Rona Wilk Papers
Collection Scope and Content Summary
Rona Wilk’s collection contains materials related to her academic and personal life at Barnard from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection contains memorabilia and ephemera from her time as a student, including class schedules, syllabi, orientation materials, Barnard publications, T-shirts, buttons, and Barnard merchandise as well as playbills from theatrical productions Wilk attended while at Barnard. The collection includes ephemera from multiple student groups and events such as The Council of Jewish Organizations, Women’s Tefilah Group (Prayer Group), and the Barnard Women’s Cooperative in addition to fliers from student run events including phoneathons and blood drives. Wilk's collection not only documents student life and culture at Barnard in the 1980s-1990s but also serves as a record about the neighborhood and contemporaneous theater productions and performances.
Dates
- Creation: 1987 - 1991
Access
Senior thesis restricted to in person use only.
Publication Rights
Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Barnard Archives and Special Collections. The Barnard Archives and Special Collections approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Reproduction Restrictions
Reproductions can be made for research purposes.
Biography
Rona Wilk is a freelance writer, editor, scholar, Barnard historian and alum. Wilk attended Barnard between 1987-1991 and graduated with a degree in English and History in 1991. Wilk’s research largely revolves around queer histories at Barnard including her underdraduate thesis "'Why Won’t You Love Me, Florence Wyeth:' Women’s Romantic Friendships and Crushes at Barnard College." Wilk served as president of the Class of 1991 for thirteen years. Additionally, she has held positions on the Alumnae Association of Barnard College’s (AABC) Reunion Committee, Awards Committee, and Fellowship Committee at Barnard College. Wilk attended graduate school at NYU and received her doctorate in American History with a focus in Women’s History. Wilk is also noted for her dedication to arts administration and non-profit fundraising, including years spent running the rehearsal department of the Metropolitan Opera.
Extent
3 Linear Feet (2 large flat file boxes, 1 small flat file box, 2 standard boxes )
Language
English
Abstract
Rona Wilk’s collection contains materials related to her academic and personal life at Barnard from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The collection contains memorabilia and ephemera from her time as a student, including class schedules, syllabi, orientation materials, Barnard publications, T-shirts, buttons, and Barnard merchandise as well as playbills from theatrical productions Wilk attended while at Barnard.
Collection Arrangement
The Rona Wilk collection is arranged into three series. The contents of each series are arranged in the order in which they were received. The series arrangement of the records is as follows:
Series 1, Academic Life, contains materials relating to Rona Wilk’s academic work at Barnard including class notes, writing, curatorial projects, course registration records, syllabi and photos of the Hewitt dorm room bulletin board 1987-1989. This series contains Wilk’s senior thesis titled "'Why Won’t You Love Me, Florence Wyeth:' Women’s Romantic Friendships and Crushes at Barnard College" as well as course material and syllabi for the following courses: "Bourgeois America" with professor Mark C. Carnes, "Britain in the Industrial Age" with professor D. Valenze, and "Women and Art" with professor Natalie B. Kampen.
Series 2, Extracurricular and Personal Experience, contains Barnard College promotional material, memorabilia and ephemera. Materials are related to Rona Wilk’s extracurricular and personal experience as a student at Barnard from 1987-1991. It includes campus orientation pamphlets, event fliers, course schedules, class directories, student handbooks, brochures in addition to commemorative T-shirts, mugs, buttons, and other Barnard related merchandise. Highlights include memorabilia celebrating Barnard's centennial in 1989. Barnard publications include the "Columbia Guide to New York 1987-1988," "Undergraduate Residence Hall Student Phone Directory '89," and the "Columbia-Barnard Course Guide: 25th Edition (1963-1988)."
Series 3, Theater and Performance Ephemera (NYC playbills), contains playbills and programs from plays, musicals, and performances attended by Rona Wilk during her college years 1987-1991. Performances include on and off Broadway productions including Barnard’s theatrical production "Broadway Comes to Barnard: The Kathy and Mo Show" from 1991. Some of the performances were recommended by professors in connection with their courses.
Physical Location
This collection is located in the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, Barnard Library. To use this collection, please contact the Barnard Archives and Special Collections at 212.854.4079 or archives@barnard.edu.
Acquisition Information
This collection was donated by Rona Wilk, 2019.
Accruals
Accruals are expected.
Processing History
This collection was processed and the finding aid written by Vita Kurland in June 2022. Descriptive Rules Used: Finding aid adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard. Finding aid written in English.
- Title
- Rona Wilk Papers
- Author
- Vita Kurland
- Date
- 6/21/22
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Barnard Archives and Special Collections Repository