This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
Size | 6.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 4000 items) |
Abstract | The Order of Gimghoul was founded in 1889 by Edward Wray Martin, William W. Davies, Shepard Bryan, Andrew Henry Patterson, and Robert Worth Bingham, all students at the University of North Carolina. The society is secret and available to male students and faculty of the university by invitation only. The collection contains correspondence, minutes of meetings, financial records, constitutions and bylaws, guest and membership lists, descriptions of rituals, newspaper articles about the Order of Gimghoul, photographs, and museum items. These materials reflect the activities of both the Active Order and the trustees of the order (later the directors of the Gimghoul Corporation). Nathaniel Cortlandt Curtis was the architect of the castle in which the order meets; Lyman A. Cotten, Thomas F. Hickerson, George Watts Hill, and Charles Shaffer were among the trustees. |
Creator | Order of Gimghoul (Chapel Hill, N.C.) |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. University Archives. |
Language | English |
Processed by: University Archives Staff, December 2004, December 2007
Encoded by: Katie Knight, December 2004
Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, January 2022
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
In the fall of 1889, Edward Wray Martin, William W. Davies, Shepard Bryan, Andrew Henry Patterson, and Robert Worth Bingham decided to form a secret junior society at the University of North Carolina available to others by invitation only. However, they did not decide on the exact nature of their proposed society until, during a lecture on American politics, Dr. Kemp P."Pres" Battle told his class about the legend of Peter Dromgoole, a student who disappeared from the university in 1833 under disputed circumstances. The five men then decided to use the legend as the basis for their secret society and so formed the Order of Dromgoole, shortly thereafter changed to Gimgoole and then amended to Gimghoul, as explained by W.W. Davies, "in accord with midnight and graves and weirdness." E. Wray Martin created the initiation ritual, constitution, and bylaws. As years passed, the order consolidated its beliefs and customs into a combination of the Dromgoole legend and the ideals of Arthurian knighthood and chivalry. Only male students (rising juniors or higher) and faculty were invited to join the organization, and no list of current members was provided until the end-of-year publication of the campus yearbook. As of the late 1990s, the society remained purely social and avoided publicity.
In 1915 a Durham land company sought to purchase Battle Park from the university. The park was of special significance to the Gimghouls, because it was there that Peter Dromgoole may have been killed. The order made a counteroffer and won; members contributed 50 dollars each toward the purchase price. In 1923 the order decided to sell its old lodge, a small house located at the corner of Rosemary and Boundary streets and build a new one. Battle Park was divided into thirds: one part was donated back to the university to be used exclusively as a park; one part was sold in lots to individuals for residential development; and one part was kept for the new Gimghoul lodge, a stone castle that still stands in the Historic Gimghoul District neighborhood. Nathaniel Cortlandt Curtis, New Orleans architect and Gimghoul alumnus, drafted the plans for the castle in 1924. In 1925 stone masons from the town of Valdese, near Morganton, N.C., were employed to help construct the castle, which was completed in 1926. The masons also built the Battle Seat, a rough semicircular bench made from the "freshman rock pile," a stone cairn that formed over time when students, typically freshmen, would walk to Point (Piney) Prospect and leave a stone on a rock pile that was started in the 19th century by President Battle.
Thomas F. Hickerson, professor of civil engineering and applied mathematics at the university and a Gimghoul alumnus, assisted in the planning of the castle. Until his death in 1967, he acted as custodian, advisor, and primary contact for the order. Charlie Shaffer and Professor of English Lyman A. Cotten, Jr., succeeded Dr. Hickerson in these duties. Dr. Cotten had joined the Gimghouls in the 1930s and was a trustee of the order from 1952 until his death in 1991. George Watts Hill, Sr., another alumnus and trustee of the order, was also active in its affairs, contributing sizable sums of his own money to the upkeep of the castle, until his death in 1993.
The Gimghoul neighborhood was declared a historic district in 1993; at that time the property on which the castle is located was owned by the Gimghoul Corporation and leased out yearly to the Active Order. The castle grounds remain off limits to the public.
