Catholic University Special Collections

05/06/2026

Our latest blog looks at a vestment collection we recently received.

Guest author Nicholas Brown, Ph.D. is a recent doctoral graduate from Catholic University’s Department of History and Anthropology. Most of us, when we think about libraries, imagine books. (…

04/21/2026

The latest looks at the life and legacy of James Norris, alumnus and global humanitarian:

James Joseph Norris (1907-1976) was a New Jersey born alumnus of Catholic University with a renowned career as global humanitarian working with war refugees and notable as the only layman to addres…

04/20/2026

Happy birthday to the Venerable Emil Kapaun (MA, 1948):

Father Emil Kapaun, a military chaplain who died tragically as a prisoner of war in Korea in 1950, was known as “a shepherd in combat boots,” a perplexing phrase at first blush. How does one reconc…

03/23/2026

This week marks the 50th anniversary of Metro Forward, opening service on March 27, 1976!

While the Brookland-CUA Station would open 2 years later, the path to the Metro's construction and opening was a long one, involving governing officials and local activists. The The Catholic University of America community was also thrilled with the arrival of public transit to the neighborhood!

The Metrorail subway system arrived in Washington Saturday and the response was so overwhelming that prospective riders waited in lines for up to four hours to ride in trains that were often so ove…

03/19/2026

Our latest blog looks at several Pre-Columbian artifacts of the Chavín culture of South America, namely pottery pieces that represent the reverence of felines in the culture:

Predating modern cat memes by thousands of years, humans have always found a way to commemorate our feline companions. The Magner Collection showcases a few superb Pre-Columbian ceramic pottery pie…

03/10/2026

The latest blog looks at the mystery surrounding the George Washington portrait, which used to hang in Mullen Library. What is its provenance? Who painted it? And where is it currently?

To learn the answers to these mysteries:

Dear readers, do you ever look up in Mullen Library and notice a blank spot on the wall? Was anything displayed there, if ever? And if there was once something there, what happened to it? Well… The…

03/03/2026

Our latest blog is our 300th post! To commemorate this milestone, each of our staff highlighted a favorite item from the collections. From papal letters and license plates to presidential cards and rare books, check out the eclectic list:

As Special Collections at Catholic University celebrates our three hundredth blog post and eleven years with The Archivist’s Nook we reflect upon how we got here and offer a few staff favorit…

02/25/2026

Happy year of the fire horse! Per the Chinese calendar's recent shift into the lunar new year, let's talk about it! Chinese astrology cycles through 12 signs. Each cycle is represented by a different animal. There are also five elements: Water, wood, fire, earth and metal. The animals change each year. The elements change every two years.

Author Helen Ye Plehn describes the horse as being "known for freedom, enthusiasm, intelligence, and a strong drive for movement and progress."

While we have no fiery horse images or objects in our archival holdings, this (circa) midcentury b&w miniature woodcut shows a horse boldly facing the breaking dawn. The print is signed by the artist in the lower right corner. Check out our Strishock Print Collection available on our JSTOR account for even more woodcut illustrations!

https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.38511236

02/24/2026

Our latest blog considers the life of and legacy of physicist, Karl Herzfeld:

February 24 is the birthday of noted Austrian born physicist and humanitarian, Dr. Karl Ferdinand Herzfeld (1892-1978), who was also an esteemed professor at The Catholic University of America (CUA…

02/16/2026

During the spring semester 2026, Special Collections will showcase highlights from the University’s collections, reflecting on the founding and ensuing generations of Americans.

Beyond giving examples of our national history, the exhibit invites you to consider how the past 250 years are remembered and what they mean to you.

You may visit the exhibit in person in Mullen Library or follow the link below to see the online exhibit!

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the nation is looking back on its history, institutions, and peoples. During the spring semester 2026, Spec…