Oberlins new book turns college memorabilia into a work of art

Book encased made with an embossed red twill slipcase — Oberlin College & Conservatory's new photographic essay about the school's history, published by College Green, comes encased an embossed red twill slipcase.

(Image credit: Oberlin College & Conservatory)

It's not often that university memorabilia catches our eye, but when Oberlin College & Conservatory's oversized offering arrived cloth-bound and encased in an embossed twill slipcase, we knew we were in for a treat. By enrolling publishers College Green, photographer Jonathan Glynn-Smith and writer Guy Evans to tell the story of Oberlin in a photographic essay, the US school has dramatically raised the grade.

Printed on fine art paper, with hand-inserted 'vellum' pages, the tale of this arts, science and music school is a surprisingly compelling one. In the 1830s, the college and surrounding colony began to rise amid a forgotten stretch of forest in America's Midwest. Buildings were carved out of swathes of beech and maple, and roads had to be built from scratch. 'The avowed aim of John Jay Shipherd and Philo Stewart - Oberlin's founding fathers - was to build this better world, a utopian community, as far away as possible from the madding metropolitan crowd,' says Evans.

In this 'benign bubble away from the rest of the world', radical history was made. The college was the first US school to grant bachelor degrees to women in a co-ed environment and was one of the first to admit African American students. And the college has always been known for nurturing free thinkers. 'Oberlin draws the creative, the overstimulated, the passionate, and puts them together for four years to marinate,' says Oberlin alumni Avital Isaacs in the book.

Whether or not its story resonates with its reader, the tome can't fail to entice with its striking mix of contemporary and archive imagery, and unusual presentation. The school and surrounds comprise a satisfying mix of architectural styles - 'I am for messy vitality over unity', said architect Robert Venturi, who designed the striking postmodern annex of the campus' Allen Lane Art Center - which is vividly captured on these pages.

In tribute to the community's eclectic architecture - on South Main Street, for example, the 1950s functionalism of the Oberlin Inn is juxtaposed with the surprisingly delicate concrete curves of the Hall Auditorium - the fabric cover of the book is printed with abstract angular windows, offering a view of the campus from the inside out.

There's also a smattering of pictures of alumni and some of their output, including eye-catching poster art. Meanwhile, 23 hand-inserted 'skins' printed on translucent paper bear evocative quotes. Wrote Carla White Freyvogel, from the class of 1979: 'I can still feel those days in my bones - the clear light of summer and the early fall, the slickness of damp leaves in November, the crazy cold of January and February'. Flick through the book's pages, and you begin to feel them too.

The cloth-bound book features 468 pages of beautiful images from the US college's archives and contemporary photographs . The cover is printed with an image of angular windows, looking out onto Oberlin's campus.

An aerial photograph of Tappan Square and Wilder Bowl, autumn 1975; Oberlin signage, circa 1960s.

A historic elm at the corner of College and Main Streets, 1959; Hand-inserted, translucent vellum pages intersperse the book, printed with evocative quotes from alumni.

Scenes from Oberlin.
*Jonathan Glynn-Smith for College Green (JGS/CG);*

Forgotten stretch of land in the Midwest — The college and surrounding colony were founded in the 1830s on a forgotten stretch of land in the Midwest, far away from the madding crowd.

Pictures and posters documenting the anti slavery movement in Oberlin.

Photo of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 and 64 — Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 and 64, and a vellum sheet printed with a quote from the man himself about his experiences at Oberlin: 'I can never come to this campus without a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for all that this great institution has done for the cultural, political and social life of our nation...' he said.

Poster celebrating charges being dropped against students involved in a divestment protest, 1987; Students in circa 1989.

Woman's rights banner, mid 1980s; An image from Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Feburary 1973.

Image of a doll — An image from Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Feburary 1973.

An images from Oberlin Alumni Magazine — Left page, clockwise: 1970; World AIDS Day, 1997; Demonstration, circa 1980s. Right: Protest in Washington D.C., circa 2002.

Feature on the dorms in Life Magazine — Oberlin was the first US college to introduce co-ed dorms. Picture is feature on the dorms in Life Magazine, 1970.

Excited statement from Professor Carol Lasse — An excited statement from Professor Carol Lasser...

An image of a bright artwork — ... overlays an image of a bright artwork on an Oberlin stairway.

Chapter on 'Togetherness' — A spread from the chapter on 'Togetherness' at Oberlin.

Advertising student events — Posters and flyers advertising student events.

A photograph from the present day, juxtaposed with an image from the 1950s-60s.

Student shares Oberlin's lasting impact — A former student shares Oberlin's lasting impact.

Photo of Peter's Hall, circa — Peter's Hall, circa 1930.

Malaika Byng is an editor, writer and consultant covering everything from architecture, design and ecology to art and craft. She was online editor for Wallpaper* magazine for three years and more recently editor of Crafts magazine, until she decided to go freelance in 2022. Based in London, she now writes for the Financial Times, Metropolis, Kinfolk and The Plant, among others.