A new semester is in full swing so it seemed appropriate for your SCRC processing team to share some more new and updated finding aids! As usual, all of the following collections are available for use in the Special Collections Research Center and the finding aids are available on our website (or use the links included below).
NASA “Tape #3 EVA Suit/Glove Development” video conference, C0556
Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner
This collection consists of three recordings of an April 7, 1986 NASA video conference. The main recording is on a U-Matic tape titled “Tape #3 EVA Suit/Glove Development,” with additional copies of the same video conference on a VHS tape and an access copy on a DVD-R disc. The recording is in color, approximately 58 minutes in length, and depicts NASA officials (possibly in Washington, D.C.) and other participants “taking part via telephone during a video uplink between what appears to be three different locations. A panel of five participants is in a studio in Washington, while two others take part remotely via telephone connection. As they view films of EVA suit and glove testing spanning several years, they comment on the design merits of the suits” (“From the Back of the Vault” 2009). Collectively, Extravehicular Activity (EVA) systems refer to space suits, tools, and other support systems used for performing work or activities outside of a spaceship, both in space and on non-Earth surfaces. To this end, EVA space suits are engineered to act as both a protective barrier and life support system for the wearer, including providing temperature regulation.
Front of “Pennsylvania Railroad Tours to Washington” map, C0534
“Pennsylvania Railroad Tours to Washington” map, C0534
Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner
A single-sided map titled “Pennsylvania Railroad Tours to Washington” engraved by Allen, Lane & Scott showing railroad routes through Washington, D.C. and their proximity to hotels. The railroad lines are represented in red, with the rest of the map consisting of a black outline of Washington, D.C. streets, with an insert in the upper right corner providing a closer look at the area immediately around Capitol Hill. A Legend in the bottom left corner lists the names of the hotels indicated on the map by numbers.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was the largest of the trunkline railroads in the United States that connected states on the East Coast with those in the interior portion of the country. It was first chartered in 1846 by the Pennsylvania legislature to establish a direct rail line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh and its first passenger train began running in 1848 between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In 1856, following purchases of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railways, the railroad expanded it reach into Chicago, Illinois. Following the Civil War it continued its expansion, creating lines that reached other major cities on the east coast and beyond including New York City, St. Louis, Missouri, Cincinnati, Ohio, Norfolk, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., ultimately expanding to a 10,000 mile rail system by the early 1900s.
George Mason University Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution records, R0039
Collection processed and guide authored by Robert Vay.
The materials in this collection describe the establishment and operation of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) and its predecessor, the Center for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CCAR). During the late 1970s, faculty members at George Mason University began exploring the idea of creating an academic program focused specifically on conflict resolution. At the time, no dedicated graduate degree in conflict resolution existed anywhere in the world. In 1981, Mason established the CCAR, marking the formal beginning of the program under the leadership of Drs. Henry Barringer and Bryant Wedge. It began offering a master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in the early 1980s. In 1988, it became the first institution in the world to award PhDs in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. The center was elevated to the ICAR in 1989.
The collection is arranged into eight series. Types of materials include: memoranda, correspondence, news clippings, budgetary materials, scholarly papers, newsletters, and reports. Topics covered include the creation of conflict analysis programs at George Mason University, the Edwin and Minnie Lynch Lecture Series, conflict analysis and resolution initiatives as described by scholars at George Mason University and the creation of the United States Institute of Peace as aided by members of the faculty at George Mason. The date range of the materials is 1979-2008. The collection does not contain materials which describe any of the activities of the later iterations of CCAR and ICAR, most notably, the current Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution (2020-).
Pages from Giunta’s scrapbook containing photographs from his time stationed in Italy (left) and his wedding (right), C0558
Nicholas J. Giunta World War II and family scrapbook, C0558
Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner
Scrapbook album created by Nicholas J. Giunta (1917-2022) documenting his time serving with the U.S. Army during World War II and domestic family life following the end of the war in 1945 into the 1980s, including weddings, vacations, Giunta’s Pharmacy, and a reunion of members of the 51st Station Hospital where Giunta served as pharmacist during the war. Several of the pages throughout the album include headers, adhered to the pages using silver sticker letters and numbers, that identify major locations and time periods, including Camp Pickett, Virginia, North Africa, and Italy. The front inside cover included a bag containing Giunta’s Good Conduct Medal, Army-Navy “E” Award pin, Victory pin, and military ribbon bar with two stars. These items were placed in two smaller enclosures and stored in the box with the album. The inside back cover included a pile of loose photographs and Giunta’s War Department ID card that were removed and placed in a single folder.
“Northern Virginia Region Present and Future Population Densities” map, C0449
Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner
A single-sided map created by the Northern Virginia Regional Planning Commission titled “Northern Virginia Region Present and Future Population Densities.” The Northern Virginia Regional Planning Commission (NVRPC) began as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia on December 10, 1947. Created under the Virginia Regional Planning Act of 1944, it was composed of both elected officials and citizen appointees of the member local governments. The name was later updated to reflect the addition of Economic Development, changing to the Northern Virginia Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission (NVRP&EDC). In 1969 the commission was reorganized following the 1968 Virginia Area Development Act and renamed as the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission (NVPDC), now representing 12 counties. This map uses red and blue dots to illustrate population density in 1969, with projections of density in the 1980s and before the year 2000, in Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties. The map includes two keys, one for Population Distribution in the three indicated time periods and one Legend to use in reading the dot size as a representative of population numbers.
Front of French Revolution Assignat paper currency for 15 sols, C0537
French Revolution Assignat paper currency for 15 sols, C0537
Collection processed by Meghan Glasbrenner
A single-sided French Revolution Assignat paper currency worth 15 sols. The value is indicated at the top center of the note and in the circle at the bottom center between two female figures dressed in Classical clothing. All text is in French and this note is identified as Series 426 [Série 426]. Two round embossed seals are found on the left and right sides of the note. The paper note is placed inside a small envelope with an informational summary titled “Assignat October 1792 French Revolution” taped to the front. Assignats were the longest lasting of the paper bills issued during The French Revolution in attempts to address the country’s financial problems. Based on a monetary system where 1 livre = 20 sols, the assignats were first issued as bonds and initially meant as a way to quickly pay off the national debt. However, on April 17, 1790 the assignats were declared legal tender and the mass production of this now paper currency led to inflation and decrease in value. By 1797, the assignats were removed from circulation and replaced with the franc.
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