Contents and Arrangement
Online

Series 1. General, 1746-2019

4 boxes

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The General series contains documents, clippings, and correspondence about each decade in Princeton's history from its founding until the present. The series consists of material that can neither be filed in any one other series nor in the chronologically arranged portion of the historical subject files. The files of Keeper of Princetoniana Frederic Fox, for example, include his notes on various aspects of Princeton life and history. Campus maps and general campus views can also be found here. Themed campus tours include views of Princeton in 1865, as well as tours focusing on trees and gargoyles.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged chronologically, with the exception of a grouping of general, non-chronological, folders which can be found at the beginning of the series.

Collection History

Custodial History

Varnum Lansing Collins, Class of 1892 and Secretary of Princeton University (1917-1936), created the Historical Subject Files Collection as a reference for his historical writing interests. An author of a history of the University and a guide to the campus and town, Collins collected a wide variety of materials pertaining to these topics. The files were transferred to the University Archives after its establishment in 1959.

Accruals

As documents deemed appropriate for inclusion in the Historical Subject Files are accessioned by the University Archives, they are added to the collection and finding aid. A major contributor to the collection is the Communications Office, which provides copies of printed materials it produces for various campus offices.

Appraisal

Boxes 34 and 35, material created by the Department of Geosciences, have been removed and placed in AC139, the Department of Geosciences Records.

Processing Information

Processed by Susan Hamson, Paris Makell '05, Matthew Reeder, and Rosalba Varallo with the assistance of John Adamo '07, Marilyn Agbeko '06, Samuel Clendon '07, Rodney Deavault '07, Emma Harper '08, Lindsey Huddle '07, Christina McMillan '07, Eric Meng '07, Devin Silva '06, Victor Wakefield '07, and Ian Withrow '05. in 2004-2005. Accession AR.2010.134 digital content processed by Elena Colon-Marrero in 2015.Accession AR.2018.003, Civil War memorial wall research material, processed by Phoebe Nobles in 2018.

Finding aid written by Matthew Reeder in 2005.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection contains digital materials. Researchers are responsible for meeting the technical requirements needed to access these materials, including any and all hardware and software.

Credit this material:

Series 1. General; Historical Subject Files Collection, AC109, Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (mudd): Box 1-4

Find More

Related Materials

The subject files of the University Archives related to grounds and buildings are held in a separate collection, Grounds and Buildings: Historical Subject Files (AC110). Other collections created or maintained by the University Archives to document Princeton University history include the Audiovisual Collection (AC47) and the Memorabilia Collection (AC53). Researchers may also be interested University Publications.

Because the Historical Subject Files is a vertical file which includes documents related to many aspects of Princeton's History, nearly every record group held in the University Archives may contain related material. Researchers may wish to examine finding aids for the high-level University offices, including the records of Office of the President, Provost, Secretary, Dean of the College, and Dean of the Faculty, as well as records of various departments and organizations within the University.

Bibliography

A portion of the provenance statement was taken from the Grounds and Buildings: Historical Subject Files (AC #110) finding aid, written by Sara Bush '94 in 1994.

Names:
Princeton University
Princeton-in-Asia
Collins, Varnum Lansing, 1870-1936