As part of Stevenson University’s commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001, the Archives and Library at Stevenson have mounted an exhibit featuring a unique collection of New York Times pages from September of that year. The exhibit, “An outpouring of sentiment: Advertisements from the New York Times in the wake of 9/11″ which features eight full-page advertisements, opens on Tuesday September 2, 2014, on the second floor of Stevenson University’s Greenspring campus library.

In the days following 9/11, the New York Times published a number of condolence notices from foreign countries and large corporations. They appeared as full-page advertisements. The ads sought to honor those whose lives had been sacrificed, to signify solidarity in the face of terror, and to pledge never to forget the events of that day.

Even thirteen years after the attack the pages still evoke strong emotions. The text, imagery, and layout of the advertisements deliver heartfelt messages rarely seen in the advertising of contemporary newspapers. The pages remain the same as the day on which they were ripped from the New York Times: yellowed, creased, with the jagged edges that once joined one page to another. They exhibit the all too familiar translucent appearance of thin newsprint. Pages that allowed readers to glimpse the shadows of what was printed on the other side. For those who lived through those days the look of the pages reinforce the authenticity of their testimony.

Provided to Stevenson University by the former Dean of Villa Julie College, Rose Dawson, the documents are part of the much larger Rose Dawson Collection at Stevenson University. Dean Dawson specifically donated the 9/11 pages to the Archives at Stevenson University in hopes that students and professors would make use of them as part of their Stevenson education. This exhibit continues the commitment of the Archives to actively using its holdings to support education of the Stevenson student body.

The exhibit will run from September 2-12 in Stevenson’s library on its Greenspring Valley campus located at 1525 Greenspring Valley Road, Stevenson, MD 21153.

The library is open:

  • Monday-Thursday from 8:00 AM- 10 PM
  • Friday from 8:00 AM -6:00 PM
  • Saturday from 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM.
  • Sunday: Closed