First astronomy class at Vassar College, 1866
Professor Maria Mitchell and fifteen female students wearing long dresses, seated or standing behind a telescope. Some are holding hats or an open book.
Professor Maria Mitchell and fifteen female students wearing long dresses, seated or standing behind a telescope. Some are holding hats or an open book.
Professor Maria Mitchell and fifteen female students wearing long dresses, seated or standing behind a telescope. Some are holding hats or an open book.
Interior of Observatory dome of Vassar College with an equatorial telescope, steps, chair and double-doors.
Interior (the Meridian Room) of Observatory of Vassar College with telescopes, brick pillars, ladder, table, chair, clock and books on shelves. Also shows professor Mary W. Whitney (?) and students wearing long, dark dresses, some with hats. They are seated or standing around the telescope. One of
Interior of Observatory dome of Vassar College with an equatorial telescope and ladder. Also shows Maria Mitchell wearing a long, dark dress and shawl, seated on the left and Mary W. Whitney wearing a long, dark dress, leaning on a ladder on the right.
Interior (the Meridian Room) of Observatory of Vassar College with telescopes, brick pillars, ladder and books on shelves.
Observatory of Vassar College with path, lawn, evergreens and lamp post. Building is partially covered by vines. Five women wearing hats and long dresses are seated or standing around a telescope on a table in the foreground. One is seated on the steps and two are seated on the right.
Professor Maria Mitchell and six female students wearing long, dark dresses. They are seated, standing or kneeling by two telescopes in front of the Vassar College Observatory. Part of a lamp post is on the left and a tree in leaf is on the right. Also shows tables, chairs and paths.
Five female students wearing long dresses, seated or standing around a telescope. Some of the students have hats. One of them is looking through the telescope. Also shows other apparatus and books on shelves in the background.
Expedition to Colorado to view the 1878 solar eclipse. Astronomy professor Maria Mitchell and students wearing hats and long dresses, seated by telescopes on a plain. Two men wearing hats, a tent, ladder and horse-drawn, canopied wagon are in the background.
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.