University of Pittsburgh Library System

Theorizing and Liberating Transgender Identities explores the magazines Transvestia and Trans/Transgender Tapestry held within the Archives and Special Collections. These publications were distributed mainly in America through the 1960’s to the 2000’s. Most of the audience of these magazines were mainly middle class or upper middle class. This project focuses on how the Transgender community (earlier referred to as the Gender community) used their platform to simultaneously try to understand their identity and organize to achieve political rights. One major theme this project explores is how the community explored terms to describe themselves and how the term transgender came out of these discussions. It aims to highlight the agency the community made for themselves in their own identity, as prior western attempts to study the community were done from outsiders. Another major theme is noting how the community organized themselves politically, going from effectively hiding to protest marches within five years. It shows the unification of a fractured groups of transgender people, and the very intentional entrance into feminist and LGBT organizations in the 1990’s.

The Frick Fine Arts Library collection holds nine artist books made by the Los Angeles-based artist Ed Ruscha. For her ASRA project, Grace Marston curated a mini exhibition in the Frick Fine Arts Library which investigated how these books correspond to Ruscha’s larger body of work. Although Ruscha has made a name for himself as a painter whose vibrant works explore the power of fonts and language, his books tend to primarily contain black-and-white photographs with minimal amounts of text. However, some of his books do contain word art in the forms of signs, album covers, or bleach-stained linen. To provide additional context for the exhibition, Marston also explored and displayed the contents of Artists & Photographs (1970), an editioned art collection published by Multiples, Inc. Artists & Photographs served as a portable exhibition in a box with contributions by nineteen American and European artists, including Ed Ruscha. Like Ruscha, many of the other artists who participated in the Artists & Photographs project did not primarily identify as fine art photographers, but rather as artists who use photography as an element in their practice. Through her study of Artists & Photographs, Marston discovered how Ruscha’s photobooks fit in with the larger photoconceptualist movement, in which artists rebelled against the established visual conventions of modern art photography. Of course, artist books are meant to be opened and perused, not confined to glass display cases. In order to provide the University of Pittsburgh community with greater access to Ruscha’s books, Marston hosted a pop-up event in which library visitors had the opportunity to handle and look through the books for themselves. At the conclusion of the semester, Marston wrote about her ASRA experience for the Department of History of Art and Architecture's blog, Constellations.

In my research I sought to analyze death, dying, and funerary culture in Victorian children’s literature. I focused specifically on “The Death of Cock Robin”, a short story written in verses about a robin who is shot and killed by a sparrow and the funeral held by his community that follows. I looked at over two dozen versions of the story ranging from some of its earliest iterations in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Songbook from the mid 1700s to modern versions from the late 1900s. While researching the story of Cock Robin, I also researched death and funeral culture in the Victorian era and noted how the story used those elements and how it has evolved to reflect the changes in death culture since then. Each community member in the story plays a part in the funeral, such as the rook being the parson, thus teaching children about the different roles and their importance. Death was extremely common during the late 19th century, and children were exposed to it early and often. Stories such as “The Death of Cock Robin” introduced them to death and funerals in an approachable way and integrated it into their daily lives. My deliverable focuses on how funerary roles are presented in “The Death of Cock Robin” as well as how the imagery changes as the story evolves and the possible origins for the story. While doing my research I have become increasingly familiar with chapbooks, which are stories that are printed on one piece of paper and folded into a small book. Many versions of “The Death of Cock Robin” that I have looked at during my research have been printed as chapbooks, and I plan on making my own chapbook version of the story next year as part of my senior thesis. I will utilize what I have learned while doing my ASRA project as well as the printing resources we have in the library to make my own chapbook version of “The Death of Cock Robin” that reflects modern day funerary values.

Originally driven from a simple understanding that this photographic collection viewed through an art historical lens could provide deeper insight into the early 20th century Black experience in Pittsburgh, in time my research project has developed into a more focused examination of how the relationship between people and space in Urban League photographs can help modern viewers understand the active development of Black community. Since its founding at the height of the Great Migration, the Urban League of Pittsburgh has been one of the biggest local civic engagement powers for African Americans, eventually playing a role in literally transforming the city’s landscape to make room for Black life. Throughout its history, the Urban League has focused on issues such as housing, employment, education, and healthcare to advance the social conditions of Black Americans in a rapidly changing but nonetheless still racially oppressive nation. Looking at media from the first World War through the mainstream Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, Urban League photographs tell complex stories about Black Pittsburghers’ desires for equal opportunity, dignity, and belonging mapped onto a region that can be both unrecognizable and familiar. The main outcome of this project is an online exhibit that contextualizes a selection of the collection’s hundreds of photos in localized history, but also provides visitors the opportunity to explore for themselves the narratives that emerge visually in both spontaneous snapshots and purposeful documentation. In curating this website, I hope to provide people with a glimpse into the collection’s photographs beyond what is currently publicly available and spark curiosity for future inquiries into the Urban League collection. Furthermore, I will create a list of additional resources for anyone interested in this line of research themselves and write a blog post about my experiences this semester.

