Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

From the Archives: A Winter Scene

January 15th, 2018

Winter break is over and classes are back in session, but Purdue’s campus still looks like a winter wonderland.  Students have been trekking through snow to travel between their classes, dorms, and activities, just as they always have.  The features in this photograph are no longer part of the campus landscape, but can you identify what campus landmarks appear here and approximately when the image was taken?  Take a close look and share your theories in the comments.  The full story of this scene will be revealed on Friday.

UPDATE:

This picture of campus, circa 1909, shows students walking across The Oval along the hedge walk toward Ladies Hall. The Oval still exists today as Memorial Mall, but the hedge walks that used to circle The Oval have long since been removed.  Here’s another view of that scene during warmer weather:

Ladies Hall, also known as Art Hall, was the women’s dorm and for many years the site of home economics and art classes.  Its unusual architectural style and ivy-covered walls stood out among the traditional brick buildings on the rest of campus, making it a popular subject of campus imagery like the postcard below.  Ladies Hall stood along State Street on the site of what is now Founders Park between Matthews Hall and Stone Hall.  It was demolished in 1927.

This snowy photograph and many other views of Purdue student life in the 1900s can be found in the photo album of Loretta Mae Wallace, available online in e-Archives.

We’ll be back on January 29 with our next From the Archives mystery photo.