Cullom-Davis Library - Bradley University

Happy Holidays!
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This 1920s Milton Bradley game features a two-sided board- one side for baseball and one for checkers. The players aimed to score more runs and thus win the game.

The cover artwork originally appeared on a 1911 version of the game by McLoughlin Brothers, a company that Milton Bradley acquired in 1920.

Visit the library's second floor to see a display of Bradley-related COVID-19 artifacts. Since returning to campus, the Special Collections staff has sought items related to the pandemic experience on campus in order to preserve them for future generations. Contact Special Collections if you are interested in contributing to the COVID-19 oral history or digital collection projects

Come check out our display for National Hispanic Heritage Month!

Homecoming on the Hilltop

Check out Special Collections' latest exhibit - Homecoming on the Hilltop - on display in the Library Atrium until Oct. 5. Students can scan the QR code at the exhibit to participate in The First 1897 Challenge. The exhibit covers the ever-evolving history of Bradley homecoming, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

From Bradley's Special Collections Center, this book, Made Up, by Ellen Knudson features diagrams of fictitious human cells. Knudson is a book artist and graphic designer who has taught at various American universities.

Special Collections team in their First Gen duds.

Come check out our new book display!

Today's Special Collections Book Arts feature is "How We Lost the Mermaid's Song", written and illustrated by Frances Watson and bound by Jace Graf. Watson used linocut to bring the story of the mermaid to life.

Streets of Bradley

Clarissa Court marks another street named for a member of the Bradley family. Daughter of Tobias and Lydia, Clarissa died December 19, 1847, at just 4 years old. Tragically, her death followed two weeks after the death of her younger brother Tobias. The devastating loss of her children motivated Lydia to establish a school in their memory - Bradley University.

Streets of Bradley

Since the earliest days of Bradley University, St. James Street has led visitors straight to the entrance of Bradley Hall. Throughout the years, the street bordered the on-campus athletic field and witnessed the transformation of the gymnasium into the Hartmann Center for Performing Arts. With the construction of Campustown, St. James Street was moved slightly to meet up with the newly created S-curve in University Street. In 1999, the street played a role in campus growth once again when the first students moved into the St. James Place apartment complex (see aerial photo below).

Streets of Bradley

Haussler Lane is named in honor of former Bradley University executive secretary, Dr. A.G. Haussler. Previously known as Glenwood Avenue as laid out in last week's post, Haussler Lane gained its designation following the razing of original namesake Haussler Hall in 2011. Pictured below is Dr. A.G. Haussler at the 1974 groundbreaking of the building named in his honor and Haussler Hall itself in 2003.

Streets of Bradley

Named for Tobias Bradley, the husband of Bradley University founder Lydia Moss Bradley, Tobias Lane forms a cul-de-sac between the Cullom-Davis Library, Westlake Hall, and the Markin Center. Prior to construction of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center, the street, previously named Glenwood Avenue, cut through campus and also included what is now known as Haussler Lane.

Bradley University founder Lydia Moss Bradley and her husband Tobias Bradley tragically lost all of their children before they reached adulthood. The oldest living child, Laura Bradley, died of an illness at the age of 14. Laura Avenue, a street adjacent to Bradley's campus in the Arbor District, was named in her honor. Nearby Rebecca Place carries the name of the Bradleys' first child, born in 1839 and died in 1845 prior to the family settling in Peoria.

The face of Elmwood Avenue has changed with the expansion of Bradley's campus. Built in 1908, Hewitt Hall, now the Hartmann Center, was the first campus building bordered by Elmwood Avenue. Prior to the mid-1960s, the street ended at St. James Street near Bradley's athletic field. Today, the Michel Student Center, the Visitors Center, several dormitories, and Olin, Sisson and Constance halls line the street.

Streets of Bradley

Originally named Fuller Avenue, Fredonia Avenue was renamed in the late 1880s in honor of Fredonia, NY, the home city of the Fredonia Watch Company. After purchasing that company, the Peoria Watch Company built a new factory building that later housed Bradley's manual arts department. In 1956, the Bradley University Board of Trustees voted to convert the 1300 block of Fredonia into "Fraternity Row". The street continues to house the majority of Greek life on Bradley's campus to this day. The attached photo shows Kaboom! in the Homecoming Parade along Fredonia Avenue in 2019.

