Spy letters written by George Washington during the American Revolution. A history of the world published in 1493. The first map depicting Long Island as an island. Photographs of Stony Brook’s original train station. These are just a few examples…
Blog Archives
From the Archives: Welcome Class of 1965
From June 5-7, graduates of the Class of 1965 will visit campus in celebration of their 50th class reunion. Special Collections and University Archives will host an open house on Saturday, June 6 for the alums, featuring an exhibit of photographs,…
From the Archives: A Library Transforms (Part I)
45 years ago, in June of 1970, the transformation of the Melville Library was underway. The original building opened in 1964 with seating for 700 students. The design was modular; the intent was to increase the footprint of the building to…
Food and China’s Silk Road: Influences to and from the West
“Food and China’s Silk Road: Influences to and from the West,” a sold-out event co-sponsored by the University Libraries, was held Wednesday, May 6, in the Charles B. Wang Center. An engaged and enthused audience of students, faculty/staff, and community members…
Rare 1897 Map of Long Island Acquired
A very rare, perhaps the first, dedicated road map of Long Island from the earliest days of the automobile has been acquired by Special Collections of the University Libraries. Published by Hyde & Company in June 1897, The Standard Road…
Posted in Maps, Special Collections & University Archives
Papers of naturalist Robert Cushman Murphy
Robert Cushman Murphy (1887-1973) was an early conservationist who concentrated his efforts on Long Island and internationally. He conducted research on DDT, which influenced Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and participated in lawsuits to ban the aerial spraying of the pesticide.…
Historic 1793 Document Conserved
A historic letter regarding the Montauk Point Lighthouse, written in 1793 and housed in Special Collections of the University Libraries, has been conserved. In the letter, dated 21 February 1793, George Clinton, the first Governor of New York, writes to…
From the Archives: President Stanley Gives SBU Memento
When Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley met with New York State Assembly Speaker and Stony Brook alum Carl Heastie in Albany on March 17, he presented Speaker Heastie with a framed copy of an archived article written about him when he…
From the Archives: Sunwood Estate
Designed by architect Katherine Budd, Sunwood was the Neo-Tudor, 40 room residence of Frank and Jennie Melville, situated on a bluff overlooking Long Island Sound in Old Field, NY. Ward Melville, the couple’s son, donated the property and more than…
Save the Date and Register – May 6: Food and China’s Silk Road
Food and China’s Silk Road: Influences to and from the West by Dr. Jacqueline M. Newman on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 1 PM in the Charles B. Wang Center Theatre. Dr. Newman will discuss the East-West cultural exchanges that…
