Class Photograph Albums Collection, 1856-1902

Before there were yearbooks, Columbia students would collect photos of their classmates in albums. At first, these consisted only of class members, but soon, students expanded their collection of photographs to include the College president, the professors and staff, and even a selection of campus views. Students used personal albums to collect the images. Some relied on albums with photo windows; others pasted the cards directly into scrapbooks. Eventually, the albums grew into heavy volumes with elegant leather covers and gilt-edged pages. These albums can include more than just photos: commencement programs, tickets and other memorabilia have been found in these volumes. Over time, the alumni annotated their classmates' photos. There are notes, newspaper clippings, obituaries, menus, and additional photographs tucked into the albums.

The Class of 1856 was the first to produce an album. They relied on lithographs to capture the class members' likenesses. Lithographs were ideal for generating multiple copies but creating the original metal plate was expensive. The Class of 1857 did not produce a class album.

From 1858 to 1862, the class member photographs are large, salted paper prints. In fact, the Class of 1861 had a choice between cartes de visite or large photographs with either a light or a dark background. The photographer (Junius Brill) told the Class that the small photographs "are very pretty for young ladies to make picture books of, but not sufficiently dignified for 'Seniors.'" The class voted 20-5 in favor of the large photographs and 15-10 in favor of the dark background.

The Class of 1859 was the first to include the College President and professors and they were also the first to include a campus view. The albums include a photograph of the Park Place building, where the students would have spent their first two years. The building was demolished soon after Columbia moved out in 1857.

Inside of William Sabine's album (Box 86), there is a copy of the contract with a Mr. Brady of 643 Broadway to "furnish photographs of the professors and students of the Class of 1859 of Columbia College. 25 cents per copy." This was Mathew B. Brady, best known for his photographs of the Civil War battlefields.

The albums for the Classes of 1862-1877 feature cartes-de-visite, which are small albumen prints mounted on 2.5" x 4" cards. For the most part, the Classes of 1878-1890 relied on cabinet cards, which are larger albumen prints mounted on 4.5" x 6.5" cards. However, these dates are not exclusive. Some albums include both card sizes, even produced by the same studio. Students hired W. Kurtz, L. Alman & Co., Rockwood and others before the Pach Brothers became the official album photographers in 1878.

Students curated their own albums by choosing which photographs to purchase. They selected "imperials" or portraits of classmates and professors (25 cents each) and campus views (70 to 75 cents, depending on the mount). Pach Bros. would then assemble the albums and charge according to the number of pages (from 15 pages at $11 to 40 pages for $16). There is a copy of an order in box 71.

The School of Mines students adopted the class album tradition from their School of Arts (now Columbia College) peers. The earliest School of Mines album is from the Class of 1876. In their production, the Miners initially contracted different photographers, which meant that the President and the professors would have to sit twice for photographs. By 1881, both Schools relied on Pach Brothers for their albums.

The 49th Street and Madison Avenue campus is well represented in the campus views: the old College building (known affectionately as Maison de Punk), the Hamilton Hall (1880), the Library and Law School building (1883), and the Harlem River boathouse.