"Scrapped!" A century of Middlebury scrapbooks on display in Davis Family Library
Join us on Friday, February 21st at 3pm for an opening reception in the Davis Family Library atrium!
Curated by Ambar Vasquez-Mitra ‘25 and Yvette Fordjour ‘26, designed by Ambar Vasquez-Mitra ‘25, with additional support from Joseph Watson and Special Collections staff. On display in the Davis Family Library atrium and in Special Collections.
The art of scrapbooking, which dates back to the Middle Ages, has evolved into an innovative and personal way of preserving memories. At Middlebury, students have embraced this craft for well over a century, with the earliest scrapbooks in the archives dating back to the late 1800s.
The scrapbooks in this exhibit provide insight into student life, popular culture, and milestones from decades past. In an age where digital media and platforms like Instagram and Facebook are prevalent, scrapbooks offer a tangible, physical record of experiences that invite reflection on what Middlebury students once deemed worthy of preserving.
While exploring the pages of these scrapbooks, you’ll see themes of community, celebration, and self-expression on campus that have transcended time and reflections of the changing ways in which the definition of a “Midd Kid” has been captured and reinvented. Through these distinct and shared experiences, we invite you to think about the timeless nature of memory-making and the creativity each generation uses to tell its story.
Ambar Vasquez-Mitra ‘25 is a History major and Museum Studies and Portuguese minor. She has worked in Special Collections as a Student Associate and Oral History Intern.
Yvette Fordjour ‘26 is an English and Black Studies double major who started working in Special Collections after a visit during Alumni of Color Weekend. This Spring semester, they are studying away at Spelman College.
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