Back in October, the Haverblog covered the opening of the Magill Library exhibit “You Are Here: Exploring the Contours of our Academic Community Through Maps.” A collaboration between Special Collections and Haverford faculty, staff and students, the show displayed old and rare maps from the collection, as well as contemporary creations, sketches, commentary and analysis, to show the array of forms maps can take and the meanings they can embody.
But when the show closed in February one question arose on campus: What will happen to “The Havermap.” This large aerial view of the campus, conceived by Eli Blood-Patterson ’11, aimed to map the “social geography” of Haverford and invited viewers to tag different spots on campus with their recollections of personal events that happened there. By the show’s end the map had been covered by pushpins anchoring tiny scraps of paper displaying the memories of current students and alumni.
Some of the postings are serious: “Had an epiphany here.” (Magill Library). Others are silly: “Danced naked on the stage with my best friends.” (Marshall Auditorium). Still others are cryptic, playfully hinting at an inside joke that only a few will understand: “Rage Meowers Live Here;” (Apartment 18); “Nomad named ‘Treebeard’ found squatting here.” (Lunt basement). And quite a few of the notes refer to romance: “My first date was skating on the duck pond 1978;” “Where the girl I love lives.” (Gummere),” “Met my husband (’83) during customs week.” (Barclay); “Had my first college kiss here … got caught in the pouring rain.” (Nature Trail).
While the Havermap was, the last time we looked, still hanging on the wall in the otherwise empty gallery space at Magill, it’s not certain what will happen next with it.
“This was surely one of the most popular parts of the “You Are Here” exhibit,” says John Anderies, head of Special Collections. “The Library is keen to find a way to preserve the information contributed by the Haverford community.” One idea that is being kicked around, says Anderies, is to make a digital version “which could continue to grow over time.”
Reporting by Jack Hasler ’15
A Future for "The Havermap"?
Now that Special Collections’ map exhibit in the library is over, what will happen to “The Havermap?” The large aerial view of the campus, conceived by Eli Blood-Patterson ’11, aimed to map the “social geography” of Haverford and invited viewers to tag different spots on campus with their recollections of personal events that happened there.
