Happy Halloween from the Donohue Rare Book Room!
This exhibition features a selection of spooky items from the University of San Francisco’s Special Collections & University Archives. From eerily illustrated editions of Edgar Allan Poe stories to 1920s French costume designs, this display showcases an array of rare & fascinating pieces from across cultures, time periods, & USF history!
"'Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!' Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'" - "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe (1845)
Edgar Allen Poe, "The Raven: and, The Philosophy of Composition" (illustrated from paintings by Galen J. Perrett; the decorations by Will Jenkins, San Francisco: Paul Elder and Company, 1907).
Edgar Allan Poe, master of the mysterious and macabre, is a literary icon whose influence transcends time. Born in Boston in 1809, Poe's personal life was rife with tragedy, experiences which are often mirrored in his haunting stories. His works, including "The Raven," "The Black Cat," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," editions of which are all featured in this exhibit, delve into themes of madness, death, and the supernatural, taking readers on chilling explorations of the depths of the human psyche. His skill in crafting stories that evoke authentic senses of suspense and horror left an indelible mark on the literary landscape, establishing many motifs that have since become cornerstones of the horror and mystery genres. (1)
Caroline Egan, “Lone Mountain tale Haunts USF” (San Francisco Foghorn, 8 Dec. 1993, page 4).
Ghost stories have been a traditional part of the University of San Francisco campus culture for centuries. Although there is no historical evidence to support these campus legends, including the legend of Sister Agnes shown above, to this day students pass down the story of Sister Agnes to incoming freshmen as a cautionary tale about exploring Lone Mountain campus alone.
"The Don," 1984 (Housed in the University of San Francisco Archives).
This spread from the 1984 edition The Don, the University of San Francisco's student yearbook which ran from 1910 until the early 2000s, depicts students in their Halloween costumes, accompanied by witty captions written by student yearbook staff.
Georges Lepape, "Costumes de Théâtre, Ballets & Divertissements" (Paris: Éditions Lucien Vogel, 1920).
Hans Holbein, "Holbein’s Dance of Death, and Bible Woodcuts" (New York: Sylvan Press, 1947).
Drawn by Hans Holbein the Younger (the same Hans Holbein who painted the infamous portrait of Anne of Cleves for Henry the VIII), and engraved by Hans Lützelburger, Holbein's Dance of Death" is a series of illustrations, originally printed on a at 6.5 by 5 centimeters but since reprinted on a larger scale (2). While the subject of "dancing with death" was not a new one at the time in Europe, Holbein's approach to it was new. Rather than depict literal dances with skeletal aparations, Holbein's Death interrupts scenes of everyday life, reminding the viewer of the fact that one cannot predict when their hourglass will run out of sand. Holbein's Dance of Death illustrations also clearly show the general discontentedness with the Catholic Church, not an uncommon sentiment in the midst of the Protestant Reformation. Death seems to seize several members of the Catholic clergy with notable aggression, as opposed to his gentle or playful treatment of laborers and the elderly. (3)
Hartmann Schedel, "Nuremberg Chronicle/Septima etas mundi/Folium CCLXII" (Illustrations by Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff, Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 1493).
The Nuremberg Chronicle, also known as the Liber Chronicarum, is a landmark in the history of printing. Published in 1493 by German printer Anton Koberger, with the Latin text compiled by humanist Hartmann Schedel, The Nuremberg Chronicle is an encyclopedia covering the history of the world, as understood at the time. It examines a wide range of topics, from Biblical stories to contemporary events of the 15th century, and is beautifully illustrated with intricate woodcuts by Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. With its combination of detailed accounts and vivid illustrations, The Nuremberg Chronicle reflects the Renaissance spirit of intellectual curiosity and technological innovation, making it a prized artifact for historians, bibliophiles, and curators alike. (4)
“All human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde, alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil." - "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
Jim Westergard, "Oddballs: The Remarkable True Stories of Forty Unique, Strange, peculiar, Extraordinary, & Generally Odd People / told in prose and wood engravings by Jim Westergard; with an introduction by Barry Moser (Vancouver, B.C.: Heavenly Monkey, 2011).
