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Nassau Hall Iconography

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Held at: Princeton University Library: University Archives [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: University Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

The first is a rendering of Nassau Hall by Dawkins, from New American Magazine, published in 1760, four years after the building was completed. This building was later seriously damaged during the American Revolution. Paintings by Peale, Polk and Trumbull depicting George Washington and the Battle of Princeton have Nassau Hall in the backdrop, thus reminding the viewer of Princeton's contribution to the Revolutionary cause and its subsequent sufferings.

Nassau Hall was severely damaged by fire several times in the course of the nineteenth century. Latrobe's sketch and floor plan were intended for reconstruction of the building after one such disaster of 1802. This remodeled building lasted and remained a favorite subject of painters' and engravers' until another fire in 1855 required yet another reconstruction. Drawings and engravings from the nineteenth century show the differences of these two designs.

The collection includes paintings and drawings of a few other buildings at Princeton. Stanhope Hall and Philosophical Hall were both built in 1803. While the former has housed the college library, class rooms and various administrative offices over time, the latter, where mathematics and natural philosophy classes were conducted, was razed in 1873 to make room for Chancellor Green Library. East College, an exact duplicate of West College, served exclusively as a dormitory for over ninety years before it was demolished in 1896. The plans of Nassau Hall and all these buildings reflect the nineteenth-century preference for a symmetrical quadrangle.

The folder labeled "Twentieth Century Renderings" contains several original items such as a pen drawing, a water color painting and a few prints, all of Nassau Hall. Also included are a blueprint of the first floor, Nassau Hall, (1936) and its reproductions.

Except for the folder labeled "Twentieth Century Renderings," most of the items in this collection are listed within chapter seven of Nassau Hall: 1756-1956. This volume was commissioned by the Board of Trustees of Princeton University to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Nassau Hall. The information on the iconography included in Nassau Hall is based on research done by Varnum Lansing Collins. The commentary on each image listed in the book has been included with the respective image.

Series 1: Nassau Hall Iconongraphy, Chronological, is arranged by the date of the materials; Series 2: Additions, is arranged in the order that the materials were donated or transferred to the library.

Materials are added regularly on a regular bases.

FOR DIGITIZED CONTENT: Almost all of the collection, with the exception of oversize material, has been digitized and may be viewed or downloaded through this finding aid. To view materials, navigate to the title of the item.

The collection was created by Princeton University Archives and is being added to on a continuing basis.

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 was processed by Sue J. Kim in May 1997, Rachel Ban in June 2001. Additional material incorporated and the finding aid updated by Sue J. Kim, Rachel Ban in May 1997, June 2001. Additions made and finding aid updated by Christie Peterson in August 2011 and May 2012 and by Jarrett M. Drake in September 2014.

No information about appraisal is available.

Publisher
University Archives
Finding Aid Author
Sue J. Kim; Rachel Ban
Finding Aid Date
1998
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

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.

Collection Inventory

Arrangement

The materials are arranged by their date of creation, from the earliest to the most recent.

Physical Description

3 boxes

New American Magazine, Reproductions, 1760 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Dawkins, Reproductions, 1764. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Doolittle after Dawkins, Reproductions, circa 1776. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Medals, Reproductions, 1784. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Peale, Polk & Trumbull, Battle Paintings, Reproductions, 1784-. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Paintings by Unknown Artist, Reproduction after Dawkins, circa 1800. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Latrobe Sketch, Floor Plan, Reproduction, 1802. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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A north west prospect of Nassau Hall with a front view of the president's house in New Jersey, 1807. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Je Fisher Pinxit from an old print, Feb. 1807.

Physical Description

1 folder

Primitive Painting or Drawing, Reproduction, circa 1825. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

After 1804/05: Shows Stanhope and Philosophical Halls; Before 1833: East College not shown. Size of trees indicates 1825.

Physical Description

1 folder

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Commencement Ball Invitation, Reproduction, 1825. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Bufford Lithograph Reproductions, circa 1838. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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1831: Cut on 1831 Commencement Oration; 1832: Cut on Stationery; 1832: Cut from Magazine; 1836: Cut from "the Casket," Savage (1833), 1830s. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Hornor-Gilbert. Same as Hornor-Gilbert Engraving Used in Catalogues 1840/41-1853/54, But without Names of Buildings in Caption, circa 1840. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Nassau Monthly Cut Same as Letterhead, 1840s. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Probably not used in Monthly before September 1845. By 1848, a cut of one of the Halls was being used.

