All posts by Josue Hurtado

Visions in Motion: The Eva Gholson Papers, 1975-1999. Philadelphia Dance Collection

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This month’s pop-up exhibit in the SCRC Reading Room recognizes Black History Month by highlighting the Papers of Eva Gholson, the first Black women to train at the Merce Cunningham studio in the 1960’s. The Eva Gholson Papers provide a glimpse into Gholson’s career as a professor of dance studies at Temple University, her years with Sybil Dance Company, and the Philadelphia dance scene for a small modern dance troupe during the mid-1970s to the early-1990s.

Gholson earned a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Bard College and an MFA in dance education at Sarah Lawrence College. Gholson also trained as a pianist, graduating from the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a focus on piano theory and violin. She was a professor of dance studies at Temple University from 1972 to 2011. Gholson was also a founding member, artistic director, and choreographer for Sybil Dance Company. Gholson’s choreography was performed not only by Sybil Dance Company but also PHILADANCO!, Philadelphia Civic Ballet, Temple University dance students, various other college dance programs dance companies around the world.

During her career in choreography Gholson created over fifty original works in the modern dance style.  Her choreography has been described by various critics as flowing, natural, lyrical, earthy, spiritual, intense, passionate, and formal. As an educator, artistic director, and choreographer, Gholson was recognized for her work in dance with a 1988 award from the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum. In 2004, Gholson published Image of the Singing Air: Presence and Conscience in Dance and Music Collaboration, which combined her personal perspective with her knowledge of music and dance theory.

A selection of ephemera from performances Gholson choreographed is on display in the SCRC Reading room this month.

Portraits of Philadelphia: Photographs by Joseph V. Labolito and Jim MacMillan, 1981-2023

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This year’s fall exhibit explores the images of two photographers, Joseph V. Labolito Photographic Prints and Collections – Joseph V. Labolito and Jim MacMillan Jim MacMillan – Journalist, educator and social innovator in Philadelphia, as they travelled around Philadelphia, photographing unique human experiences and fleeting moments in the city. This exhibit runs from November 13, 2023 to March 2024 in the exhibit space of Temple University’s Charles Library. More information about an opening reception is to follow.

Joseph V. Lobalito

Joseph V. Labolito’s career in photography began in 1977. For the past 27 years he has worked at Temple University as a senior photographer. Labolito documented the areas where he grew up and the places he frequented, capturing a deeply personal and authentic representation of Philadelphia, from the 1980s through the 2000s. Labolito describes his work as,

“a tribute to the city that has shaped me, the people who call it home, and the enduring spirit of Philadelphia. Through these photographs, I hope to share the beauty and resilience of this city with the world, inviting viewers to journey through time and celebrate the progress and evolution of Philadelphia.”

3644 North Broad Street
May 25, 1986
Photo by Joseph V. Labolito

Jim MacMillan is the founder and director of the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting and its parent organization, the Initiative for Better Gun Violence Reporting, as well as assistant direct of the Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting at Klein College. During his photojournalism career, MacMillan spent 17 years at the Philadelphia Daily News and worked for The Associated Press in Boston and in Baghdad during the war in Iraq, for which his team was awarded The Pulitzer Prize. MacMillan says of his work,

Jim MacMillan

“every opportunity to take pictures on the streets of Philadelphia and tell the stories of our neighbors and neighborhoods has felt like an incredible privilege. Photographing activists in action during street-level protests and demonstrations has always felt like a special honor as we exercise our First Amendment rights together in the city where our nation was born.”

Peace protesters march down North Broad Street Saturday. Police estimated that ten thousand demonstrators marched in Philadelphia Saturday against war with Iraq.  
February 15, 2003
Philadelphia Daily News photo by Jim MacMillan

You can register to attend this event here.

-–Ann Mosher, BA II, SCRC

Popup Exhibit: The Life and Times of Hooter T. Owl and the Temple T.

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On August 1, Temple unveiled a new athletics logo to replace the former mark created over 30 years ago. Acknowledging the university’s mascot, athletic traditions, and the legacy of Temple, the new logo draws its inspiration from the past while looking toward the future.

The owl has been Temple’s symbol and mascot since its founding in 1884, when it was still a night school, thus the “night owl” moniker. In 1977, the university held a “Name the Owl Contest.” Victor E. Owl I, was the winner selected among over 1000 entries. Stephany Gustauskas, secretary to the associate provost, won the contest and the prize included an autographed football signed by the team and coaches, tickets to the last game played at Veterans Stadium and an invitation to the Football Banquet Dinner. In 1983, Temple held another contest to name the new mascot, Victor’s descendent, with the winner receiving a 19” portable color television. The winning name, Hooter, was introduced during a Temple vs. Dayton basketball game on January 17, 1984. Hooter was joined briefly in the mid-2000’s by T-Bird and Baby Owl.

Just as the Temple “T”, created by graphic design students in Tyler’s School of Art and Architecture in 1983 was Temple made, so was the new owl logo designed by Joe Basack, a former Tyler graduate.  Basack collaborated with students Associate Professor Bryan Satalino’s senior capstone course in graphic and interactive design to create the new branding. The diamond shape, an iconic symbol recalling Temple founder Russell Conwell’s “Acres of Diamonds” speech, has been added to the Temple T along with the updated owl.

In this month’s Pop-Up exhibit are displayed some of the past logos, and various adaptations of Hooter T. Owl, and the Temple T.

-–Ann Mosher, BA II, SCRC

Advertising the Bicentennial: The Martin Ezra Papers

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In 1976, Philadelphia’s Bicentennial celebration, celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, showcased all the city had to offer.

Image of Ortlieb’s Beer Welcome Map
Cans of Ortlieb’s Beer, brewed in Philadelphia, were illustrated by national artists depicting scenes from Revolutionary times and sold at the Bicentennial.

On December 31, 1975, New Year’s Eve, the first of the Bicentennial-themed events occurred when thousands came out to watch the Liberty Bell be transported from Independence Hall to a new pavilion on Independence Mall. Daily events from January to October, included street performers, concerts, and puppet shows. The week leading up to July 4 was renamed ‘Freedom Week’ and featured even more celebrations throughout the streets of Philadelphia, including a 2076 time capsule buried at Second and Chestnut Streets, a 50,000 pound Sara Lee birthday cake served at Memorial Hall, and numerous fireworks displays.

Photograh of 7" record and cover "Voices of '76"
Voices of ’76 Record

The ceremonies on Indpendence Mall opened On July 4, 1976, with actor Charlton Heston serving as master of ceremonies, and attended by President Gerald Ford, Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp, and Mayor Frank Rizzo. A five-hour parade followed which featured floats from every state. On July 6, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip presented to the city a Bicentennial Bell produced in the same foundry as the original Liberty Bell. In total, an estimated two million visitors attended the events.

Publisher Martin Ezra’s Bicentennial Newsletter created to publicize regional plans for the bicentennial, and to raise interest and involvement in the various programs and celebrations. Among this collection of papers, held in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC), are files of information from each state delegation describing their involvement in the Bicentennial, as well as photographs and ephemera related to the festivities. A plethora of souvenirs and other items were also created to sell during the festivities, which Ezra also collected. A selection of the advertisements, merchandise, and other materials from this collection are on display in the exhibit case in the SCRC reading room during the month of July.

Image of "The Fourth of July Bicentennial Coloring Book"
The Fourth of July Bicentennial Coloring Book

-–Ann Mosher, BA II, SCRC