By Erin Wilson, Digital Imaging Specialist & Project Manager, Digital Initiatives
This news update is part of a semi-regular series highlighting recent additions, exhibits, and projects of Ohio University Libraries Digital Initiatives. Read on for a sample of newly digitized materials that are publicly available in our Digital Archives. See previous updates in the unit’s newsletter archive.
University Archives
Confrontation literary journal, 1971-1978
Published during the 1970s through Ohio University’s Black Studies Institute and Center for Afro-American Studies, Confrontation was a literary and cultural journal that featured writing, art, and criticism from Black, African, Caribbean, Latin American, and other international contributors. Dedicated to “human freedom” and “human dignity,” the journal published internationally recognized writers alongside emerging and local contributors, while documenting the participation and support of individuals associated with the development of African American Studies at Ohio University.
African American Studies course catalogs, 1978-1984
Originally published as “class schedules,” these course catalogs offer a snapshot of Ohio University’s African American Studies program in the early 1980s. They highlight courses on Black history, literature, media, politics, education, the arts, and social justice, while also documenting the faculty, student support services, and cultural programs that shaped Black student life on campus.
Marie Deffenbaugh scrapbook, 1921-1923
Helen Marie Deffenbaugh Irick created this scrapbook while attending Ohio University in the 1920s. It documents her social activities, including membership in the Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and attendance at dances, theatrical productions, and musical performances. Alongside photographs of friends, clippings, dance cards, and ticket stubs, the scrapbook preserves an array of distinctive ephemera, including a drinking straw, football pendant, Halloween mask, local restaurant menu, hair net, and holiday memorabilia.
If you like scrapbooks, look out for our February 2027 Founders Day exhibit which will showcase University Archives’ rich scrapbook holdings!
Documentary Photography Archive
New additions to the Lynn Johnson Collection highlight a range of high-profile assignments. The images were shot during the 1980s and 90s by Johnson, an award-winning photojournalist, in her early career. Film negatives and contact sheets from this period were selected and digitized to support graphic design projects undertaken by students in the spring 2026 course, VICO 4112/5112 Illustration Capstone: Advanced Informational Graphics.
- Stevie Wonder’s World, Life, 1986
- The Hit List, Life magazine “Hollywood” issue, 1986
- United States Supreme Court, Life, 1986-1987
- One Day in the Life of the Pentagon, Life, 1989
- Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, New York Times, 1991
Manuscript Collections
Explore the newly acquired archives of local artist and community organizer Sara Gilfert (1929-2024) through a digital collection that brings together her complete body of creative work. Digitized with the support of Gilfert’s family and funding from the Ohio Arts Council, the collection primarily consists of 35mm slides documenting her fiber and paper artworks, as well as her travels to Japan and Thailand. Additional materials highlight Gilfert’s contributions to the vibrant arts and crafts community of Southeast Ohio through organizations including Athens Tapestry Works, the Hocking Valley Arts Council, Paper Circle, and the Dairy Barn Arts Center.
Reginald Ernest Walter Harris photo album, 1944-1945
This photo album documents the wartime travels of Reginald Ernest Walter Harris to Australia via San Francisco. Harris served as a Royal Air Force sergeant with Special Liaison Unit 9 (Ultra), the Allied organization responsible for distributing intelligence derived from decrypted German and Japanese communications. In this trusted role, he was part of the war’s most important intelligence operations. The album was recently donated by Harris’ daughter and is a valuable addition to the Libraries’ significant World War II archival holdings.
Ohio Land Company Papers, 1794-1848
This collection includes property deeds issued by the Ohio Company of Associates and correspondence created by its leaders and agents. The Ohio Company was formed in 1786 by a group of high-ranking Continental Army veterans and Massachusetts businessmen to purchase and settle land in the Northwest Territory. Highlights include the two-way correspondence of brothers Otis Nixon and Warren Nixon as they negotiate the Nixon family estate and Otis desperately laments the hardships of settling in Southeast Ohio.
“I have to take a little corn, a little work, a little of everything, [and] it all amounts to nothing…”
Personal papers from Ohio University’s founding figure, Manasseh Cutler, are now available to view online. The materials were digitized to support Life Before OHIO: Exploring the Manasseh Cutler Collection, an online exhibit and physical display currently installed on the 5th floor of Alden Library. The collection largely highlights Cutler’s botanical and religious pursuits. His sermons date back to 1774 when he served as a Revolutionary War army chaplain, while his botanical notes and correspondence document his fervor in contributing to the early study of American Indigenous plants.
Life Before OHIO: Exploring the Manasseh Cutler Collection
Special Collections
Farfel Collection manuscript & printed leaves
An 8-year project to digitize leaves from the Gilbert and Ursula Farfel Collection is approaching completion as nearly 100 items were recently added to the online collection. New additions include pages from manuscripts created in India, Tibet, Thailand, and China, along with many European examples of handwritten and early printed texts. Don’t miss the video interview and blog post by Digital Initiatives graduate intern, Lilyana Mays, which explores the rewards and challenges of working with these displaced cultural fragments.
Centennial atlas of Athens County, Ohio, 1905
Available for the first time online in high resolution, the Athens County 1905 atlas is a treasure trove of local history information. Detailed maps of each township include parcel boundaries, names of property owners, and indications of structures. Beyond these maps, the bulk of the atlas consists of more than 250 halftone printed photos of local businesses, homes, and prominent citizens. It features interior views of specialty shops located throughout the bustling county and exterior views that document the region’s economic and architectural past.
