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Princeton University 250th Anniversary Celebration Collection
Notifications
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 250th anniversary of Princeton's founding as the College of New Jersey in 1746, also known by the coined term "Bicennquinquagenary", was celebrated in 1996-1997 with a yearlong series of events that included an elaborate fireworks display on alumni day (repeated every year since), the publication of a coffee table book Princeton: The First 250 Years, the creation of a documentary film Images of a University, the commissioning and performance of an original orchestral work Ringing Changes, the issuance of a commemmorative stamp by the United States Postal Service, the flying of an anniversary banner during a space shuttle mission, and numerous concerts, conferences, and speeches by noted faculty, alumni, and dignitaries.
Consists of the records of the office in charge of organizing all 250th anniversary celebration activities, as well as examples of the many publications, event programs, invitations, posters, audio and visual recordings, and commemorative artifacts created in conjunction with those activities.
The bulk of this collection was transferred from the Office of Princeton's 250th Anniversary upon its closure. Additional accessions have included AR.1997.013, AR.1997.086, AR.2000.066, AR.2002.018, and AR.2008.015.
Full text searching of the Undergraduate Student Goverment archived website is available through the ArchiveIt interface.
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.
Series 5: Audio, Motion Picture and Video Recordings contains recordings in a variety of analog formats.
This collection was processed by Christie Peterson with assistance from Eleanor Wright '14 in March 2011. Finding aid updated n by Christie Peterson in April 2011.
Appraisal has been conducted in accordance with Mudd Library guidelines. Duplicate publications, printed materials, artifacts, and recordings have been deaccessioned. Phone message books from the Office of Princeton's 250th Anniversary, sales material for vendors interested in doing business with the office, and a very small amount of materials unrelated to Princeton have also been deaccessioned. Non-duplicative Princeton-related materials predating the 250th anniversary celebration have been transferred to the Princeton Memorabilia Collection, the Princeton Artwork Collection, the Audiovisual Collection and the Historic Photograph Collection. Records from a conference held by the Department of History in May 1996, From Redemption to Reaganism: American Conservatism 1865-1980, have been transferred to the Department of History Records. A detailed separation record is available.
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- University Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Christie Peterson
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. If copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers will not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with non-commercial use of materials from the Mudd Library. For materials where the copyright is not held by the University, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. If you have a question about who owns the copyright for an item, you may request clarification by contacting us through the Ask Us! form.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Office of Princeton's 250th Anniversary Records, 1993-1997 remains in its original order. The records are organized in four sets of files: accounting, correspondence, service and community, and subject files. The accounting files are arranged by account number, the correspondence files are arranged chronologically, and the service and coomunity files are arranged alphabetically by subject. The subject files are subdivided into five color-coded sets: academic and campaign, administrative, alumni council, celebratory events, and historical events. The files within each of these sets are arranged alphabetically by subject. A cache of material that was unfiled when received in the archives has been added to the end of the series but has not been otherwise arranged.
Series 1: Office of Princeton's 250th Anniversary Records, 1993-1997 contains the records of the office that was created to manage all aspects of Princeton's bicenquinquagenary celebration.
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Series 2: Clippings and Publications, 1993-1997 consists of newspaper clippings and copies of publications with major stories about Princeton's 250th anniversary celebration and related events. It also includes copies of Princeton: With One Accord, the publication of the 250th anniversary campaign.
The materials in Series 2: Clippings and Publications have not been subjected to any arrangement.
Physical Description2 boxes
Series 3: Printed Materials, 1996-1997 contains posters, pamphlets, flyers, brochures, invitations, tickets, programs, calendars, and variuos other forms of materials printed to promote or execute the many events associated with Princeton's 250th Anniversary Celebration.
The materials in Series 3: Printed Materials, 1996-1997 have not been subjected to any arrangement.
Physical Description5 boxes
Series 4: Artifacts, 1996-1997 consists of objects, memorabilia, and artwork created as part of Princeton's 250th anniversary celebration. It includes a commemorative flag, a silver keychain designed by Michael Graves, documentation and presentation pieces related to a commemorative flag flown aboard the space shuttle Columbia [AR.1997.086], an original watercolor birdseye view of campus with four snapshot views by Andrew Zega '83 and Bernd H. Dams [AR.2000.066], a Boehm collectible plate, a commemorative medallion, a commemorative USPS stamp, resolutions and certificates of congratulations from various locales and schools, various other memorabilia, and samples of ephemera produced during the celebration such as temporary tatoos, admission bracelets and plastic bags.
The materials in Series 4: Artifacts, 1996-1997 have not been subjected to any arrangement.
Physical Description2 boxes
The contents of Series 5: Audio, Motion Picture and Video Recordings, 1996-1997 have not been subjected to any arrangement.
Series 5: Audio, Motion Picture and Video Recordings, 1996-1997 consists of original and mass-produced recordings of concerts, conferences, speeches, Charter Day Celebrations, convocation, and other events held as part of Princeton's 250th anniversary celebrations, as well as the videos Defining Moments in Princeton's First 250 Years and The Best of Princeton. It also contains several complete copies of Gerardo Puglia's documentary Images of A University on 16mm film, as well as music selects, interview transcripts, dailies, selects and trims from the film's production [AR.2008.015].
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The contents of Series 6: Public Website have not been subjected to any arrangement.
Series 6 consists of the website titled "Princeton University, An Interactive Campus History 1776-1996." The website was created as part of the celebratory activities surrounding the 250th anniversary of Princeton's founding as the College of New Jersey in 1746 and documents the evolution of the Princeton campus from 1776-1996. The website includes historical interpretive text as well as images of archival documents such as drawings, plans and photographs. The site was captured in 2015.
Full text searching of the Campus History archived website is available through the ArchiveIt interface.
Physical Description1 website