Yackel et al.: Alumni Journal ALUMNIJOURNAL » TRADITIONS BUSTLES TO BERMUDAS JOURNAL Archives online exhibition highlights women’s changing fashions on campus WHEN ASSISTANT ARCHIVIST CARA HOWE G’10 DELVED INTO THE Syracuse University Archives to select photos and printed material for an ALUMNI online exhibition featuring coeds’ fashion trends, she discovered there was too much historic material to research and present in one exhibition. “Our collection is massive, so I decided to narrow my fo- cus to the years between 1870 and the 1950s because women’s fashions saw a big transition during this time period,” Howe says. “At the beginning of the 20th cen- tury, college women played sports wearing knee-length skirts with leggings underneath, but by the 1950s, coeds were walking around campus wearing pants and Ber- muda shorts.” Loops of hair were often left to Howe, who holds a master’s degree in library and information sci- alumni.syr.edu hang down the back of the head. ence from the School of Information Studies and is pursuing a mas- These loops were sometimes ter’s degree in museum studies from the College of Visual and Per- made of false hair or combings from the owner’s head. Clara forming Arts, curated the exhibition Changing Women’s Fashion: A Look Bradley, 1876 (above). at Coeds’ Clothing on SU’s Campus from Pre-1900-1950s as a class proj- ect. She began by pulling items from the archives’ more than 6,200 The “shingle” hairstyle (right) became popular in the early digitized images, searching through photo collections, and looking 1930s. It was a short, tapered cut through copies of the Onondagan yearbook for team photos showing that exposed the ends like roof women’s athletic apparel and head shots depicting the latest hair- shingles. Florence Golder, 1932. styles, necklines, jewelry, and accessories. “Our yearbook collection, “You can tell a frosh every time.” which dates back to 1878, was also a good source for local depart- cartoon (below) from The Syra- ment store ads featuring fashions for women,” says Howe, who works cusan, November 1946. with the Pan Am 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives in the Department of Archives and Records Management. “And I was able to use student publications and campus newspapers for additional material as well as a few alumni scrapbooks that have been donated to SU.” The selected items featuring women’s formal, casual, and athletic at- 1-800-SUALUMS (782-5867) 1-800-SUALUMS tire were scanned into the archival database and then tweaked to produce crisp, high-quality images. To write captions for the images, Howe pored over historical fashion books for accurate descriptions of various styles and the correct terms for assorted necklines and silhouettes. The fashion exhi- bition, which went live in March, will be featured through December, after which it will become part of archive’s permanent online collection (archives. syr.edu/exhibits/fashion). “The exhibitions never end, they are just no longer featured,” Howe says. “We’re planning to present one large online exhibi- tion a year. Fortunately, we have a long list of topic ideas that will keep us busy for quite some time.” —Christine Yackel 44 Syracuse University Magazine Photos courtesy of SU Archives Published by SURFACE, 2012 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 29, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 10 ALUMNIJOURNAL BUSTLES TO BERMUDAS TREASURED MEMORIES THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES and Records Management has been mounting online exhibitions since 1997. Over the years, the technology and format have changed, and more recent exhibitions are larger in scale, but all highlight memorable moments in SU’s remarkable history. Below is a sampling of recent online exhibitions of interest to alumni and academic researchers. From the Waltz to the Jitterbug: Dances at Syracuse University, 1900-1960 SUNY ESF and SU: 100 Years of Col- laboration Tip It, Frosh! The First-Year Student through SU’s History Handle with Care: Glass Plate Negative and Lantern Slide Collections at the SU Archives 50 For 50 Years! The Art of the Onondagan II Cheerleaders with the 1947 Football Queen (top) exhibit pleats in their skirts that provided more movement HOODOO! The Syracuse/Colgate than their straight-cut predecessors of the ’30s. The second decade of the 20th century (above left, circa 1911-15) saw a significant simplification of female dress. Bermuda shorts (above center) became popular in Football Rivalry the ’30s, but were frequently banned from women’s wear and remained a heated issue into the ’50s. During World War I, women participated in the war effort on a large scale, necessitating functional garments. The To view the complete collection, go to female student on the left even appears to be wearing soldier’s breeches. archives.syr.edu/exhibits/. Summer 2012 45 https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol29/iss2/10 2 Yackel et al.: Alumni Journal ALUMNIJOURNAL A WORLDVIEW CLASSNOTES IN THE PAST, PEOPLE MAY HAVE