James Madison University Historic Photographs

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Restrictions:

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of James Madison University is retained by James Madison University. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information, contact the Special Collections Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], James Madison University Historic Photographs, 1919-circa 2000, UA 0051, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University.

Summary

Extent:
2.07 cubic feet 5 boxes, 1 flat file
Abstract:
The James Madison University Historic Photographs, 1909-circa 2000, comprises approximately 1700 photographs that depict notable events, activities, faculty, students, students groups, places, and everyday life at James Madison University and the surrounding community between 1909-ca. 2000.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], James Madison University Historic Photographs, 1919-circa 2000, UA 0051, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University.

Background

Scope and content:

The James Madison University Historic Photographs include photographs taken between 1909-ca. 2000, from the inception of university as the State Normal School for Women at Harrisonburg until the late 1990s. These photos depict notable events, faculty, students, student groups, student activities, building exteriors, building interiors, campus aerials, guest speakers, and everyday life at James Madison University.

Biographical / historical:

Photographs were donated by multiple sources. Due to the artificial nature of this collection, an administrative history does not apply.

Acquisition information:
The photographs housed in this collection were contributed to Special Collections by individual donors, collected from JMU organizations and affiliates, or pulled from alumni collections by former Special Collections staff, from 1994-ca. 2007. Known donors include: Inez Roop, Bernice Catherine Jones, Charlotte Michael, Mrs. D. Patrick Snider, Mary Spitzer, Ethel Stevanus, Dr. Daniel McFarland, Craig Baugher, Fred Hilton, Jim Richardson, Milla Sue Wisecarver, and JMU Photography Services.
Processing information:

In 1997, photographs in Series 1: JMU Historic Photos, 1909-1985, were scanned by Special Collections staff using Index Color, which resulted in a drop in image quality. Subsequently, the photographs in Series 2: JMU Historic Photos, 1985-ca.2000 were also scanned. In the early 2000s, the images were made available as a digital collection online, as the JMU Historic Photographs. In 2018, Digital Collections staff scanned all of the photographs as high resolution TIFFs, and also created JPEGs.

In 1994, Dr. John Woody, professor in the School of Arts Media and Design, instigated a project to scan photographs described as "current to the university" onto CDs, with the intention of making them available for purchase at the Center for Instructive Technology for anyone interested in using JMU photographs for presentations. Many of the photographs originated from the JMU Photography Services' 35mm slide collection, or were taken by Craig Baugher. A second CD included images of east campus buildings and student activities. These cds were noted as being held in Special Collections in an early online version of the digital photograph collection. However, these cds were not found in 2019, at the time of processing.

JMU Libraries staff is actively migrating the historic photos collection to a new platform which will replace the current historic photograph webpages by Summer 2027. To request high resolution reproductions of the historic photographs, contact library-special@jmu.edu.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard