A Quick Peek into the History of the Minor Bird

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Did you know that Chatham’s literary magazine Minor Bird has flown through a few different iterations since it was first hatched in 1929?  Was your interest in the graphics used for the Minor Bird piqued by the new exhibit, Objects of Study: Selections from the Artifact Collections of the Chatham University Archives,  on view at the Women’s Institute?  Did you happen to see a few eye-catching illustrations of Minor Bird covers from the 1950s and 1960s in the JKM Library Newsletter and wonder if there are any more compelling visuals?  Yes?  Then you are in luck!

We, the staff of the Chatham University Archives, selected a handful of our very favorite Minor Bird covers and we’re thrilled to share them with you here.  And, if your appetite for Minor Bird is still not quenched, you can flip through fifteen years’ worth of literary explorations by Chatham students online through the Internet Archive!

The Minor Bird first appeared as a simple, line drawing in 1929.  This logo was used until 1939.

Minor Bird front cover, June 1936

The line drawing also appeared at the top of each page.

Minor Bird, Spring 1929

After a brief stint under the umbrella of the student newspaper, the Minor Bird emerged in 1949 with a very different look.

Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1949

Several variations on the 1949 theme were used, including this Minor Bird cover from 1950.

Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1950

Lots of change happened in the 1950s and the Minor Bird logo was no exception.

Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1951

 

Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1952

 

Minor Bird front cover, January 1955

The Minor Bird covers from the 1960’s are particularly evocative of this expressive era.

Minor Bird front cover, Winter 1967

 

Minor Bird front cover, Spring 1969

 

Minor Bird front cover, Fall 1969

 

Minor Bird rear cover, Fall 1969

The Chatham University Archives include numerous publications by the Chatham community, including additional issues of the Minor Bird, the Sorosis, and Faces & Places.  Stop by the University Archives or contact Molly Tighe, Archivist and Public Services Librarian, for more information.

 

 

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