Our books on netting are among Elaine’s favorites, particularly because she was given her mother-in-law’s netting needle.  At one time, netting was a major industry for coastal Maine.  Techniques were used create and repair fishermen’s nets and glass float bags, and also for lace and many other decorative handicrafts.  Books within our collections on this […]

Last year, a diligent researcher asked whether the Great Northern Paper Company Records included anything about a group of Tibetan workers who had been recruited in 1967 to be trained as loggers in the Maine woods. The Great Northern Paper Company Records have been one of our most popular collections for several years, but as […]

Matthew’s current favorite is this replica 1960 UMaine sports jacket donated by the University of Maine Alumni Association. This thick wool jacket is both retro cool and would do a good job of keeping out the cold of a Maine winter. While collecting for the University Archive is focused primarily on written or printed records, […]

When thinking on our favorites, Elaine wanted to be sure to highlight one of Raymond F. Vigue’s models, like this 1947 Air Propelled Sled. Vigue was born in Winslow, Maine in 1913 and worked in the lumber industry until 1951. He then worked for Mack Trucks designing highly specialized machines and trailers used in off-highway […]

Although the Iron Works had ceased production many years before, lumber crews and tourists still required transportation to the area. This ingenious one-of-a-kind solution was a Ford automobile fitted with rail wheels and a special cab. This is a great example of Maine ingenuity. This photograph is available for download in DigitalCommons@UMaine and is part […]

Nineteenth century women’s diaries provide documentation of women’s thoughts about their lives and the world around them, an important counterweight to more impersonal government records or personal records kept by men. Quite rare until about 1830, even the smallest diary can provide a glimpse into the life of the diarist and those around her. One […]

Elaine wishes more people knew about our town report collection. For many towns, we hold reports from the early 1800s to present, making this a great resource for exploring the history of any town in Maine.  Library staff members here and at the Maine State Library have been writing to towns to request their annual […]

Matthew says of his favorite, “While processing a folder that had been titled ‘general correspondence’ of former university president Abram Harris I came across this hidden gem, a 1897 letter from Booker T. Washington to Harris. It’s rewarding to feel like researchers might now be able to more easily find this particular letter which has […]

One of Beth’s favorites is a photograph taken by Bert Call of swimmers gathered on driftwood at St. Albans, Maine.  She explains, “Upon moving back to Maine and starting to work in the Special Collections department, I took the opportunity to browse through some of the online collections. This photo reminds me of how summer […]

Paul says this photo of Johnny Cash performing Johnny B. Goode with Stephen King showcases not only one of UMaine’s most famous graduates, it also emphasizes that over the years, UMaine has always hosted first rate entertainment. This photograph appeared on the front page of the November 3, 1987 issue of Maine Campus, available for […]