Emerson College Library: Distance Learning: Students: Primary Resources

Overview of Online Archives & Primary Materials

The Emerson College Archives & Special Collections (ECASC) is home to historical materials focusing on the history of the College as well as other topics - such as theater, journalism, comedy, and communication disorders - which complement the College's curriculum. These materials come in many different forms, from yearbooks to films, which can enrich your projects and assignments.

Below you will find a list of digital resources ECASC has made available online, as well as a list of useful digital resources owned by other institutions. If you have any questions please contact ECASC at 617-824-8301 or archives@emerson.edu. Click the links below to view the various digital collections listed on this page:

Online Emerson Archives Collections

Comedy & Theatre

American Comedy Archives Oral Histories
Interviews with writers, producers, and performers of comedy that were created between 2005 and 2019. Interviewees include Weird Al Yankovic, Betty White, Carlos Mencia, Steven Wright, and Diane English.
Emerson College Theatre Productions
Selected photographs, posters, programs, and playbills from theater productions held by Emerson College students, faculty, and staff from the 1900s and onward. These records were digitized by the Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts' aggregated digital library portal.
Sarah Moore Field Collection
The Sarah Moore Field Collection contains theater programs and playbills dating from the late 1880s to early 1960s. Geographically the collection spans Boston to New York, with the emphasis of the collection depicting Boston theater productions from 1900-1920. The collection was donated to Emerson College by the Sarah Moore Field Estate, North Andover, MA and was digitized by the Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts' aggregated digital library portal.
Southwick Recitals 1969-2001
With 101 seasons, The Southwick Recital Series was an Emerson tradition and one of the oldest oratory recitals in the United States. The series featured distinguished Emerson faculty and alumni/a, along with honored guest artists. We are pleased to offer newly digitized versions of the recitals ranging from 1969 to 2001.

Emerson & Student Groups History

Charles Wesley Emerson Homestead Photographs
Images from the Rochester, Vermont homestead of our founder, Charles Wesley Emerson. This collection of glass plate negative prints dates from the 1880s and depicts Emerson’s home and family, as well as the surrounding landscape.
Commencement & Promotional Videos
Graduate and undergraduate commencement programs from 2012-2017 as well as various promotional videos and documentaries created by MTP, including those about the Robbins Center, Piano Row, and Move-In Day.
EBONI Historical Documents
In April and May of 1969, Emerson’s Black Organization with Natural Interests (EBONI) submitted ten proposals to Emerson College’s then president to improve campus conditions for Black students. This collection of digitized materials offers a unique perspective into student activism and the administration's response during this turbulent time. Included in the collection are reports, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, and internal communication.
Emerson College Historical Images
Photographs highlighting life at Emerson College over the years. Offering a glimpse into the people, places, and events that make Emerson such a vibrant solution.
Emerson College Theatre Productions
Selected photographs, posters, programs, and playbills from theater productions held by Emerson College students, faculty, and staff from the 1900s and onward. These records were digitized by the Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts' aggregated digital library portal.
Emersonian Yearbooks
Emerson College yearbooks, the Emersonian, have been digitized by the Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts' aggregated digital library portal. Yearbooks range from 1908 to present day and are full-text searchable and downloadable.
Emerson Student Organization Documents 1978-2004
Selected posters and fliers from 1978-2004 documenting events and activities sponsored by Emerson College student organizations, Amigos, Asian Students for Intercultural Awareness (ASIA), and Emerson's Black Organization With Natural Interests (EBONI).
Expression Magazine 2001-2018
Expression Magazine is Emerson College's alumni magazine. We have made the magazines from the years 2001-2018 available online. They discuss events at the College, alumni activities, and other historical and current matters.
Southwick Recitals 1969-2001
With 101 seasons, The Southwick Recital Series was an Emerson tradition and one of the oldest oratory recitals in the United States. The series featured distinguished Emerson faculty and alumni/a, along with honored guest artists. We are pleased to offer newly digitized versions of the recitals ranging from 1969 to 2001.

Journalism

Little Building News
From 1922 to 1925, The Little Building even published its own newspaper, The Little Building News. Known as the "City Under One Roof," the Little Building was built in 1917 and was considered one of the finest office buildings of the World War One era. Now one of our beloved dormitories, the Little Building was once home to offices, a shopping arcade, restaurants and even a post office. Digitization of The Little Building News has been made possible thanks to the Digital Commonwealth.
Expression Magazine 2001-2018
Expression Magazine is Emerson College's alumni magazine. We have made the magazines from the years 2001-2018 available online. They discuss events at the College, alumni activities, and other historical and current matters.

Select Online Collections of Primary Resources

AAS Historical Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Compiled by the American Antiquarian Society, this collection of historic news sources covers a wide range of topics including agriculture, art, business, industry, education, entertainment, science and medicine, religion, family life, literature, politics, and women’s studies. 1684-1912
Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
A collection of American newspapers, magazines, and other primary source materials, mostly from the 19th century, but with some 18th century items. Newspapers and magazines include The Liberator, the Virginia Gazette, Pennsylvania Gazette, Godey's Lady's Book, and a selection of African American newspapers. Books include a collection of county histories, Civil War memoirs and regimental histories, and more.

American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration and Settlement
Contains more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness accounts of North American exploration, from the sagas of Vikings in Canada in AD1000 to the diaries of mountain men in the Rockies 800 years later. Provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Avalon Project at Yale Law School
Primary source materials in the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government

Black Freedom Struggle in the US This link opens in a new window
Provides a collection of selected primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. These sources document the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S. – and the fights against it. Provided freely by ProQuest.

Digital Collections - Library of Congress (LoC)
From the historical collections of the Library of Congress. Find primary documents about military history, presidential letters and speeches, films, photographs and posters. Also see what happened on any day in history.
Digital Schomburg
From The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, this project makes available images, finding aids, and special collections.
Federal Depository Library Program Guides
Subject guides for various topics, including U.S. wars, art, architecture, U.S. treaties, etc. Each guide includes links to original U.S. documents and other related resources.
Foreign Relations of the United States - Univ. of Wisconsin
The official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication.

Daily Life Through History This link opens in a new window
Descriptions of daily life in different cultures from prehistory to the present. Choose era, geography, or event. Includes primary source documents.

In The First Person
Indexing of more than 2,500 collections of oral history from around the world, including more than 260,000 pages of full text. Covers 20th Century.
LIFE Photo Archive
"Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google."
Making of America - Cornell
"....a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology."
Making of America - University of Michigan
"At the University of Michigan, approximately 1,600 books and ten journals with imprints primarily between 1850 - 1877 were selected, scanned, and made available through the present system."
National Security Archive
An independent non-governmental research institute and library, the Archive collects and publishes declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Archive also serves as a repository of government records.
NYPL Digital Gallery
"Provides free and open access to over 700,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more."