Category Archives: Artifacts

Arthur H. Crapsey

Arthur H. Crapsey, II was a ceramic design major at Alfred University, graduating in 1942. The University Archives recently received a framed charcoal drawing he completed in 1940. Arthur enjoyed creating original stage settings for the university’s performing arts theater … Continue reading

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John Wilkes Booth

One of the curious artifacts in the University Archives & Special Collections is this theater eyeglass, part of the Howells-Frechette Collection. William D. Howells, a major figure in the late 19th-century literary circles, was a known associate of Edwin Booth, … Continue reading

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Who's Hungry?

This breakfast menu, dated at 1925, shows the meal offerings available to passengers as they traveled to Alfred University by train on the Erie Railroad. It contains familiar items such as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and coffee (check … Continue reading

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Charm(ing)

Sometimes you find Alfred memorabilia in the most unexpected places! University Archivist Laurie McFadden recently shopped in a local antique store and, while browsing, discovered this little gem. Intended as a souvenir for a charm bracelet, this 1950s silver-plated stein … Continue reading

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Mike Kenyon

In Alfred , the name Mike Kenyon most often conjures an image of the Mike Kenyon playground on South Main Street. Mr. Kenyon, born Myron Elwood Kenyon, was known in the community for being particularly kind and generous to Alfred … Continue reading

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Samuel Ray Scholes, Sr.

Samuel R. Scholes, Jr. (1884-1974) was a world authority in the field of glass science and established the department of glass technology at Alfred University in 1932, where he remained a professor (and later Dean of the College of Ceramics) … Continue reading

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Envelopes

Certainly there have been changes in our postal system over the decades but mail does still arrive in a paper envelope at times. It was not unusual many years ago, as evidenced by the 1870 sample on the left, for … Continue reading

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Reverse Glass Painting

Painting a scene in reverse is not something everyone can do! This image depicts the Alfred University campus (Rogers Observatory, Alumni Hall, The Gothic, and The Brick) in the late 1860s and is done in the eglomise-painting style, a centuries-old … Continue reading

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Braille Map

  Typically when we think of items being created in Braille, our thoughts go first to textual books. This is an example of a Braille map made of the Alfred university campus. There are no printed letters other than a … Continue reading

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Early University Campus

This beautiful oil painting depicts the University campus, looking east, circa 1865. It’s attributed to Hannah P. Brown, an Alfred University student at that time. The image includes, from the left, the Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church, North Hall (men’s … Continue reading

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