Blog
Disoriented
The Chinese Screen in Carpenter Library
Yihan Liu -- Aug 04, 2023
In the Fong Reading Room of Carpenter Library there is a Chinese screen on display. It's detailed and extremely beautiful but, until now, has gone unresearched and undescribed. Read on to learn about the origins of this screen.
The Japanese Scholarship and The First Japanese Students at Bryn Mawr College
Yihan Liu -- Aug 01, 2023
Learn how the Japanese Scholarship was founded and a bit about the first students to receive it.
Why Japan and China? Quaker Missionaries in East Asia
Marion Hamilton -- Jul 25, 2023
Why were the first BIPOC students at Bryn Mawr Japanese and Chinese? It is a complicated, multifaceted question, but part of the answer lies in Quaker Christian's desire to proselytize to Japan and China.
Chapin's Collection
Yihan Liu -- Jul 25, 2023
Helen Burwell Chapin donated numerous Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian artifacts to the college, and she traveled in East Asia for much of her life. Who was she? Why did she donate these items? Where did she get them?
What Does Oriental Mean?
Grace Foresman -- Jul 13, 2023
The word oriental has a long and complicated history, intertwined with colonialism, imperialism, and a deep prejudice against Asian, Middle Easter, and North African cultures. I hope to shed light on the origins of oriental, as it has been recently discussed in the news after Obama signed a bill prohibiting its use in Federal laws.
The Missing Stone Lions in Taft Garden
Grace Foresman -- Jun 30, 2023
Up until the 1970s, Bryn Mawr's Taft garden used to have two Chinese stone guardian lions, which sat on the stone stairs leading into the garden.
Who was Elsie Campbell Sinclair Hodge?
Grace Foresman -- Jun 22, 2023
Elsie Campbell Hodge was a Bryn Mawr alum who became a Christian missionary after graduating. Her and her husband were killed in the Boxer Rebellion shortly after arriving in Baoding, China. Back in the US, the Hodges were considered martyrs and used to perpetuate prejudice against Chinese Americans.
M. Carey Thomas Goes Abroad
Grace Foresman -- Jun 16, 2023
It is well known that Thomas held many prejudice beliefs against non-Western people and cultures; however, I aim to directly discuss her strong support of Eugenics and great disdain for Asian people despite working with Tsuda Umeko to create the Japanese Scholarship program at Bryn Mawr.
The Chinese Scholarship and the First Scholarship Recipient (Liu Fung Kei)
Yihan Liu -- Jun 06, 2023
Liu Fung Kei was the first Chinese student to attend Bryn Mawr under the Chinese Scholarship. Who was she, and what did she do before and after Bryn Mawr?
Week One of Who Built Bryn Mawr?
Marion Hamilton -- Jun 06, 2023
Who Built Bryn Mawr? 2023 started on May 30th, here's a short summary of what we did in our first week!
The First Gift to Bryn Mawr
Grace Foresman -- Jun 05, 2023
Discussing the history history of the Japanese temple bell in Taylor Hall, which was reportedly the first major gift given to Bryn Mawr college.