Exhibit: University Commencement

The current exhibit in the Library entrance and first floor hallway celebrates the University’s commencement throughout the years. The exhibit features photographs, news clippings, yearbooks, and other memorabilia.

Stop by the library to enjoy this historical view of the University. Look in the cases at the front of the library to see a program from the Closing Exercises in 1902, a photograph of the first graduating class in 1903, and colorful views of the recent ceremonies.

The exhibit was curated by Sheryl Curry, Head of IT & Web Services. It will remain on display through the end of May.

Exhibit: Louisiana in the Civil War, 1864

One hundred and fifty years ago, the Civil War continued to disrupt life in Louisiana. Federal forces under Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Admiral David D. Porter launched the Red River Campaign in an attempt to capture Shreveport and east Texas. They were successfully opposed by a much smaller Confederate force under Gen. Richard Taylor, but on their way up the Red River they devastated much of central Louisiana.

Also during 1864, Unionists in New Orleans wrote a new state Constitution and elected government officials, while the Confederate state government still ruled from Shreveport.

The current display in the Jefferson Caffery Reading Room continues Dupré Library’s series on Louisiana in the Civil War, focusing on events in 1864. The exhibit includes first-hand accounts, unit histories and scholarly studies, and artists’ sketches as published in northern illustrated magazines. Materials on display are drawn from the holdings of the Louisiana Room and the Acadiana Manuscripts Collection. The exhibit was curated by Jean S. Kiesel, Louisiana Room Librarian (larm@louisiana.edu; 337.482.1164).

“Louisiana in the Civil War, 1864” will remain on display through the end of June. It is free and open to the public. Check library hours & holidays: http://library.louisiana.edu/Circ/hours.shtml. The Jefferson Caffery Reading Room is closed on holiday weekends. Its hours are listed under Louisiana Room/Special Collections on the Library Hours webpage. To confirm hours, call 337.482.6031.

 

Exhibit: Lap Desks

The current exhibit in the Main Hall of the Edith Garland Dupré Library features lap desks from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, selections from a large collection donated to the Library by George Newton, a UL Lafayette alumnus.

Long before the invention of laptop computers, smart phones and the like, our ancestors used their own portable writing boxes to compose and store their correspondence and other important documents.

Besides a writing surface, lap desks usually featured compartments for pens, ink, and sand or blotting paper, and storage for stationery and documents. Made of hardwoods like mahogany or walnut, with brass corners and bands for added strength, these sturdy boxes could withstand the rigors of travel over bad roads.

Later lap desks were often elaborately carved, or inlaid with beautiful woods, ivory, mother of pearl or silver in ornate patterns. Many included “secret” drawers hidden beneath the ink and pen compartments. These later desks were smaller and lighter than their predecessors.

The lap desks will remain on display through the end of April. This exhibit is free and open to the public. Check library hours & holidays: http://library.louisiana.edu/Circ/hours.shtml
For more information contact Jean Kiesel, Louisiana Room Librarian, at larm@louisiana.edu or 482-1164.

Black History Month Exhibit at Dupré Library

African Americans in Louisiana

In observance of Black History Month, the exhibit in the foyer and main hallway at Dupré Library focuses on the role African Americans played in Louisiana history. From Colonial Louisiana to the present-day, African Americans have made tremendous contributions to the state. The “African Americans in Louisiana” exhibit highlights the eras of Slavery, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. It also covers education, including black students and faculty at the University, and African Americans’ contributions to music, literature, and the arts.

Materials in the exhibit are from the Louisiana Room and the University Archives and Manuscripts Collection. The exhibit was curated by Dr. Bruce Turner, Assistant Dean of Special Collection Services. It is available for viewing during the month of February.

Exhibit: Anthropology Department

An exhibit curated by the UL Lafayette Anthropology Department and anthropologist Dan Cring is on display at Dupré Library through January 31. The exhibit highlights the many forms of anthropology, including biological (physical) anthropology, cultural anthropology, and archaeology. Display cases in the library lobby and hallway leading to Jazzman’s Café are filled with a variety of interesting artifacts and descriptive materials.

Exhibit: Louisiana in the Civil War, 1863

This month’s exhibit in the Grand Hallway and the 1st floor stairwell explores Louisiana in the Civil War, 1863 and continues our series on Louisiana in the Civil War.  150 years ago much of Louisiana saw action in the Civil War, beginning with Banks’ invasion of the Teche region in January.  Through the summer, sieges at Port Hudson and Vicksburg brought the action to the northeast part of the state. In the fall, armies returned to southwest Louisiana as federal forces launched the Texas Overland Expedition. Besides battles and skirmishes between Union and Confederate forces, foragers and pillagers on both sides did great damage along their routes.

The exhibit includes first-hand accounts, unit histories and scholarly studies, and artists’ sketches as published in northern illustrated magazines. Materials on display are drawn from the holdings of the Louisiana Room and the Acadiana Manuscripts Collection.

Stop by the library to view this compelling collection. The exhibit was curated by Jean S. Kiesel, Louisiana Room Librarian and will be on display June 1 through July 31, 2013.

Exhibit: University Commencement

This month’s exhibit in the Grand Hallway celebrates the University’s commencement throughout the years. The exhibit features photographs, news clippings, yearbooks, and other memorabilia from the 1920s to the present.

Stop by the library before you leave for the summer to enjoy this historical view of the University. The exhibit was curated by Sheryl Curry, Head of IT & Web Services.