Join the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, as we welcome Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females, Noun) and Joe Steinhardt (Don Giovanni Records) to read from and discuss their new graphic novel, Merriment, at Alexander Library in New Brunswick on Thursday, May 23rd at 4pm. An exhibit of original artwork will also be on display, and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
About Merriment: As many of us do, Mack is having a hard time coping with life in New Jersey. Watching her friends figure their lives out while she is stuck living at home, Mack is looking for any kind of lifeline out of her Mom’s house and into the City where she is convinced she will be happy. Then again, it’s hard for anyone to be happy these days, a fact her mother will not let her forget. And what’s worse: she thinks she might have committed a murder. And that maybe, just maybe, the FBI is spying on her? Merriment follows Mack on her quest for happiness and/or sanity, through the horrors of life, as she navigates existential dread, real life dread, and all the dread in between.
Joe Steinhardt owns and operates Don Giovanni Records, a label which remains committed to furthering alternative culture, independent values, and providing resources for artists who prefer to work outside of the mainstream music industry. He is a published author and an Assistant Professor at Drexel University in their Music Industry Program.
Marissa Paternoster is a visual artist, the lead singer and guitarist for Screaming Females, and was named the 77th best guitar player of all time by SPIN magazine and the 150th best of all time by Rolling Stone. Through her work with Screaming Females and her solo career, Marissa has released 11 studio albums and has been featured on MTV, Late Night TV, and NPR. She has toured extensively, supporting bands like Garbage, Dinosaur Jr. The Dead Weather, Arctic Monkeys, and The Breeders.
Rutgers Distinguished Professor Gary A. Rendsburg will deliver the 35th annual Louis Faugères Bishop III Lecture, entitled “The Robison Hebrew Manuscript Collection: 50 Yemenite Treasures in Our Midst,” on Tuesday, April 2, at 4:00 p.m., at Alexander Library and online.
Gary Rendsburg holds the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History at Rutgers University, with appointments in both the Department of History and the Department of Jewish Studies. He is the author of seven books and over 200 articles; his most recent book is How the Bible Is Written (2019).
Rendsburg earned his B.A. in English at the University of North Carolina (1975) and his Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies at New York University (1980). Prior to coming to Rutgers in 2004, he taught for 18 years at Cornell University.
Rendsburg has conducted extensive research on medieval Hebrew manuscripts at leading libraries, including the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the Cambridge University Library, the Vatican Library, and the Library of Congress.
During his career, Rendsburg has served as visiting professor or visiting research scholar at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of Sydney, the Hebrew University, Bar-Ilan University, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, the Getty Villa, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome).
The Bishop Lectures feature diverse topics on book and manuscript collecting, printing history, and the use of rare books and manuscripts. The series is named in memory of Louis Faugères Bishop Jr.’s son, a prominent cardiologist and book lover who helped build one of the excellent New York private libraries at the New York Racquet Club.
To register visit https://libcal.rutgers.edu/event/12100082
Announcing Exploring Special Collections and University Archives, a new webinar series from Rutgers–New Brunswick Libraries Special Collections and University Archives.
Image from Rutgers Photograph Collection: Student Life: Black Student Activism
The webinars will feature talks, virtual tours, and demonstrations by our curators and scholars showcasing the rich resources of our historic and cultural collections.
You’re invited to the first webinar of the series, “Black History Resources.” Curators Erika Gorder and Christine Lutz will discuss Black history resources in Special Collections and University Archives.
Event Details:
Wednesday, February 17, 2021, via Zoom
4:00-5:00pm (Eastern Time, US and Canada)
Questions? Contact Special Collections & University Archives
On November 6th, 2019, football fans celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first college football game, which was played by Rutgers and Princeton University. It was University Archivist Erika Gorder’s and my pleasure to assemble an exhibit celebrating not just college football, but also the game’s evolution alongside the growth of Rutgers University.
