Protecting Michigan State's Material Culture
One of the bigger question surrounding the Hannah Admin building assemblage is, “Where in this area could these high quality ceramics have come from?”. They’re nicer than what would have been found in typical student areas, the site is south of faculty row, and they …
For the past couple of weeks Lisa Bright and I have been scouring the MSU Archives trying to a) decide on a location for the 2015 Summer Field School, and b) shed light on the mystery assemblage found behind Hannah Admin Building. See Makers Marks …
This semester I have been working on analyzing the materials found near the Administration building on campus. This is an interesting assemblage because we have such a large range of materials. We have whiteware, porcelain, stoneware, yellow-ware, glass of all types and metal. Within the ceramics, we even have a wide range of decoration techniques including hand-painting, transfer print, flow blue, decals, gilding, edging and more. Given that the assemblage itself isn’t very large, it is an impressive range of artifacts that may be able to reveal some of MSU’s secrets. Here is a part of the analysis of the decorations and how it might help us better date this collection.
Flow Blue
Flow Blue is a style of pattern found on white refined earthenware that originated during the 1820s in Staffordshire, England. The name “Flow Blue” was given to this pattern because of the way that the blue glaze blurs during the firing process. The pattern was very popular in America, but it only began being produced in the states in 1875. The pattern of the Flow Blue ceramics changes with popularity over time, and due to this we can more accurately date its use. During the 1830s, romantic landscapes were the most popular, and after 1850, the Willow pattern is the most common. After the 1870s, Japanese landscapes and styles gained popularity, and floral patterns were popularity from the 1860s to the early 20th century.
The pattern we have here is a floral flow blue pattern with a lightly scalloped edge. It was likely a plate or shallow bowl based on the curvature. Sadly we only have one small fragment of the piece so it is difficult to identify the specific pattern, and there is no maker’s mark to help determine manufacturer. Based on patterning, this piece likely dates between 1870 and 1920.
Decal
Decals were first introduced onto ceramics in 1890 as an easy and colorful form of decoration. It remained popular throughout the 1930s and continues to be used today. The decal is made up of three layers: the color or image which comprises the decorative design, a clear protective layer, and the backing paper on which the design is printed on by using lithography. Unlike Flow Blue techniques, decals have multiple bright colors and crisp lines between them. Americans were unable to produce their own decals until the 1930s, so they relied on imported ceramics or imported decals, and were unable to procure many before the 1900s.
The floral decoration this this ceramic sherd is a clear decal. Not only does it have crisp clear lines and colors, but if you rub your finger lightly over the image you can feel the edges of the decal. Given the availability and popularity of decals in the states, this piece likely dates between 1890 and 1930.
Hand-Painting with Cobalt Oxide
Stoneware crocks are a popular item for household use during the 19th century in North America, and can still be easily found in antique shops around the country. Stoneware pottery is easy to make in the states, can stand up to daily life and abuse, and isn’t porous like earthenwares. This specific piece can easily be identified by its salt-glaze; a glossy, translucent and orange peel like texture formed by throwing salt into the kiln during the firing process. In between firings, cobalt oxide would be applied to the pot to form bright blue decorations in a variety of hand-drawn shapes. Decorations range from flowers to animals, sprigs of leaves to quotations, name of the owners to birds.
This particular piece appears to either be some kind of flower- a calla lily or tulip perhaps, or if looked at from another angle, could be a bell with ribbon. Since these pieces were used over a long time period and decorations were personal rather than changing with fashion, it is difficult to assign this piece a date. The best we can say is that it was likely used during the 19th century and may have been kept beyond that date.
Author: Katy Meyers Emery
This fall marks the beginning of my fourth year as a CAP researcher and I’m grateful and excited to be back on the team. However, this semester I am attempting to do something I’m incredibly poor at: arriving at a stopping point. This is the …
Our first week of CAP summer work focused almost exclusively on the remains of the first Veterinary Laboratory that was uncovered by construction work related to the ongoing West Circle Steam Renovation project. This week we were finally, able to get into the MSU Archives …
For the past few months Amy Michael and I have been working on preparing an exhibit for Chittenden Hall, which is soon to be the home of the new Graduate School. This upcoming exhibit will highlight the origins of research at Michigan State University, with a focus on Laboratory Row.
