Vassar College Digital Library

Digital Collections

Founder's Day

Image
93928-Service File.jpg
Date
1915-1920
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Students in minstrel costume and black face at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
94101-Service File.jpg
Date
1921-04-30
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Henry Noble MacCracken and Marjorie Dodd MacCracken at the Founder's Day "County Fair" with students in the background wearing costumes, including one person in blackface

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Founder's Day

Image
94504-Service File.jpg
Date
1921-04-30
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Student in blackface peeking out of a curtain at the Founder's Day "County Fair"

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Founder's Day

Image
95090-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Students in costume and blackface at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
95093-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Students in costume and blackface at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
95375-Service File.jpg
Date
1920-04-30
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Students performing as a minstrel band in blackface at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day pageant

Image
93512-Service File.jpg
Date
1919-05-02
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Pageant in honor of the Walt Whitman centennial entitled "At the Call of the Bird". The event was part of an "American Day" themed Founder's Day and included scenes from the country's past, present, and future. This scene includes enslavers and enslaved people and the performers are wearing

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Junior Party

Image
92866-Service File.jpg
Date
1923-11-10
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Be Yourself, a skit show presented by the Class of 1925 to the Class of 1927. The scene includes one student in blackface and wearing what looks like a West Point cadet jacket

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Junior Party

Image
92908-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-17
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Minstral scene from "County Fair," a skit show presented by the Class of 1919 to the Class of 1921. The scene includes seven students in blackface.

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Junior Party

Image
93266-Service File.jpg
Date
1925-11-07
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Opening scene of the skit show presented by the Class of 1927 to the Class of 1929. The scene, set in Tennessee, includes 17 students in blackface

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Junior Party

Image
93268-Service File.jpg
Date
1925-11-07
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Full cast of a skit show presented by the Class of 1927 to the Class of 1929. Several students in blackface can seen in the group

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Junior Party

Image
93356-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-17
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Characters from "County Fair," a skit show presented by the Class of 1919 to the Class of 1921. The scene includes a "wild woman" who is in stereotypical African dress and blackface. There are "gypsy fortune-tellers" and snake charmers, one in brownface. Also included are the "Fat Lady," her

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Junior Party

Image
93357-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-17
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

County Fair skit show presented by the Class of 1919 to the Class of 1921. The scene includes students costumed as lions, an elephant, a giraffe and a camel. The camel and giraffe handlers are described as "Ethopian" and are in blackface

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Junior Party

Image
93384-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-17
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Marching band from "County Fair," a skit show presented by the Class of 1919 to the Class of 1921. The group includes two students in blackface

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Junior Party

Image
93115-Service File.jpg
Date
1918-11-16
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Students portraying French chefs in "Utopian Vassar," a skit show presented by the Class of 1920 to the Class of 1922. The scene includes one student in blackface

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Junior Party

Image
93135-Service File.jpg
Date
1915-11-06
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

American south scene from "Carnival of Nations," a skit show presented by the Class of 1917 to the Class of 1919. The scene includes 15 students in blackface

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Junior Party

Image
95214-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-11-11
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Three students costumed as rag dolls in the skit show presented by the Class of 1924 to the Class of 1926. One doll is a "long-legged" doll and the other two are golliwog dolls and are in blackface

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Sophomore Party

Image
93274-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-10-28
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Scene from Act II of the skit show presented by the Class of 1925 to the Class of 1926. Two students are in blackface and costumed as waiters

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Sophomore Party

Image
93466-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-03
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Skit show presented by the Class of 1920 to the Class of 1921. Most of the students are in stereotypical Chinese costumes. Two are costumed as "Egyptian slaves" and are in blackface

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Sophomore Party

Image
93556-Service File.jpg
Date
1917-11-03
Content Warning
The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc
Description

Full cast of skit show presented by the Class of 1920 to the Class of 1921. Some students are in stereotypical Chinese costumes and one is in blackface

Access Control
View

Content Warning

The Vassar College Archives within the Digital Library include some images, texts, and material items that are racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful. The Vassar Libraries have provided descriptive text and additional notes whenever possible to alert Digital Library users to these items. The Engaged Pluralism Initiative Race and Racism in Historical Collections Project Group is working with the library on contextualizing and facilitating community conversations about these materials. For more information see: https://library.vassar.edu/rrhc