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This collection consists primarily of academic robes and hoods of various Columbia professors and administrators, especially those given to these individuals for honorary degrees at other universities. The collection also contains some other textile materials, including the Women's Banner or Butler Library Banner (in two parts), Columbia College banners and flags, and some crew sweaters. Additional textiles can be found in the University Artifacts Collection (UA#0016).

Correspondence, notes, and manuscripts including items that relate to most of Agnew's professional activities, are especially rich in materials that deal with the treatment of eye diseases during the latter half of the 19th century. An interesting sidelight of the collection is a group of finely detailed woodblocks and steel plates that Agnew used to illustrate his published articles.

This collection includes letters from members of the academic community at Columbia and elsewhere, former students, Columbia College alumni, members of the Van Amringe family, and friends. These letters deal with the official, alumni, and personal matters. There are two letter books for 1894 when he was Dean of Columbia's School of Arts (later known as Columbia College, the undergraduate school). The manuscripts include holograph and typescript copies of speeches made by Van Amringe at various Columbia functions, at alumni affairs, and at meetings of civic, charitable, and academic organizations; course notebooks while he attended Columbia College; diaries of daily appointments, 1909-1914; intimate prose and poetry written by Van Amringe and members of his family; a pencil sketchbook and notebook containing three plays by his daughter Emily Bulow Van Amringe. The collection includes numerous clippings, brochures, invitations, and other Columbia and personal memorabilia.