The display in Chittenden Hall will feature artifacts and photographs of the early buildings of Laboratory Row, as well as of the students and faculty who occupied these structures. Located on the north side of campus, Laboratory Row contains some of the oldest buildings on campus; all pertaining to the College’s original research focus: agriculture. These buildings include Agriculture Hall, Cook Hall, Chittenden Hall, Eustace-Cole Hall, Marshall-Adams Hall, and Old Botany, all of which are on the State Register of Historic Places.
Research for this exhibit began with the University Archives in order to find historical documents and photographs that pertain to these buildings. Through the examination of these records we were able to find the history of the buildings, including their original uses and how their functions changed over time. Chitttenden Hall, specifically, was originally constructed in 1901 as to house the Dairy Department, which even received a commercial license to operate a dairy facility. The building later became home to the Forest Department, as the name on the frieze above the entrance suggests, until it was mostly vacated in the 1960s.
Campus Archaeology offers us a unique chance to pair MSU’s history with artifacts that have been found through archaeological operations on campus.
These artifacts are stored and curated and pertain to the activities that took place on the early campus. We now have the opportunity to put some of these objects on public display in order to teach the community about this important area, which represent some of the beginnings of research at MSU.
One goal of Campus Archaeology is to better understand MSU’s history, both academically and socially, and to disseminate this information. By placing this exhibit in the soon to be renovated Chittenden Hall, visitors of the Graduate School will be able to learn and better understand the history and transformation of Laboratory Row and how these buildings have impacted MSU’s long history of research.
This project has been a learning process for both Amy and me on how to prepare an exhibit. It has also taught us a lot about the history of campus that we otherwise would not have known. We encourage you to visit Chittenden Hall upon completion in order to learn more about these buildings and Campus Archaeology’s mission.
Author: Nicole Geske
Campus Archaeology rarely enters the realm of documentary detail – we use MSU Archives extensively, but we are generally looking for documents and images that help us to better interpret the material remains we find. This week, we take a bit of an exception to …
Every week when I visit the Archives, I try to be conscious of why I am going through old receipts, ledgers, and clippings. History should not be recorded just for the sake of fact keeping, but rather so we can draw on the historical past …
As a new member of Campus Archaeology I have begun my research in the University Archives. Looking through the keepsakes of Irma Thompson with Amy Michael, one document specifically stood out to me: a booklet about the Themian Society. The booklet, published in 1922, commemorates the society, which was the second social organization for women at Michigan State University, then the Michigan Agricultural College. The booklet features information about the society, the school, and letters to the national chapter from faculty members, including the Dean of Women, who praise the accomplishments of the local chapter.
The Themians were a literary society for women on campus founded by eleven women in January of 1898. One of the founding members, Irma Thompson, was one of the main efforts in the establishment of the society and was the first secretary. Irma and her family moved to the area while she was in high school in order for her to attend college. Here she majored in the Women’s Course and participated in many campus activities, including the Themian Society.
The name of the Themian Society was chosen after Themis, the Grecian goddess of justice, as the society was dedicated to help in societal matters and “cultural advancement”. In order to become an active member in the society, the women were required to have an average grade of eighty or above and they needed to participated in at least two campus activities of their own choosing. Additional societal events took place throughout the year, including a formal banquet named the Themian German, a ball, and faculty teas.
In 1900 after the construction of Morrill Hall, the women’s dormitory on campus, the Themian Society was given a room specifically to hold its meetings, which was still in use at the time of this booklet’s publication. The Themian Society later became nationally known as Kappa Kappa Gamma, with MSU’s local chapter of Delta Gamma, which is still active today.
Also included with the booklet was a document called the “Themian Themes”, which outlined the constitution for the Themian Alumnae Association. Here it states that the annual dues for the National Association of Alumnae were one dollar, which included a subscription to the “newspaper”.
As an officer for a women’s group on campus, Graduate Women In Science, it is interesting to discover the history of this group on campus and how it differs from societies and sororities for women today. I hope that through my work through Campus Archaeology I will be able to continue to research the experiences of women here at MSU.
Author: Nicole Geske
Last semester, I finished up my Archives work for the ongoing CAP sustainability project (now to put all that information together in a coherent draft of a paper!). My last few visits to the Archives were spent going through collections donated by individuals who saved …