For myself, this exhibit was match made in heaven! My father is a longtime Rutgers employee, so going to Rutgers football games and other athletic events filled my childhood. I attended St. Joseph’s High School (Metuchen) and had the privilege to play varsity football with a plethora of talented young men, a handful of whom went on to play for the Scarlet Knights. I had the opportunity to pursue my love of history at Rutgers, obtaining my bachelors’ degree in 2018. I had the unique viewpoint of being a Rutgers football superfan while having a background in historical research. The stars were aligned.
The exhibit captures the spirit of event, the essence of the birth of a national pastime, and the meaning of college football in relation to Rutgers’ prestigious legacy. To encompass a 150 years of history, the archives were thoroughly investigated for any items that interconnected with history of Rutgers with its football program.
The 1st collegiate football game was played differently than how we witness the pastime of football today. Rutgers’ squad of 27 players – only 25 took the field at a time – defeated Princeton 6-4 in the first intercollegiate football game, more like soccer than the modern sport. The game was played on the property that the College Avenue Gym parking lot now inhabits. Princeton won a second match that year, allowing both schools to claim the sport’s first national championship. A third match between the two New Jersey rivals was canceled, because professors said studies were disrupted by the uproar.
Rutgers’s George Dixon and Stephen Gano are accredited for the game’s first score. William J. Leggett, ’72, elected by his teammates as captain of the 1869 Rutgers team. Leggett and his counterpart from Princeton, William S. Gummere ’70, met prior to the starting time of the game to discuss and agree upon the rules of the game. Both men went on to distinguished careers, Leggett as a Reformed clergyman, and Gummere as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Boyd Painting Of the 1869 Rutgers Vs Princeton Game
Boyd’s depiction, as well as other depictions, of the game were done several years after it had taken place. Therefore, these depictions are not 100% accurate to how the game was played. The only first person account we have of the game comes from a copy of the Targum, currently on display at University Special Collections and University Archives in Alexander Library.
West George Street Station
Princeton players took a train to play against Rutgers in New Brunswick. These tracks are now inhabited by NJ Transit.
1900s Helmet
This helmet is typical of ones players wore in the 1920s. The exhibit features a whole uniform from a 1920s lineman.
1918 Football Team Photo
The 1918 team coached by George Stanford featured Paul Robeson, Rutgers’ first All-American. Robeson would go on to be known as a true Renaissance man, renowned as a musician, actor, and political activist. He was forced to sit out one game due to a request from the University of Washington and Lee due to their apprehensiveness to play against an African American player. That was the only game Rutgers lost that season.
1950 Retiring Chanticleer Photo
Rutgers’ fullback Steve Simms officially says goodbye to the Chanticleer as the mascot of Rutgers during a ceremony to mark the end of his reign. The Scarlet Knight then took over as the mascot we now know and love.
Centennial Game Program 1969
Publication sold at Rutgers Vs Princeton Game to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of College Football.
1980 Rutgers Vs Alabama
Photograph of Rutgers playing University of Alabama, which Alabama won 28-25. Of the game, Alabama coach Bear Bryant gave the famous quote, “We won, but we didn’t beat them.”
Rutgers Vs Louisville 2006 Game Ticket
Ticket from Rutgers Football’s greatest victory under Greg Schiano’s tenure. The 15th ranked Scarlet Knights upset the 3rd Ranked Louisville Cardinals.
The project was a collaborative undertaking. Memorabilia displayed in the exhibit was provided by collection here at the University Archives and Special Collections along with some items from Steve Green, and Stephen M. Dalina (My Father).