This project offers a comparative analysis of Pittsburgh’s queer communities and social life in the 1970s, the 1990s, and the twenty-first century. Along with communities around the country, queer individuals in Pittsburgh faced a variety of implicit and explicit discrimination, fed by the conservative turn towards a more hetero- and cis-normative culture after the Second World War. In response to direct systemic violence and social isolation, queer people began to create their own community spaces where they could turn for resources, support, and mutual aid. Using queer periodicals, event records, and personal accounts, I craft a narrative of these people and places to highlight how they enabled survival, love, and joy in the face of persecution. By drawing on resources created by and for queer audiences, my work transcends narratives of queer tragedy and trauma to consider how queerness can provide a space of community, vibrancy, and love. I also use my research to reconsider my own experiences of queer community in Pittsburgh in 2024. This has led me to reflect on the disappearance of the physical spaces that I read about and the seeming dissolution of the community itself. I have found that modern representations of queerness have been sanitized to conform and assimilate to narratives from dominant powers. Thus, my research also confronts modern definitions of “pride” and emphasizes the value of anticapitalism and queer liberation in creating a strong, healthy, and supportive community. I intend to use my findings to reflect on local queer histories and to create space for community in the present by creating a virtual space for creating and collecting contemporary records of queer communities. Queer archival materials are scarce and I hope that my work can make future research about queer communities easier. I also hope to establish a community across archives in Pittsburgh, as my research incorporates multiple sites, including the Heinz History Center and Carnegie Mellon University.

The ancient Greco-Roman world still remains a vital part of our cultural zeitgeist in the modern era and this is perhaps nowhere better exemplified than in the comic books of the 20th century, like those held in the Hillman archives comic collection. In the visual elements of these comics, ancient ideas and themes reemerge and are implemented by modern storytellers to suit their own purposes. The choice of costuming, poses, and even hair colors are all very intentional in how they are presented. Modern comic artists use these ancient figures and ideas that are easily recognizable, even on a subconscious level, to convey themes like nationalism and to advertise various products. To study this point, I looked at dozens of different comic issues from a wide time spectrum, noting how certain elements changed or stayed consistent across eras and artists. I then compiled my research in an Omeka site, exhibiting both comic designs and their ancient counterparts to best showcase how these modern comics draw on ancient ideas. The ancient Greeks and Romans were masters of using their mythologies to justify national pride and cultural dominance and so it only makes sense that superheroes, modern mythic figures, continue this trend. Wonder Woman takes the favorable parts of being an Amazon, a fierce female warrior that can inspire new generations of women as feminism evolves, but disregards their warlike nature and savagery in the eyes of the ancient Greeks. Hercules is a figure of unmatched strength and courage, which comic creators will love to emphasize, all while sweeping away his past of rape and murder with careful costuming changes. Ancient ideas and heroes are incredibly useful and marketable, as has been shown time and time again, they just have to be carefully showcased in the correct context.

For her ASRA project, Emily Salisbury focuses on the life and times of Barbara Russell, Comedienne, Actress, and the other half of ‘Brockett and Barbara’. Featured on local Pittsburgh Stages and across America’s Television in “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood”. Until now, the Barbara Russell Papers held within the University of Pittsburgh Archives and Special Collections had remained unsorted and disorganized. Emily’s project sought to not only put Barbara’s life in order but showcase it to the world. After reviewing all available materials, including Programs, Newspaper Clippings, Letters, Audio Recordings, Television Episodes, and Scripts, Emily created a timeline of all of Barbara’s shows and films in an attempt to organize a full life. Eventually, Emily was able to sort Barbara’s life into four eras. Pre-Brockett and Barbara, Brockett and Barbara, Mr. Rogers Neigborhood, and Post Brockett and Barbara. Emily put together examples of each era along with details about the performances she accomplished within each section. Emily also was able to interview some of the living relatives of Barbara Russell to gain insight into her time with Mr. Fred Rogers and their time working together at WQED. Emily hopes that she can showcase the light and love of Barbara’s life, as well as do her story justice to her relatives. 

My project focused on researching the creation of the Irish Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh, specifically examining the cultural, religious, and political influences that shaped its development from 1931 to its dedication in 1957. I analyzed the Irish Nationality Room Committee Records, housed in Archives and Special Collections, concentrating on the correspondence between committee members regarding matters such as funding, design, and construction. These records provided an intimate look into the collaborative, yet contentious, journey to Dedication Day.

Throughout my research, I identified several significant themes in the development of the Irish Room. The most notable theme was the sectarian tension between the Catholic and Protestant communities, as well as the broader political divide between Southern and Northern Ireland. Disagreements often arose between committee members over both the general choice of architectural style, as well as the incorporation of specific symbolism that carried these religious and political connotations.

