Volume 9 Number 2 - Archives - Syracuse University

Archives and Records ManagementFall 2010Summer Intern Contributes toPreservation of Lantern SlidesFor twelve weeks this past summer internShenae Hennagir Barkas processed morethan 700 lantern slides from three differentcollections in the Syracuse UniversityArchives. The technological precursor to35mm film, lantern slides are photographicglass plate positives that are projected ontoa wall or screen by a “magic lantern.”One small collection, owned by SUDean Eric Faigle, largely comprisesdemographic maps of Syracuse and imagesof Central New York. A small group ofslides of Brazil are from the papers of notedgeographer and SU professor Preston E.James. The larger third collection of slides,most likely created by SU geographyprofessor Thomas Cramer Hopkins,includes images of geographic features andlandscapes in the United States and otherparts of the world, such as China and Italy.The lantern slides were taken in the early20th century and likely used for classroominstruction and textbook illustration. Themajority of the slides are in black andwhite, though a few are hand-colored.Shenae digitized all the slides beforehousing them in new acid-free enclosuresand boxes. She also researched thehistorical backgrounds of the slides andtheir creators and created finding aids foreach of the collections. Says Shenae, “I’veenjoyed the opportunity to work with theselong unseen images and explore locationsand landscapes otherwise inaccessible tomy 21st century self.”Niagara Falls, c. 1900-1935[Archives Image 10-1058]Colored slide of acanyon, c. 1900-1935 [ArchivesImage 10-0990]What Sports is Really All AboutBy Ed GalvinEarlier this year Sean Kirst of the SyracusePost-Standard posted a video on syracuse.com about the story of the Cronauerbrothers—Ed and John—who were membersof the SU basketball team in the late1910s. Ed, the older brother, was about toleave for the Great War, so John, the strongerplayer, benched himself for their lasthome game so his brother could play. SUwon and went on to be named the 1917-18 Helms Foundation champions. The storydoesn’t end there though. That summerJohn Cronauer was writing a postcard tohis brother when he stopped, stood up,collapsed in his mother’s arms and died ofathlete’s heart.Sean put the Archives in touch withEd Cronauer, son of Ed who was in theWar. Before Ed Jr. and his wife, Dottie, leftCamillus, N.Y., for the west coast, I had theopportunity to meet with them and spenda wonderful hour talking about SU andtheir great family story. They kindly loanedus two scrapbooks, including the one containingthe postcard that Ed’s Uncle Johnwas writing when he died in 1918. TheArchives was able to scan that special pieceof history along with other memorabilia,including photos of John and Ed in theirbasketball uniforms and Ed’s Law Collegephotos.This is just one story of thousands thatcould be told, but as Sean Kirst says, weshould “remember what sports is reallyall about, what the essence of the gameis, and reflect on this tremendous story oflove between two brothers.”Postcard Addressed by John Cronauerto his brother Ed in 1918 (ArchivesImage 10-0517)Sean Kirst’s video story isavailable at:www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2010/03/a_talisman_of_love_loyalty_-_a.htmlHe’s Working His Way Through CollegeGiven the difficult financial times we are all facing now, itis important to note that for many SU students paying forthe benefits of a college education has never been easy. Onespecific story that came to light recently was that of StephenGabri, Class of 1940. His sister Elsie Scruggs of Massena,N.Y., wrote that because her family was poor, her brotherfound a modest room in which to stay and received a partialathletic scholarship for track and cross country while heattended SU. Luckily he was able to get his meals providedby working in the Sims Dining Hall as a waiter. In thosedays the young men who waited on tables were required towear black trousers and a heavy white linen-like jacket.Elsie donated her brother’s jacket to the Archives inMay. We were pleased to accept it not only to honor herbrother, but all those other students like him who haveworked so hard to make it through SU. They are a testamentto what makes an SU graduate something special.64Sims Hall wait staff jacket ofStephen A. Gabri ’40