Physical Description

1 folder

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Wash Drawing, 1840. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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J. R. Clark. Engraving; Used as Letterhead, circa 1844. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Cut on Map of Mercer County, 1849. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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R.S. Gilbert, Reproduction, 1852. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Hornor-Gilbert. Engravings Used as Front Pieces in Catalogues, 1840-1854. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Also Used, as Letterhead. Those dated 1840 & 1841 have names of Hornor and Gilbert which the later ones lack.

Physical Description

1 folder

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Cyclopedia of American Literature, 1855. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Lithograph, Unsigned, 1856. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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F. Childs-Robertson, Seibert & Shearman, Published by George Thompson, View of Front Campus, Reproductions, circa 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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F. Childs-Robertson, Seibert & Shearman, Published by McGinnes & Smith, View of Building from Northeast, Reproductions, 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Lithograph, Reproduction, 1867. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Engraving from McCabe's "The Great Republic.", 1871. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Peirce, Gleason's Pictorial, 1853 August 6. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Pencil of Back Campus Showing, Nassau Hall Cupola, 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Twentieth Century Renderings, dates not examined. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Engraving, Unsigned, Probably after F. Childs-Thompson Lithograph, Cut on Certificate Letterhead, circa 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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Framed Etching of Nassau Hall Commemorating its 225th Anniversary, 1981. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Arrangement

The materials are arranged in the order that they were added to the collection.

Physical Description

3 boxes

"A North-West Prospect of Nassau Hall with a Front View of the Presidents House in New Jersey", 1764. 2 folders.
Scope and Contents

Printed engraving by Henry Dawkins based on a sketch by W. Tennent. Other copies of the print at Princeton University Library are cataloged here and here.

A folder of supplementary material about this print, its loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and an envelope that seems to have contained a receipt for the engraving from 1929, is also included in Box 6.

Physical Description

2 folders

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E54. "A North West Prospect of Nassau-Hall with a Front View of the Presidents House in New Jersey," print of Nassau Hall as it existed circa 1775 mounted on wood, varnished and framed, circa 1894. 1 box.
Scope and Contents

Presented by Moses Taylor Pyne, Class of 1877.

Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Black and white drawing of Nassau Hall, possibly by Pennington Satterthwaite, Class of 1893, circa 1893. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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"Nassau Hallmark," Print of Pen and Ink Drawing of Nassau Hall, 1981. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder12 x 17 inches and 23 x 32.5 inches

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"Nassau Hall," Print of the Painting by Dudley Morris, Published by The Little Gallery, Princeton, New Jersey, circa 1940-1958. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Pall Mall Cigarette Advertisement Featuring Nassau Hall from The Country Life Press, circa 1910-1913. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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"Nassau Hall," by J.R. Mycack, circa 1972. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Image of Bufford Lithograph on Sheet Music Cover, circa 1890-1920. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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"View of Nassau Hall," published by George Thompson, circa 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Etching by James H. Fincken, 1906. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Images of the Battle of Princeton, 1970. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Etching of Nassau Hall Reflected in Cannon, printed by Huston, Ashmead & Co., Philadelphia, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Proof and Prints of Etching by Samuel Chamberlain, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Various 20th-Century Wood Block Prints, Etchings, etc., circa 1900-1970. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Hutton, John. "Princeton University, Nassau Hall, The P-rade" by John Hutton, Class of 1982, circa 2012. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Materials Viewable Online
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Hazen, Joseph. Silk-screen Print of Nassau Hall, 1985. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

One silk-screened print of Nassau Hall created by Joe Hazen '35 for the Class of 1935's 50th reunion.

Physical Description

1 folder

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"A Northwest Prospect of Nassau Hall with a Front View of the President's House in New Jersey.", 1807. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

J. Fisher's 1807 oil copy of a 1764 engraving by Henry Dawkins.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Ahern, Rich. Cannon Green, 1984-1985. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

One print of Cannon Green including Nassau Hall.

Physical Description

1 folder

Kergaard, Helga. Woodprint of Nassau Hall, 1950 July. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Swann, Don. Etching of Nassau Hall, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Peters, G. W.. Sesquicentennial Celebration of Princeton University-the Campus and Nasau Hall, undated. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Print, Suggest