Recently we went live with the History of UW-Parkside collection.  The collection includes resources that document the history and evolution of this campus. The collection includes published material as well as archival materials and may eventually include additional books, manuscripts, sound recordings, photographs, maps and other resources. The collection is particularly full of images from past theater productions.  Take a peak, you may have seen some of these plays!  

Scene from Hold Me, 1983

Scene from Peppermint Bear, 1985

Dr. Virginia E. (March) Kline was a plant ecologist with a thirst for knowledge about the natural world. She enthusiastically taught the wonders of nature and the science of ecology to students of all ages. In her role as the University of Wisconsin Arboretum Ecologist and Research Program Manager, she helped to develop the new field of restoration ecology. She lectured and consulted around the world in the field of restoration ecology and received many awards for scientific excellence and community service.

The Virginia M. Kline Collection includes a series of slides reflecting the natural history of Wisconsin, past and present. Also included are a series of audiotapes from the course "Reading the Landscape," taught by Dr. Virginia M. Kline. The images were part of the personal slide collection of Dr. Kline. She used the slides for numerous courses and presentations. Some of the slides have become faded and scratched and the quality of many of the audiotapes is less than ideal. Nevertheless, the collection records a story of the natural history of Wisconsin and of the life and work of Dr. Kline.

Take a look at the collection. You might recognize some of the plants growing in your own backyard.

The African Studies Collection is new to our archives this year. This collections houses The Harold E. Scheub Collection.

Dr. Harold Scheub is one of the world's leading scholars in African oral traditions and folklore and can be found on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus as the Evjue-Bascom Professor of Humanities in the Department of African Languages and Literature. To record oral traditions he has walked more than 6000 miles through South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. Dr. Scheub has published more than two dozen books and more than 70 articles.

Within his collection are two sub-collections. South African Voices is a three-volume work of audio files. The image collections contains images from his journey through Africa.

His images are beautiful and interesting. I would encourage you to take a look, you will be happy you did.

February is nationally known as Black History Month. University of Wisconsin Madison campus organizations have prepared various activities to celebrate. Visit the UW Madison events calendar for more information on the films, art exhibitions, dance performances, and other Black History events planned around campus.

Our State of Wisconsin Collection contains great archive documents of the first African-American settlement in Wisconsin. Papers of Charles Shepard and other residents of the black settlement of Pleasant Ridge(now Beetown), Wisconsin,

including letters, tax receipts, and community history. Shepard (Sheppard) was the head of the first African-American family to settle in what became a pioneer black community about five miles west of Lancaster, Wisconsin.

This collection of documents is a celebration of Black History in Wisconsin. We hope that you will take the time to look at the collection and are able to attend some of the activities on campus.

The University of Wisconsin will celebrate Darwin Day tomorrow, February 13th! A full day event will be held at the Microbial Science building on the UW campus. The event is free and open to the public. Check out the activities planned for Darwin Day 2010!

The UWDC wants to help you get in the Darwin spirit with our Galápagos Collection. The collection of Galápagos materials that includes anatomical specimens, images, and papers at the UW-Madison Zoological Museum (UWZM) is unique and rare. Ten expeditions since 1969 to the Galápagos by UW-Madison scientists and researchers have produced a wealth of invaluable museum specimens: approximately 669 complete and 675 partial skeletons. In addition these expeditions have produced thousands of images and papers that up until now have not been preserved in any format.

The images in the collection are great examples of the animals found on the island and provide great views of the land. The image on the top left shows the Galápagos Tortoises with a great view of the landscape of the island. On the right is an image of the Galápagos Penguin and Marine Iguanas sitting on lava.

Celebrate Darwin's 201st birthday by taking at look at these images.

For all the UW Madison students on campus, it's that time of year again, the Winter Carnival! Hoofers Winter Carnival is a weekend of events centered around fun in the outdoors. This year features an open skating rink on the MemorialUnion Terrace and the sunken Statue of Liberty from 1979. Memorial Union. This year the Winter Carnival will have open ice skating on the terrace, a Broomball tournament, an ice sculpture contest, carriage rides and other fun winter activities. Check out the Hoofers Winter Carnival site for more details.

Here at the UWDCC we have great historic images of this event. The top picture shows a sled race during the Winter Carnival of 1984. On the right is an image on women's broomball hockey which was played on Lake Mendota in the 50s! And the bottom picture is from the 1950s featuring a ski jump competition.

These images and more of our great Winter Carnival pictures can be found at our University of Wisconsin Collection. Check out more of our images and go out to the Hoofers Winter Carnival this weekend for fun winter activities!