Blog Archives

Winter Carnival Nostalgia

By Phoebe Fisher, Student, McGill University Archives A patron recently asked me to retrieve all of the programs we had for the McGill Winter Carnival. As a 2020 McGill student, when I heard “winter carnival” I mostly thought of college …

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Christmas riddle: What is the link between an eminent geologist, Christmas spirits, the founder of the Scouts and J.K. Rowling?

By: Éloïse Poncet, student, McGill University Archives I was walking around campus the other week when I saw the two enormous Christmas trees in the front entrance of the Arts building. Similarly, to the Montreal store’s Christmas windows, having these …

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R. Tait McKenzie’s The Sprinter: The Growth of an Iconic Image

By Phoebe Fisher, Student, McGill University Archives   I recently received an inquiry from a family member of Thomas Graydon, a past McGill employee who was presented with a Sprinter statue by the McGill track team in circa 1911. The …

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#adventuresincataloguing : retracing the lived history of books

La version française suit By Megan Chellew, Coordinator, Cataloguing & Metadata; Robin Desmeules, Rare Books Cataloguer and Anna Dysert, Rare Books Cataloguer The practice of cataloguing rare books goes beyond simply describing the title and contents of a particular object. …

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Take McGill’s hidden gems home with Ex Libris

This September, McGill launched a capital campaign and a new branding vision for the university. The fall of 2020 promises even more excitement as McGill’s bicentennial festivities get underway. As we look back and forward, this is a perfect moment …

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Student Spotlight: Nikolas Lamarre at the McGill University Archives

Nikolas Lamarre with archival materials from McGill.

Student employment in the McGill Library benefits the entire McGill community. At almost 100 strong this academic year, McGill Library student workers gain valuable work experience while engaging in academic pursuits.  Student navigators, curatorial interns, special project assistants and student …

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2019 Homecoming: Bienvenue, welcome back to McGill and the Library!

2019 Homecoming (September 26-28) is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the year! McGill is making an historic announcement to reveal initiatives that will shape the future of our University as it enters its third century. …

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Stephen Leacock’s “The Need for Dormitories at McGill” (1920)

Detail, cover Cover image, “McGill Students’ Residences” issued by the Publicity Committee of the McGill Centennial Endowment Campaign, 1920_c.4_B0032_f.6_McGill Students’ Residences, McGill University Archives.

Just in time for Parents Tent and Residence Move-in Weekend, enjoy this short piece entitled “The Need for Dormitories at McGill” by Stephen Leacock (1869-1944), comedic writer, lecturer, and professor in McGill’s Department of Economics and Political Science. Reprinted from “McGill Students’ Residences” …

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McGill University Archives’ Spatial Artifacts

50 years ago, the Apollo 11 crew completed their mission. The primary objective of Apollo 11 was to perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. It would have taken 8 years for NASA to complete this goal set …

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Isabella McLennan & McLennan Travelling Libraries

Close up of writing on McGill Travelling Libraries van.

This is an excerpt from the article entitled “Isabella Christine McLennan” written by Rosemary Turpin. It was first published in Fontanus, Women in the University Issue, Vol 8 (1995). Isabella Christine McLennan, who, in spite of the fact that she …

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