Special Collections has created an exhibit marking the opening of the Inn at Carnall Hall, which is displayed in the lobby of the newly restored building at the northeast edge of the campus.

One case contains an exhibit entitled "Carnall Hall Scrapbook." The lives and times of Carnall Hall are documented in scrapbooks and albums created by the women who lived there. Special Collections holds many examples of these "memory books," reminders that scrapbooking is not a recent invention. Included are examples of official and semi-official papers like receipts and programs, pages from some University publications like the yearbook, and many snapshots that demonstrate the central place of Carnall Hall in the day-to-day lives of its residents. Some actual scrapbook pages are also included.

Collections used for this exhibit include scrapbooks of housemother Emma Byrnes Barnes and students Kathleen Candler Schaer, Irene Bird, Wanda Izell, Mabel Scurlock Pope, and the Associated Women's organization.

A second exhibit case of photographs and print materials tells the story of Ella Carnall, whose name is preserved in the renovation, known as the Inn at Carnall Hall, with the restaurant called Ella's. Clippings from the Arkansas Magazine document the history of her last year on the faculty, her long illness and death, and the campus response. This part of the exhibit also documents the history of the building itself, designed by Charles Thompson and dedicated in 1905, and the long saga of its closing, condemnation, remodeling and reopening.

Special Collections welcomes contributions of University of Arkansas memorabilia, including photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, or other papers that document the history of the campus.

Last modified: Tuesday, March 09, 2010