lucille Clifton.}

To view any of the Maryland Poet Laureate collections visit the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library or if you have any questions, please contact us!

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What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a description of the contents of a collection, similar to a table of contents you would find in a book. A collection’s contents are often grouped logically and describe the group of items within each folder. You rarely find descriptions of the individual items within collections. Finding aids also contain information about the size and scope of collections. Additional contextual information may also be included.

Special Collections Spotlight: William Faulkner papers

William Faulkner (1897-1962) was an American author of novels, short stories, essays, poems, and dramatic works. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949, and was a two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. The University of Maryland’s William Faulkner papers represents an artificially assembled group of lesser-known writings by and about Faulkner in the form of manuscripts, correspondence, and clippings from literary journals, as well as items related to his life in Oxford, Mississippi, his work in Hollywood, and audio recordings of Faulkner reading his work.

In addition to archival material related to William Faulkner, Special Collections and University Archives hold several of Faulkner’s novels which can be found through the library catalog under the location Marylandia and Rare books.   

Explore the William Faulkner papers finding aid.

To view any items in the collection visit the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library or if you have any questions, please contact us! 

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What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a description of the contents of a collection, similar to a table of contents you would find in a book. A collection’s contents are often grouped logically and describe the group of items within each folder. You rarely find descriptions of the individual items within collections. Finding aids also contain information about the size and scope of collections. Additional contextual information may also be included.

Special Collections Spotlight: Robert Frost papers

American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) was born in San Francisco, California. After the death of his father, the family moved to New England, which provided the backdrop for Frost’s trademark regional poetry. Frost initially encountered difficulties in establishing himself as a published poet in American newspapers and literary journals. After little success in America, Frost and his family moved to England for three years, which proved to be more fertile publishing ground. By the time he returned to the United States in 1915, Frost had published two well-received full-length collections, A Boy’s Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914), which solidified his reputation on both continents. By the 1920s, he was the most celebrated poet in America. Frost was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature four times: for New Hampshire (1923), Collected Poems (1930), A Further Range (1936), and A Witness Tree (1942). Frost had the honor of participating in President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration ceremonies, 1961, by reading his poems “Dedication” and “The Gift Outright.” This collection includes manuscripts of “Closed for Good” and “The Middleness of the Road”; page proofs of the verse drama A Masque of Reason (1942) and galley proofs of Steeple Bush (1947); art work, photographs, correspondence, work papers, awards, sheet music, serials, and audio recordings of Frost. The collection is unprocessed, but a preliminary inventory is available.

In addition to archival material related to Robert Frost, Special Collections and University Archives also hold The Robert Frost Book Collection, a comprehensive collection of books by and about Robert Frost containing many works annotated by Frost. Included in the collection are boxed sets of custom Christmas cards and pamphlets designed and annotated by Frost.

Explore the Robert Frost papers finding aid.

Explore The Robert Frost Book Collection.

To view any items in the collection visit the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library or if you have any questions, please contact us! 

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What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a description of the contents of a collection, similar to a table of contents you would find in a book. A collection’s contents are often grouped logically and describe the group of items within each folder. You rarely find descriptions of the individual items within collections. Finding aids also contain information about the size and scope of collections. Additional contextual information may also be included.

Processing the Hogan papers – The Beginning

Starting near the end of October 2023, I spent the first week as the new Processing Assistant for the Lawrence Joseph Hogan papers meeting everyone working at the University of Maryland’s Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), learning the layout of the stacks and offices, and reviewing the processing guidelines and the administrative files for the Hogan papers.

Special Collections Spotlight: T.S. Eliot collection

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) was a poet, critic, editor, and playwright. In 1915, he married Vivienne (Vivien) Haigh-Wood. He was literary editor of the avant-garde magazine The Egoist. In the Spring 1917, he published his first book of poetry, Prufrock and Other Observations. In 1922, Eliot became editor of The Criterion. In June 1927, he was baptized into the Church of England, and, in November, became a British citizen. His religion then became a central component of his life and his poetry reflected this religious conversion. In 1948, Eliot received both the Order of Merit and the Nobel Prize for Literature. The collection includes correspondence; manuscripts and proofs of published Eliot literary works such as “Lines to a Persian Cat,” “In silent corridors of death,” and “The Love-Song of J. Arthur Prufrock;” galley proofs for plays and collections of poetry; manuscripts of Vivienne (Haigh-Wood) Eliot; serial publications with contributions by Eliot; newspaper clippings; a proof of a literary review of Eliot; manuscripts written by other individuals; programs and playbills.

Explore the T.S. Eliot collection finding aid.

You can also find correspondence from T.S. Eliot in the Djuna Barnes Papers. Eliot served as Barnes’ agent and editor for Nightwood when working at Faber & Faber. He was one of the early champions of its publication, and wrote an introduction for the book in its

We also have several works by T. S. Eliot in our rare books collection, which can be found in our catalog.

To view any items in the collection visit the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library or if you have any questions, please contact us! 

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What is a finding aid?

A finding aid is a description of the contents of a collection, similar to a table of contents you would find in a book. A collection’s contents are often grouped logically and describe the group of items within each folder. You rarely find descriptions of the individual items within collections. Finding aids also contain information about the size and scope of collections. Additional contextual information may also be included.

2023 New Collections

The Special Collections & University Archives department at University of Maryland acquires numerous archival donations every year.  Our archival collections are critical to researchers around the country and the world, and our curators are always on the lookout for interesting, important, and useful primary records that fall into these collecting focuses: University of Maryland history, State of Maryland history, historic preservation, labor and union history, broadcasting history, post World War II Japan, literature and rare books, and the performing arts and music.

Archives staff from our Access Team review the materials after curator appraisal and legal transfer.  We arrange and describe the boxes and folders, and then ultimately make the materials available online in our finding aid database.  Some collections may be digitized through a lengthy scanning process based on an array of factors including high research use or preservation concerns.  All of this labor is dependent on the size of the collection and limited staff resources available towards reducing the backlog.

(Photographs, circa 1940s and 1970s, Box: 2, Folder: 16. Donald H. Swann papers, 0579-GWP.)