Visual artist Jim Westergard's book Oddballs overviews the stories of forty colorful characters from across the ages, from eccentric artist Salvador Dali to self-proclaimed "Emperor of North America and Protector of Mexico" Joshua Abraham Norton. The spread above features Grigori Rasputin, also known as the Mad Monk, and a brief description of his time with the Romanov family. Although Rasputin's biography here does not discuss the "mysteriously calming" aura that he is said to have had, the portrait shows how eerily possessing Rasputin's gaze alone must have been to those who met him. (5)
Edgar Allen Poe, "The Black Cat" (Easthampton, MA: Cheloniidae Press, 1984).
"The Don", 2002 (Housed in the University of San Francisco Archives).
Much like the article of the 1993 San Francisco Foghorn featured earlier in the exhibit, this spread from the 2002 University of San Francisco Yearbook, called "The Don," brings up Sister Agnes and USF's haunted history once again. Although the story of Sister Agnes is a rather dark urban legend, this yearbooks spread uses puts a playful spin on the campus's macabre history with a little help form Photoshop.
"I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.” - Edgar Allen Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Edgar Allan Poe, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" (illustrated by Harry Clarke, New York: Brentano’s, 1923).
"The Chamber of Commerce Handbook for San Francisco: A Guide for Visitors" (Housed in the University of San Francisco Archives, 1914).
Nestled between Golden Gate Park and the Presidio, the Inner Richmond is now home to cozy residential streets, eclectic eateries, and, of course, the University of San Francisco! However, the local eateries and near-suburban setting was not always what drew visitors to the Inner Richmond. Historically, the Inner Richmond's biggest attraction were the multiple historic cemeteries!
A shown on the map above, four cemeteries were established around the base of Lone Mountain in the 1860s. Laurel Hill was built first in 1854, followed by Calvary in 1860 and Masonic and Odd Fellows in 1864. As Golden Gate Park did not open until 1870, the cemeteries served as clean, safe, and pleasant outdoor gathering spaces. They were popular locations for family outings and community gatherings. (6)
"View of Lone Mountain from Masonic Cemetery" (photograph, c. 1900).
"USF history c.1930s, site of the Masonic Cemetery" (photograph, c. 1930s).
In 1894 the city of San Francsico began to push for the removal of the four Lone Mountain cemeteries, citing the city's expanding population and development needs as the reason to have the cemeteries removed from Lone Mountain. Though some groups advocated against the eviction of the cemeteries, in 1914 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors prohibited all burials within city limits. In the 1920s, all 30 acres of the Masonic Cemetery land was purchased by the Jesuit order and became the new site for the University of San Francisco. (6)
"Laurel Hill Cemetery, Lone Mountain, San Francisco" (photograph, 1862).
Curated by Lia Sina, Special Collections & University Archives Student Assistant, and Maura Wilson, Special Collections & University Archives Department Assistant.
Virtual exhibit by Lia Sina and Maura Wilson.
References
- Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "2023: The Year in Review." Encyclopedia Britannica, December 18, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/topic/2023-The-Year-in-Review.
- "The Dance of Death." The MET, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/360011.
- Pennant-Rea, Ned. "Hans Holbein's Dance of Death (1523-5)." (The Public Domain Review, 17 April 2018), https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/hans-holbeins-dance-of-death-1523-5/#p-0-0.
- Pleydenwurff, Wilhelm Illustrator, Hartmann Schedel, and Michael Wolgemut. The Nuremberg Chronicle. [place of publication not identified: Anton Koberger for Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, -07-12, 1493] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666735/.
- Harris, Carolyn. "The Murder of Rasputin, 100 Years Later." 27 December 2016. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/murder-rasputin-100-years-later-180961572/.
- Renaud, Renee. "Cemeteries at foot of Lone Mountain." https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Cemeteries_at_foot_of_Lone_Mountain.