The JKM Library Blog

February 21, 2017

Did you know that Chatham’s literary magazine Minor Bird has flown through a few different iterations since it was first hatched in 1929? Was your interest in the graphics used for the Minor Bird piqued by the new exhibit, Objects of Study: Selections from the Artifact Collections of the
Chatham University Archives, on view at the Women’s Institute? Did you happen to see a few eyecatching illustrations of Minor Bird covers from the 1950s and 1960s in the JKM Library Newsletter and wonder if there are any more compelling visuals? Yes? Then you are in luck!
We, the staff of the Chatham University Archives, selected a handful of our very favorite Minor Bird covers and we’re thrilled to share them with you here. And, if your appetite for Minor Bird is still not quenched, you can flip through fifteen years’ worth of literary explorations by Chatham
students online through the Internet Archive!
The Minor Bird first appeared as a simple, line drawing in 1929. This logo was used until 1939.
Minor Bird front cover, June 1936
The line drawing also appeared at the top of each page.
Minor Bird, Spring 1929
After a brief stint under the umbrella of the student newspaper, the Minor Bird emerged in 1949 with
a very different look.
Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1949
Several variations on the 1949 theme were used, including this Minor Bird cover from 1950.
Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1950
Lots of change happened in the 1950s and the Minor Bird logo was no exception.
Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1951
Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1952
Minor Bird front cover, January 1955
The Minor Bird covers from the 1960’s are particularly evocative of this expressive era.
Minor Bird front cover, Winter 1967
Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1969
Minor Bird front cover, Fall 1969
Minor Bird rear cover, Fall 1969
The Chatham University Archives include numerous publications by the Chatham community, including additional issues of the Minor Bird, the Sorosis, and Faces & Places. Stop by the University Archives or contact Molly Tighe, Archivist and Public Services Librarian, for more information.

February 2017

Wasn’t Khalid Raheem’s Black History Month Lunch & Learn lecture today so thought-provoking? Did it make you curious about some of the books, events, individuals, and organizations that played a role in the history of the Black Panther party? It made us curious and we’re pleased to let you know that many of the topics discussed can be investigated further at the JKM Library. For one, the JKM Library has available for check-out the George Jackson book, Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson. Mr. Raheem’s description of Mr. Jackson’s role in the Revolutionary Prison movement was compelling and this primary source resource provides a direct view of the activist’s experiences. Click here to find the book in the JKM Library catalog. Huey Newton, whom Mr. Raheem discussed in relation to the effect of imprisonment had on the eventual splintering of the Black Panther Party, is also well represented in the JKM Library collection. Click here to listen in on Huey Newton’s conversation with Erik Erikson. There are many more volumes in the JKM collections that discuss the history and legacy of the Black Panther Party and the JKM Library staff are always happy to help you find even more resources in our collections. In fact, we were thrilled to hear Mr. Raheem discuss the Black Panther Party in Pittsburgh and in Philadelphia because we have a brand, new resource that makes Pennsylvania history research even easier! To search through online databases of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (from 1786 – 1985) and the Philadelphia Enquirer (from 1860 – 2001), just click “P” on the Databases A-Z tab and select the newspaper of your choice. From here, you can find lots of articles about the history of the Black Panther Party in our region. We’re only scratching the surface of the resources available in this post, so stop by the JKM Library and let us know if you’d like to dig a little deeper. We’re always happy to help! Thanks to the Office of Student Affairs for bringing to Chatham such a compelling speaker and social activist!