College Collections

Archives. The Luther College archives holds primary source material of enduring value related to the college, its faculty, alumni and founding congregations. Over 1,800 linear feet of institutional records, personal papers, photographs and other media are available for research projects, curricula development and special events. The archives endowment fund provides additional support for special projects. The reading room is located on the third floor of Preus Library. Rachel Vagts is the college archivist.

Archaeological and Ethnographic Collections. Koren and Preus Library house a rich collection of archaeological materials and an extensive ethnographic collection. The archaeological collection consists of more than a million prehistoric and historic artifacts from nearly 400 Native American and Euro-American sites in Iowa and the Upper Midwest. Of particular interest are materials from northeast Iowa sites collected by the late Gavin Sampson of Decorah. The Sampson collection is a significant resource for research on northeast Iowa prehistory. The ethnographic collection consists of nearly a thousand artifacts collected from living cultures around the world between the 1880s and 1920s. The majority of the items are representative of Native American cultures, including Inuit (Eskimo), Sioux, Mandan, Pueblo, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Chippewa, Seminole, and Northwest Coast peoples. Other ethnographic materials present in the collection are from Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. The archaeological and ethnographic collections are supported in part by an endowed fund established for the purpose of managing and maintaining a material culture resource for the Luther College community, for education outreach services for the community at large, and for use by outside professionals and students engaged in scholarly research. These collections are administered by anthropology faculty member Colin Betts, and laboratory and collections manager Chad Landsman.

Fine Arts Collection. Over 1,300 items comprise the Luther College Fine Arts Collection, anchored by extensive holdings representing the works of Herbjørn Gausta, Marguerite Wildenhain, and Gerhard Marcks. Nearly one-third of the collection is on circulating display throughout the campus. Management of the collection is supported by the library and two endowments. The fine arts collection website, http://finearts.luther.edu, provides a detailed description of the collection with images of principal art works. The collection is administered by library department head Jane Kemp and gallery coordinator David Kamm.

Geology Collection. Several thousand rock, mineral and fossil specimens are contained within the geological collection. Specimens from this collection are on rotating and permanent display in Valders Hall of Science. The bulk of the collection is housed in Preus Library.

Hoslett Museum of Natural History. Housed in Valders Hall of Science, the Hoslett collections include the Alois F. Kovarik Memorial Plant Collection, the P.B. Peabody–Frances C. Bordner Memorial Bird Egg and Nest Collection, over 1,000 plant specimens, over 5,000 vertebrate specimens, and over 6,000 invertebrate specimens. Support of the Hoslett Museum and its programs is provided in part by the Sherman A. Hoslett Memorial Endowment Fund (established in 1972) and by the Endowed Fund for the Luther College Natural History Collections (established 1999). Biology faculty member Tex Sordahl is director of the Hoslett Museum.