Earth Archives: Stories of Human Impact
“Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species—man—acquired significant power to alter the nature of the world.”
—Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day in April of 1970, this exhibition explores the intersection of the environment, human activity, and the documentary record.
We consider a range of environmental-related topics, including arctic exploration, biodiversity, climate change and weather data, the eco-materiality of print culture, environmental disasters and pollution, preservation and activism, the history of energy extraction, and speculations on the future. Pennsylvania has a long history of tension between the use of its natural resources, both above and below ground, to fuel growth and economic gain, and the preservation of natural resources to support healthy and sustainable ecosystems and communities. For more guidance on ways to move through the virtual space, please visit our Navigating the Exhibition page.
The exhibition tells the stories of historical and contemporary books, documents, and their creators to highlight specific instances of our “significant power” to alter nature, both in destructive and constructive ways, and the power of storytelling to communicate the urgency of the present moment. As you look through the exhibition, we invite you to consider what impacts, both positive and negative, you have had on your environments and what you have observed. What stories of the earth would you tell?
A short film produced by students from the CommAgency on the history of student environmental activism at Penn State and specially commissioned for the exhibition, can be viewed here.
The 2021 Mann Lecture, “The Regenerative Text: Ecologies of Printed Matter,” by Brooke Palmieri, engaged with themes of the exhibition.
All materials, except where noted, are held in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library and are available to consult in the reading room.
The exhibition is curated by Clara Drummond, Curator and Exhibitions Coordinator, and Ben Goldman, Archivist for Curatorial Services and Strategy. Questions, comments, and corrections can be directed to them.