NEWS from SU ALUMNI » thought of Syracuse University as an iconic campus nestled amongst the around the globe (www.isc.ro- rolling hills of Central New York. That WordBiz1.8). He also has twice has changed dramatically with a focus 40s won Scrabble tournament gold on “Geographies of Opportunity,” those Morton Kaish ’49 (VPA) in the annual CVS-R.I. Senior key regions throughout the country and and Luise Meyers Kaish Games. the world where many of our appli- ’46, G’51 (VPA) of New York City are exhibiting Patricia Wray Lovelace ’57 cants, students, and alumni live. paintings and sculptures in (FALK) and her husband, Guy In one of her first vision statements The Century Masters two- Lovelace ’59 (A&S), of Jupiter, on Scholarship in Action, Chancellor person presentation Kx2/II Fla., have published seven books in six years, including Cantor issued the following challenge: “We need to be engaged with at the Century Association in New York. Luise is professor The Carnival Never Got Started the world and the pressing concerns of the day To do this we are emerita of Columbia University, (Vantage Press, 2005), Evil in the reaching out—in a disciplined and programmatic manner—beyond where she served as chair for Islands (BookSurge Publishing, our ‘Hill’ raising our profile in the great cities of the world, from Lon- the Division of Painting and 2006), and The Carnival Never Got Started Redux (BookSurge don to Beijing.” Sculpture. In 2011, Morton received the National Academy Publish, 2008). SU has always been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as having Museum’s Award for Lifetime one of the highest quality study abroad programs in the nation, with Achievement in the Arts. Jerome Harris Parmet ’57 study centers in more than 30 countries, in such cities as Beijing, Flor- (VPA) of Scarsdale, N.Y., ence, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Santiago, and Strasbourg. president of an interior architecture firm for 35 years, What Chancellor Cantor had in mind, though, was much more—to makes metal sculptures that demonstrate an increased commitment to welcoming international 50s have been exhibited throughout students, to better prepare graduates for an increasingly connected Joseph F. Zimmerman G’51, the country (sculpture.org/ —and complex—global society, and to create and strengthen lifelong G’54 (MAX), professor parmet). of political science at the bonds and more closely engage with alumni throughout the world. Rockefeller College of the Seven years later, one can only marvel at how the Chancellor’s chal- University at Albany, added two lenge has been met. International enrollment is at a record high of more books to the more than 60s more than 2,000 students representing nearly 130 countries. There 50 he has already authored and edited: State-Local Governmental Don Fulsom ’60 (A&S), an are almost 10,000 SU alumni living outside the United States, with Interactions, and Interstate adjunct professor at American the largest concentrations in Canada, India, Taiwan, and South Korea, Cooperation: Compacts and University, wrote Nixon’s Darkest and also in places like Sierra Leone, the West Indies, and Bolivia. We Administrative Agreements, 2nd Secrets (St. Martins), which have international clubs in 13 areas around the world. We opened an edition (State University of New uses recently declassified York Press). documents and tapes to shed office in Dubai in June 2011 and have an expanded presence in Istan- new light on one of America’s bul as well. Last year, a contingent of SU trustees and senior admin- Clarence L. Cable ’57 (A&S) most fascinating and troubled istrators traveled to Dubai and Istanbul to meet with local alumni to of Westerly, R.I., is a retired presidents. strengthen ties with them and their countries. corporate publicist who has surpassed the 5,000 game mark Gary Milek ’60 (VPA) of Although there are many examples of SU alumni “in the world, for in International Scrabble Club Windsor, Vt., had his painting the world,” I will share one. Last year, Greg Bilazarian ’06 decided he competition. His 83 percent November Study #2, in egg had done his last television news stand-up in a snowstorm in Toledo, wins vs. losses over two years tempera and gold leaf, featured Ohio. So, he traveled to Armenia to do volunteer work and then got a earned him a high 750 rating at the GOLD exhibition at Belvedere Museum in Vienna, paid position as a producer for a fledgling national news operation. He for time limited games matched randomly against competing Austria, last spring. now works for Civilitas Foundation, the parent organization for Civil- Internet players of all ages from net TV, where, after starting from zero, he co-manages the Internet- based news operation. While it may be a “small world after all,” Syracuse University is ORANGE poised to continue to extend its borders to meet the challenges of an SPOTLIGHT increasingly interdependent global dynamic and to become a leader in Marcia Moskowitz Cohen ’53 (EDU) hosts a weekly international educational engagement.