Slicing the Air, Carved Board Book, by Asha Ganpat
From Here to . . . There: Concept and Technique in Artists’ Books, the 22nd annual New Jersey Book Arts Symposium will be held on November 4, 2016 at the Alexander Library, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 169 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. The Symposium, which runs from 8:45 am until 5:00 pm will feature 7 individual book artists, and 1 collaborative pair of artists, presenting on their artists’ books, as well as 2 morning workshops, 2 readings from artists’ books during the lunchtime seminar, and an onsite work, a “registry project,” conducted by Asha Ganpat. The day will conclude in our traditional book artists jam, at which all attendees will be able to share their own work. Lunch and refreshments are included in the price of admission ($45 for general admission; $15 for Rutgers staff and faculty; students free.
Rutgers’ Special Collections and University Archives and the School of Communication and Information Doctoral Student Association will host a symposium to celebrate the establishment of the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive on Thursday, October 22.
The event will feature a panel discussion with figures from the New Brunswick music scene, past and present: Ronen Kauffman, author of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye; Marissa Paternoster of the band Screaming Females; Joe Steinhardt, founder of Don Giovanni Records; and Jim Testa, founder and publisher of the influential music magazine Jersey Beat.
While the early days of music, performers, and musical venues in New Brunswick have been well documented through manuscripts, sheet music, photographs, programs, and advertisements, there is a gap in the historical record since 1980. Nevertheless the music scene has produced countless pieces of ephemera such as show flyers, zines, photographs, and releases in the form of cassettes, CDs and vinyl records, and digital media.
The New Brunswick Music Scene Archive was established to close this gap and to demonstrate the value and reach of independent, local music. The collection will also further Special Collections and University Archives’ mission to collect, preserve, and provide access to materials that document the history and culture of New Jersey.
Musical life in New Brunswick can be traced as far back as the early 1800s. Throughout the 19th century, the Hub City boasted numerous theaters, an opera house, music shops, local and traveling musicians, musical associations such as the New Brunswick Band, and the largest musical string manufacturer in the world, the National Musical String Company.
Rutgers in particular has played a large part in the musical history of the city. During the early 1900s, the multi-talented Paul Robeson sang for spending money in cafes and taverns throughout New Brunswick. In 1964, Lenny Kaye played his first gig with his band The Vandals at a Rutgers fraternity. During the 1970s, Bruce Springsteen came from Asbury Park to play at The Ledge (now the Student Activities Center) for $2 per ticket, and New Brunswick’s Looking Glass, formed by Rutgers students, hit #1 with “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).”
“New Brunswick has been host to a vibrant musical community for such a long time,” said Christie Lutz, New Jersey regional studies librarian. “We are excited to document its impact and preserve its story through the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive, and hope that this will be the first of many public events as the archive grows and develops.”
The symposium will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the Telecommunications Lecture Hall on the 4th floor of Alexander Library. It is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. Parking is available in the College Ave Parking Deck and Lots 26 and 30.
For information on the New Brunswick Music Scene Archive and how to donate material, please email Christie Lutz or call 848-932-6148.
The Modern School, located in Piscataway, NJ, was a liberal and progressive school. Influenced by modern educational theorists such as Friedrich Froebel, the founder of Kindergarten and the anarchist Francisco Ferrer, who established a modern school in Barcelona in 1901, the modern school’s pedagogy focused on individual needs and free thinking. As the centerpiece of the alternative Ferrer Colony in Piscataway, the Modern School made a significant contribution to the interpretation and implementation of progressive educational ideals.
Please join us for discussions on the history of anarchism and education in practice in New Jersey.
Luncheon Buffet (with a fee of $20) at Noon*
Program begins at 1pm. Each lecture will be followed by a short q & a session.
Francisco Ferrer: The Anarchist Behind the Modern School. Mark Bray, PhD. Candidate in Modern and European History, Rutgers University.
Sasha and Emma: The Anarchist Odyssey of Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman. Karen Avrich, writer and editor, daughter of anarchist historian Paul Avrich.
The Stelton Colony: A Personal Appreciation, a film by Robert Rosen, former Dean, UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television.
*Those who do not wish to pay for lunch may attend the lectures for free, beginning at 12:45.