In this series of posts, Special Collections will feature the history behind a variety of street names on or near the Bradley University campus.

North Duryea Place runs in front of the Caterpillar Global Communication Center. Following the construction of an S-curve near Campustown, the city began searching for a new name for the then 600-900 blocks of North University Street. Bradley University suggested the name Duryea in honor of the name's history in Peoria and on campus as the name of the now razed manual arts building.

Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea grew up in Central Illinois and later built the first gasoline-powered engine in the United States. The photograph depicts Charles E. Duryea next to the Peoria Duryea Motor Trap built in his barn on Barker Avenue.

May the fourth be with you.

The Special Collections Center is gathering artifacts to capture the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the Bradley University campus. Special Collections will preserve these items for future use. If you have any material that might fit in such a collection, please email us at [email protected].
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Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

Born in Peoria in 1865, Frederick E. "Fritz" Triebel acquired a passion for marble work from his father Otto, who created many monuments for the community. As a teenager, Fritz studied sculpture in Chicago, New York, and Boston. In 1884, Fritz moved to Florence, Italy, to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating, he remained in Italy to work as a professional sculptor. Fritz Triebel created many monuments for the United States government as well as several governments in Europe. His works, such as the Lincoln bust shown here and currently on display in the Special Collections Center, endure not only in Peoria, but also in National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., and at the Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee.

The sun is setting on another beautiful spring day on campus. 🌸🌙

Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

A 1950 Bradley graduate, William F. Hardin founded Hardin Signs in 1967. The family-owned company endured just short of 50 years, designing, creating, and installing signs for local businesses. When not working, Hardin enjoyed painting portraits. He painted many well-known Peorians, including several Bradley University presidents and professors. The portrait here features Dr. Martin Abegg, who served as Bradley's president from 1971 through 1992

Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

Nita Sunderland served as an art professor at Bradley University from 1956 to 1988. A renowned sculptor and one of the first female sculpture professors in the country, Sunderland grew up in Newton, Illinois, and passed away in July 2020. The Library Art Collection is home to seven of her pieces, including several featuring masked figures - a prominent theme for her work.

Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

Born in Idaho in 1914, Adelaide Cooley studied at Stephens College and the University of Wisconsin before moving to Peoria with her husband after World War II and attending Bradley University as a graduate student. In addition to her art, Cooley participated in several local art societies and wrote several publications about other Peoria artists. A collector and ardent supporter of the arts, she championed public art in the city of Peoria.

Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

Born in Decatur, Preston Jackson studied art at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale before attending the University of Illinois for his Master's degree. He is a professor emeritus at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jackson works primarily in bronze and steel sculpture, but also paints. Drawing inspiration from history, many of his pieces focus on the African American experience. Four of his bronze pieces are on display at the Cullom-Davis Library.

We are hosting a Q&A with Dr. Rita Ali and Mariah Cooley on local activism! Dr. Rita Ali is a proud Bradley alum, Vice President of Workforce and Diversity at ICC, and is one of two remaining candidates in the 2021 Peoria mayoral race. Mariah Cooley is an undergraduate at Howard University and co-founder of Young Revolution Peoria. Join us to discuss relevant issues and learn how YOU can make lasting change!

Congratulations to the Bradley Women's Basketball Team on earning the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Women's basketball at Bradley dates back to 1904 when Bradley Polytechnic Institute's Athletic Board launched a basketball program. At that time, the team played against other schools in Peoria. Best of luck to this year's team as they travel to Texas for the NCAA Tournament. Go Braves!

Illinois Artists in the Library Art Collection

An art professor, Ken Hoffman taught at Bradley University from 1969 through his retirement in 2004. Hoffman graduated with both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the San Francisco Art Institute. Many of his paintings focus on animals with human qualities, such as the piece titled Monkey Woman on display as part of the Library Art Collection.