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Historical Photos

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These images are provided by University Archives, which houses extensive historic photographs, drawings, writings and other memorabilia. For more information on its holdings, contact the Archives at 573-882-7567 or coxgd@missouri.edu.

Photos of campus when Ivy adorned many of the buildings are also available.

Call Number: C:0/47/6	This is a print created by F. Palmer, for the William W. Rose Company. It is dated "circa 1850" but is definitely pre-1863, which is when the old President's residence (to the left of Academic Hall in this print) burned down and was replaced by the current Chancellor's Residence. The building to the right of Academic Hall is something of a mystery. That area was the site of MU's first observatory but the structure depicted in this print is clearly not the observatory.
Call Number: C:0/3/8	This lithograph also depicts the pre-1863 President's Residence; however, MU's original observatory is now to the right of Academic Hall. This image was created by L. Gast & Brothers Lithographers of St. Louis. It is dated circa 1860.
Call Number: C:20/8/2	This detailed lithograph was created by Arthur T. Eider for the W. J. Littig Company of New York, NY. It is dated 1910 and includes an early representation of the College of Agriculture's Mumford Hall (extreme upper left of the print) and Tucker Hall (upper left of the print). With the inclusion of these last two structures, MU's White-Limestone Campus begins to take on a more familiar aspect.
Call Number: C:0/49/2	This engraving was originally used as an illustration in the 1872 University of Missouri course catalog. It was created by the R. P. Studley Company of St. Louis. This work includes an early depiction of what we now know as Switzler Hall, then called simply the "Agriculture Building." The small lake North of Academic Hall was a man-made landscaping effort and only survived until the 1880s. It was filled-in due to fears it was a factor in the spread of contagious diseases among the student body.
Call Number: C:0/3/8	This is an 1893 architect's rendering, by M. F. Bell, of how MU's Red-Brick Campus would look after the contemporary re-building program was completed. The depiction is unusual in that the Academic Hall columns are shown topped by a connecting cornice and Jesse Hall is entirely absent.
Call Number: 0/46/34	This is a commercially produced print, created by B.C. Company, offers a "bird's-eye" view of MU at the turn of the Century (ca. 1905). In this print, Red-Brick Campus has taken on much of its current look. The White-Limestone Campus is also represented by both Lowry and Read Halls. The Power House, shown just to the right of Jesse Hall, has long since been demolished as have Benton and Lathrop Residence Halls (in the extreme upper right of the print).
Call Number: C:0/47/2	A favorite among 1800's depictions of the MU campus, this lithograph combines a sort of primitivist lack of perspective with Currier and Ives style charm. Sadly, it is not attributed to an artist or commercial author. The date of this work it invariably cited as 1875. Of note is the inclusion of the long-vanished "Chalybeate Spring" pagoda (bottom center) and "Normal [School] Building" (lower right).

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