February was a busy month in the University of Saskatchewan Archives and Special Collections. The biggest thing we had on our plate was finishing up the processing of some of our most recent acquisitions in time for appraisals, which we accomplished successfully.

Also this month, UASC has been involved in:

* The Heritage Festival of Saskatoon : On February 2, 2014, UASC staff were happy to set up a small table at the annual Heritage Festival held at the Western Development Museum , where we offered glimpses into the University’s past via a selection of Greystone Yearbooks and quite old copies of the Sheaf.

* SCAA Archives Week 2014: February 2nd through 8th saw the annual celebration of archives in Saskatchewan. On February 5th, University of Saskatchewan archival and special collections materials–along with materials from other Saskatchewan archives– were used in a series of celebrity readings held at a new venue, The Bassment.

We also recently put together a display honouring the late Saskatchewan writer Gertrude Story, whose books and papers are held at the University of Saskatchewan Archives and Special Collections.  We were especially pleased to have the opportunity to share this small exhibit with her family, who took the time to visit towards the end of the month.

What would you like to see for our next display? We are always open to feedback, and are keen to bring to light any articles of interest that might be found within our holdings. To get an idea of the range of things we have available, check out our Manuscripts and Archival Collections page.

For those who are interested, these recently acquired and recently processed private collections include:

*MG 386: Beach Family fonds – This fonds relates to the lives of an atypically academic and well-travelled Canadian family, for two generations, from 1916 on.

*MG 262: William Deverell fonds- The papers of author, journalist, lawyer, and NDP politician David Smith offer an array of research materials in all of these areas.

*MG 445: Terry Fenton fonds – Fans of abstract art, Canadian art, and landscape paintings should take the time to visit the Terry Fenton collection, which contains exhibition catalogues, photographs, and examples of art by a variety of artists from the fifties all the way to present. This is also a good resource for those wanting to know more about the Emma Lake workshop.

*MG 443: Allan Gonor fonds – Any true fan of aboriginal artist Allen Sapp will appreciate this collection of the papers of his long-time friend and fan, as well as former RCAF pilot, Allan Gonor.

*MG 440: Gerhard Herzberg fonds and MG 441 Luise Herzberg fonds –  Come visit these collections to get an inside view of the lives of a family of engineers uprooted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

*MG 444: Doris Hillis fonds- For anyone with an interest in Saskatchewan writers, Doris Hillis’ collection proves a treasure trove of information–biographical materials, photographs, and writing samples from many of the province’s best. Also, puppets.

*MG 251: Glenis Joyce fonds – Those interested in studying equity issues–with a particular focus on pay and employment equity, affirmative action, women`s rights and academic freedom will find Joyce’s papers of use.

*MG 442: John Peter “Jack” Zepp fonds – One of Saskatchewan’s most beloved folk artists, this collection does not fail to showcase both the man himself and his art.

If you would like to view any of these, shoot us an e-mail at ua.sc@usask.ca