Summer at New York University has long offered a mix of academic, cultural, and recreational experiences for students and the broader community. NYU News recently explored archival materials at Bobst Library to uncover how summer traditions have evolved on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.
In 1931, Virginia Nelson Speiden Carper attended NYU’s summer school while staying at the Hotel Judson near Washington Square Park. According to assistant university archivist Danielle Nista, records from that time provide insight into student life during the university’s centennial year. “Seeing the range of activities students could be involved with, even during the summer, shows the way NYU students could find their place in the broader NYC community,” Nista said. “Students were offered not only activities through the school, such as tea time and daily dancing in the student center, but also access to theater and other activities around the city. The document provides a really cool look into the culture of NYU’s summer school in the 1930s while also underscoring that students were encouraged to keep learning outside of the classroom too.”
The archives also highlight changing culinary trends over time. Among thousands of food-related books donated by food scholar Dalia Carmel is Marion White’s “Ice Cream Diets,” published in 1946. The book suggests menus featuring ice cream as a main component for those seeking to manage their weight or satisfy cravings. However, White notes some skepticism about portion control: “Most of the menus have been kept below the 1,200 mark,” she writes. “This provides a slight leeway for the woman who must have cream and sugar in her tea. It allows for the fact that the woman on a diet is always lavish when she serves herself—she may think she is dishing out ⅔ cup, but she is quite likely to err on the generous side.”
NYU Special Collections’ Downtown Collection documents New York City’s arts scene from past decades. Creative Time—a nonprofit founded in 1973—organized public art programs like Art on the Beach on what is now Battery Park City. This area was created using landfill from construction at the World Trade Center site and became an open space for large-scale art installations before being developed.
Washington Square Park has consistently served as a central location for summer recreation throughout its history. Archival photographs show visitors enjoying activities such as playing in fountains during the 1930s, street vending in 1968, children playing in sandboxes during the 1980s, and roller skating.
The Tamiment Collection preserves material related to Camp Kinderland—a camp established by members of Workmen’s Circle in 1923 as a retreat for children from working-class families living in city tenements. The camp promoted progressive activism within Jewish secular traditions and continues today at its Massachusetts location. Notable figures associated with Camp Kinderland include Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, Max Kellerman, and Marisa Tomei.
These archival records illustrate how NYU’s summer environment has changed over time while maintaining its role as an academic hub integrated with city life.
