Vassar College Digital Library
Subject

Wolven Glass Plate Negative Collection: Founder's Day, 1900-1935

1300 plates

Founder's Day has included a variety of activities since the first celebration on April 29th,1866, Matthew Vassar's birthday. The images in this series document visits to the founder's grave, step-singing and the Song Contest, the faculty-student baseball game, parades, and various performances. Attendees of the baseball game, the parades, and the performances were encouraged to dress in costume, according to either a predetermined theme or individual whim. With some frequency, these costumes and performances were based on racist or stereotypical representations of marginalized groups, including blackface, redface, and yellowface. Similarly, the faculty play or skit show which was given on the evening of Founder's Day, included racist and stereotypical costumes and performances.

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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
 

Founder's Day

Image
95090-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

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

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Founder's Day

Image
93999-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

Class of 1925 mounting the steps of Student's Building for the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94666-Service File.jpg
Date
1920-04-30
Description

Members of the Class of 1920 and others at the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94733-Service File.jpg
Date
1927-04-29
Description

Class of 1927 at the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94951-Service File.jpg
Date
1923-04-27
Description

Class of 1923 at song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
93877-Service File.jpg
Date
1924-05-02
Description

Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
94257-Service File.jpg
Date
1924-05-02
Description

Class of 1926 at the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94855-Service File.jpg
Date
1928-04-27
Description

Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
95091-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

Class of 1923 performing in the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94000-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

Class of 1924 performing on the steps of Student's Building during the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94667-Service File.jpg
Date
1920-04-30
Description

Class of 1920 performing in the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94762-Service File.jpg
Date
1929-04-26
Description

Spectators at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
94952-Service File.jpg
Date
1923-04-27
Description

Song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
93888-Service File.jpg
Date
1921-04-30
Description

Students in costume at the "County Fair"

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Founder's Day

Image
94269-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

Class of 1924 at the song contest

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Founder's Day

Image
94700-Service File.jpg
Date
1930-04-25
Description

Unidentified woman at the festivities after the Founder's Day parade

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Founder's Day

Image
94857-Service File.jpg
Date
1928-04-27
Description

Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
95092-Service File.jpg
Date
1922-04-28
Description

Students in costume at the faculty-student baseball game

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Founder's Day

Image
94001-Service File.jpg
Date
1918-05-03
Description

Students with horns and drums at the baseball game, costumed as clowns or possibly the pantomime character Pierrot

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Founder's Day

Image
94668-Service File.jpg
Date
1920-04-30
Description

Class of 1920 marching to the song contest

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