A new student-organized exhibition at Bryn Mawr explores the earliest years of the College from its conception in 1872 and the laying of its foundations in 1879 to its opening in 1885 and through its first decade of operation.
A Rough Draft in Stone: Founding Bryn Mawr College, 1872-1894, the third exhibition in the Who Built Bryn Mawr? project, opens with a reception on Friday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Class of 1912 Rare Book Room.
As the exhibit makes clear, every aspect of Bryn Mawr’s campus—from the stones of its buildings to the height of its stairs—was vigorously debated and consciously designed. By “reading” the physical evidence of the built environment and examining archival documents, the student curators of the exhibit—Tessa Famatigan '24, Marion Hamilton '23, Rhian Muschett '23, and Madi Wyttenbach '23—were able to discern the founders’ formative ideologies that shaped the curriculum and residential life of the College in its earliest years. The student curators responded to the call of the Who Built Bryn Mawr? Project to tell previously marginalized and untold stories and to cast new perspectives on the institution’s origins and history.
"Doing this work was incredibly fulfilling, but it was also draining and sometimes disheartening to submerge in that history for hours a day," says Madi Wyttenbach '23 on the difficult issues of racism, classism, and sexism that the student curators encountered in the College's early history. "I don’t think there’s any right response to the College's early history. My hope is that the exhibition can provide more than an education in facts; that it can also be something the community engages with on a personal level.”
The third iteration of the Who Built Bryn Mawr? project began with the course Telling Bryn Mawr Histories taught by Alicia Walker, professor of history of art, in spring 2022. In the course, students from first years to seniors explored Bryn Mawr’s earliest years and undertook original research in the College Archives, working closely with staff in Special Collections at Bryn Mawr and Haverford.
Four students were selected to participate in the research and development of an exhibition over a 10-week summer program, co-advised by Walker and Alexis White, M.A. candidate in History of Art, in collaboration with Carrie Robbins, curator and academic liaison for art and artifacts; Allison Mills, college archivist; and Alice McGrath, senior digital scholarship specialist. In addition to working extensively in the archives of Bryn Mawr and Haverford, students drew from resources of libraries, archives, and museums throughout Philadelphia and Baltimore.
“Opportunities like Who Built Bryn Mawr? are what make our College such an exciting place to teach and learn together,” enthused Walker. “I especially value the roles that my colleagues in Special Collections have played in this program, enriching students’ academic experiences and introducing them to new intellectual and professional pathways. Over the years, Who Built Bryn Mawr? has spurred students to pursue careers in public history, library science, and archival studies. Now, more than ever, we can all appreciate the crucial role that librarians and archivists play in documenting and guiding our understanding of our collective pasts and presents.”
A Rough Draft in Stone: Founding Bryn Mawr College, 1872-1894 is on display in the Rare Books Room through December 16.
