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North view of Raymond Avenue as an unpaved road lined by trees in leaf. A wooden fence is on the left. A stone wall is on the right.
South view of Raymond Avenue as an unpaved road lined by trees in leaf. A mill, stairs and stone wall are on the left. Vassar Lake, wooden fences and people are on the right.
South view of Raymond Avenue as an unpaved road lined by trees in leaf. A horse-drawn carriage is in the road. Stairs, telegraph poles, a lamp post and stone wall are on the left. Vassar Lake and people are on the right. Also shows wooden fences.
Head and shoulders picture of Raymond B. Backus wearing a white shirt and dark suit.
View of Raymond House, a Vassar College dormitory, with Strong House in the background
View of Raymond House, a Vassar College dormitory, with Davison House in the background
View of Raymond House, a Vassar College dormitory, with Strong House in the background
View of Raymond House, a Vassar College dormitory, with Davison House in the background
VC 1883, Brief daily entries. Raymond describes her continuing activites at Vassar College, mentioning College Club, music lessons and performance, reading, preparing Latin texts, lectures, and graduation (June 28th). She details various features of her religious life, such as church services
Short entries in a page a day format. Generally, she writes on her health (including vaccinations and taking electricity), social events, student life, family news, and prayer meetings. She feels a strong religious devotion, and tries to convert others, including a Jew (February 25th) and an
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond describes her consistent participation in religious life through prayer meetings, religious lectures, and encouragement of others to renounce vices (particularly alcohol and smoking) and proclaim their Christian faith. Illnesses, depressive episodes (
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond describes her academic activities at Vassar, including studying and tutoring in Latin, and giving, taking, and chaperoning music lessons. Raymond mentions class day, graduation, and the naming of Vassar's new dormitory, Raymond House (Jun 9).
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond describes teaching at a [private] school in [Springfield], Massachusetts, giving music lessons, reading books and studying poetry, reflecting on sermons and religious lectures, and being involved with a list of courses (Feb 12). She refers to her
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond contemplates sermons and religious literature, including the sermons given by the famed Springfield pastor [Phillip Stafford] Moxom. She details the frustrations and and successes of supporting attendees of temperance meetings (including "Joe"
Short entries in a half page a day format. Raymond details her involvement in religious life, such as her attendance of prayer-meeting, the sermons of pastors such as [Phillip Stafford] Moxom, "Mr. Hahn's" religious lectures, theologian Lyman Abbot's address to a high school (Jun 28), and talks by
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond discusses her experiences teaching in Springfield, mentioning the school's commencement (Jun 27) and her concerns for the examination results among her pupils and social circle. Raymond details her involvement in religious and social activism, which
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond describes her social life, academic classes, and the books she reads. She also includes her worries over her mother's health. She writes about the concerts and lectures that she attends, including Jacob Riis and a lecture at her church on the "Race
Short entries in a page a day format. This volume discusses Raymond's social life and experiences at work with her students. Her mother breaks her hip this year, prompting Raymond to worry for her mother's health. Raymond also reflects on her active religious life, including continuing to convert
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond discusses providing music lessons, Latin tutoring, substitute teaching, and chaperoning field trips for a private school in Springfield. She mentions the students' play and charity ball, as well as her coworkers' salary negotiations. Raymond describes
Short entries in a page a day format. Raymond discusses her work for Joe's temperance mission, mentioning collecting donations, finding relapsed mission members (Mar 30), and attempting to involve members of the Springfield YWCA.\nShe describes attending Hahn's prayer meetings and various pastors'
Here you will find digitized archival collections, oral histories, and more. We are continually expanding the collections and improving access. You may find additional digital resources that reside outside the digital library here, and a selection of Online Exhibitions here.
Collections Overview
The Archives & Special Collections Library is part of the Vassar College Libraries system. It holds the rare book, manuscript, and archival collections of the college. It collects, preserves, and makes available rare and unique collections, and also engages in teaching and outreach activities. This collection of finding aids describe items in both the Virginia B. Smith Memorial Manuscript Collection and the College Archives.
The Vassar College herbarium holds over 8,000 specimens of vascular plants, bryophytes, and algae. Holdings are primarily from northeastern North America, and include collections made by several notable 19th century botanists. To learn more about this project visit the website here.
Vassar College's institutional repository reflects the research and scholarly output of the Vassar College community. It provides access to senior theses, peer reviewed open access articles, and projects from a wide range of disciplines.