Recent Acquisitions

Archives and Special Collections continues to develop its holdings through the generosity of donors and through acquisitions that support research, teaching, and learning at Loyola University Maryland and Notre Dame of Maryland University. This page highlights new additions to our collections.

Jane Schwarz collection of André Girard materials, 1945-2016

After studying under French artist André Girard at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Jane (Imbach) Schwarz saved decades of mementos of their relationship and of Girard’s multifaceted career. This collection includes correspondence, exhibition brochures, news and magazine clippings, small artworks on paper and film, and more that showcase Girard’s creativity and impact on students, artists, and the general public. 

An exhibit highlighting the collection is on display in the Archives reading room through March 2026. 

Abram Ryan, Poems: Patriotic, Religious, Miscellaneous (Baltimore: John B. Piet, 1880)

Father Abram Joseph Ryan became known after the Civil War as the “poet-priest of the Confederacy.” His poetry, which romanticized the Confederacy and the South, was a major contribution to the development of the “Lost Cause” myth. Lost Cause supporters argue that the Confederate cause was just, noble, and not rooted in defending slavery.  

In 1880, Ryan was in Baltimore, working with a publisher to complete his book of poems. He resided with the Jesuits at Loyola College during his stay. After giving a paid public lecture, he donated $300 to the college in recognition of its hospitality.  

Loyola used these funds to establish the Ryan Poetry Medal. Although it was awarded for other subjects over time, a Ryan Medal, founded with the proceeds of promoting false and harmful narratives about the Civil War, was awarded annually until at least 1970.

This book will be featured in the exhibit Reckoning and Renewal: Confronting Slavery and Its Legacies at Loyola University Maryland, opening in March 2026. 

Govans Gourmet (Baltimore: Govans Presbyterian Church, 1957)

Published by the Couples’ Club of Govans Presbyterian Church, this cookbook documents one community in our library’s neighborhood and the way they ate nearly 70 years ago. With mid-century classics like tomato aspic and lime Jello cream cheese salad, to American regional delicacies like shrimp creole, arroz con pollo, and sauerbraten, to the mysterious porcupine meat balls and ring tum diddy, there’s something for everyone! Keep an eye out for this cookbook in an exhibit next year.