Another prominent theme was the crucial role of funding. I was surprised at how deeply financial issues influenced the design process. Funding came from individual parties, organizations, and the Irish government, yet the university was careful not to publicly advertise the room until funds were secure. Ironically, this approach made it more difficult to garner contributions from Irish-American organizations, leading to further delays.

Finally, the project faced more conflict and delays due to slow communication between the two committees in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Both committees had differing visions for the room, and World War II halted progress for several years entirely. Although the nationality rooms are intended to include significant design work from their represented nation, the university architect, Albert A. Klimcheck, had to complete most of the design with minimal input from the Dublin committee.

The Periodical collection in the Archives and Special Collections hold various volumes pertaining to and published by the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which was founded in 1879 by Richard Henry Pratt, a U.S military general that overlooked a prisoner of war camp specifically made up of Native American soldiers. Carilise was the first of many of its kind: the goal of these boarding schools was to bring Indigenous children from all over the United States to Carlise, Pa, and get rid of their indigenous culture and heritage and make them into the ideal American worker. I used volumes of The Red Man and the 1915 edition of the Carlisle Arrow, and The Red Man and Helper to conduct my research. These documents were periodicals published by the Carlisle school to not only produce revenue, but to circulate the message of assimilation to the “Friends of the Indian”, who were progressive, higher to middle-class families that supported the assimilation of Native Americans into dominant white society. These periodicals often included articles and stories written about the latest news about Indigenous culture by anthropologists, politicians, school teachers, and Indigenous leaders. My research is focused on the writings of students and the contradictions between them and the assimilationist ideals that were forced upon them. On rare occasions would there be writings from the actual students of Carlisle, as both The Red Man and the Carlisle Arrow were heavily censored by faculty and staff. But, within the few writings by students, there are instances of contradictions between what they were taught, and what they had written. The goal of my exhibit is to analyze and dissect these writings, and understand how these students portrayed these contradictions as a form of resistance against the assimilationist agenda. I will continue my research in contributing to the Indigenous Peoples Library Guide.

The Periodical collection in the Archives and Special Collections hold various volumes pertaining to and published by the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which was founded in 1879 by Richard Henry Pratt, a U.S military general that overlooked a prisoner of war camp specifically made up of Native American soldiers. Carilise was the first of many of its kind: the goal of these boarding schools was to bring Indigenous children from all over the United States to Carlise, Pa, and get rid of their indigenous culture and heritage and make them into the ideal American worker. I used volumes of The Red Man and the 1915 edition of the Carlisle Arrow, and The Red Man and Helper to conduct my research. These documents were periodicals published by the Carlisle school to not only produce revenue, but to circulate the message of assimilation to the “Friends of the Indian”, who were progressive, higher to middle-class families that supported the assimilation of Native Americans into dominant white society. These periodicals often included articles and stories written about the latest news about Indigenous culture by anthropologists, politicians, school teachers, and Indigenous leaders. My research is focused on the writings of students and the contradictions between them and the assimilationist ideals that were forced upon them. On rare occasions would there be writings from the actual students of Carlisle, as both The Red Man and the Carlisle Arrow were heavily censored by faculty and staff. But, within the few writings by students, there are instances of contradictions between what they were taught, and what they had written. The goal of my exhibit is to analyze and dissect these writings, and understand how these students portrayed these contradictions as a form of resistance against the assimilationist agenda. I will continue my research in contributing to the Indigenous Peoples Library Guide.

My research concerned Frick Fine Arts Library holdings of illuminated manuscripts and picture Bibles that contained the Book of Revelation, the apocalyptic book of the Bible that outlines the events of the end of the world in the Christian tradition. Apocalyptic manuscripts were meant to inspire reflection on human mortality and motivate readers to lead moral lives so that they would be on Jesus’s right hand at the time of judgment, indicating that they deserved to ascend to heaven at the end of days. I set out to analyze miniatures depicting the Biblical apocalyptic scene of the Last Judgment with a specific eye for how the human body is portrayed in the event of resurrection. I was mainly interested in the portrayal of the physicality of resurrection, which essentially means that every time I looked at a miniature, I was asking exactly how coming back from the dead would look like. Do the bodies spring up from the grave, good as new? The Book of Revelation notes that “the sea gave up its dead”—what would that actually look like? These were the kinds of questions that I was investigating while doing stylistic analysis of the illustrations of these manuscripts. I was also surprised to learn that these manuscripts’ illuminations of the Book of Revelation were accompanied by a commentary on the Biblical verse the illumination depicted, adding an unexpected textual component to my research. My project culminated in a section of the ASRA 2025 Digital Exhibit as well as a blog post on the History of Art and Architecture Constellations website.