Back to TopRecords of the Order of Gimghoul include correspondence, minutes of meetings, financial records, constitutions and bylaws, guest and membership lists, descriptions of rituals, newspaper articles about the order, photographs, and museum items. They reflect the activities of both the Active Order and the trustees of the order (later the directors of the Gimghoul Corporation). Nathaniel Cortlandt Curtis was the architect of the castle in which the order meets; Lyman A. Cotten, Thomas F. Hickerson, George Watts Hill, and Charles Shaffer were among the trustees.
Back to TopArrangement: Alphabetical, then chronological.
Arrangement: Alphabetical, then chronological.
These items are housed in the North Carolina Collection Gallery, whose staff has provided the descriptions below. Consult the Gallery for access.
CK.1195.1 PHOTOGRAPH of Eleanor Alexander(wife of Andrew Patterson, one of the four founders of the Gimghoul; picture on front of card shows a woman seated in a large armchair, right elbow on arm rest with hand at her jaw supporting her head; handwriting on front reads "Eleanor--'94" in top left corner and "For Mrs. H[...?]/ W[...?] my [true?] love" across bottom; the back of card bears the logo of the photographer who took the photo and reads "Photographer by special appointment/ C. Merlin/ Artist & Photographer/ Athens/ Greece" and across the top "Eleanor Alexander" is hand-written; an envelope and note identifying the subject of the photo accompany the card; 2.25" (5.7cm) x 4.25" (10.8 cm); good condition, dirty and aged but intact) |
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CK.1195.2 RIBBON(black and red, worn by Miss Bessie Henderson (Mrs. Lyman A. Cotten) at the Gimghoul banquet of 1894; ribbon is half black (left) and half red (right) with ornate letters in center which read "Gimghoul/ Spread/ '94" and fringe at the bottom; accompanied by a plain white envelope; 2.25" (5.7 cm) x 4.5" (11.4 cm); dingy, but good condition) |
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CK.1195.3 RIBBON(black and red, worn by Miss Bessie Henderson (Mrs. Lyman A. Cotten) at the Gimghoul banquet of 1896; ribbon is half black (left) and half red (right) with ornate letters in center which read "Gimghoul/ Spread/ '96" and fringe at the bottom; accompanied by a plain white envelope; 2.25" (5.7 cm) x 4.5" (11.4 cm); dingy, but good condition) |
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CK.1195.4 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "691" and name "Walton Kitchen Joyner"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.5 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "558" and name "Frederick Alexander Boeunt"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.6 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "559" and name "George McDuff"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.7 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "675" and name "Robert Brooke Lawson"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.8 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "353" and name "Sidney Broadus Allen"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.9 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "408" and name "Merton Leroy Person"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.10 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "392" and name "Edwin Clarke Gregory"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.11 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "620" and name "John Tillory Gregory"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.12 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "211" and name "Frederick Moir Hanes"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.13 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "215" and name "John Chrisoph Blucher Ehringhaus"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.14 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "331" and name "James Felix Hickerson"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.15 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "390" and name "Walter Henderson Woodson"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.16 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "369" and name "William Frederick Prouty"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.17 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "667" and name "Benjamin Olds Yelverton"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.18 NAME PLATE(brass [metal?], bearing the number "412" and name "Abel Alexander Shuford"; accompanied with two small envelopes and a notecard which states "The name-plaques were procured for/ Gimghoul at cost by George Patrick Hunter,/ Jr., Gimghoul 713, South Distributors,/ Inc., 234 Meacham Street, Charlotte 3,/ North Carolina."; 1" (2.54 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.19 TROPHY(small and silver metal, goblet-shaped with an image of a demon or goblin affixed to the front and "1902" engraved upon the reverse; accompanied by small paper bag with tissue; 1.75" (4.4 cm) x 2.25" (5.7 cm) x 1.25" (3.2 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.20 TROPHY(small and silver metal, goblet-shaped with an image of a demon or goblin affixed to the front; accompanied by small paper bag with tissue; 1.75" (4.4 cm) x 2.25" (5.7 cm) x 1.25" (3.2 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.21 MEDAL(black and gold imperial eagle surmounted by the imperial crown, the eagle bears a red cross with a white medallion, containing the letters "F. J." and to the beaks of the two heads of the eagle is attached a gold chain, on the reverse of the medal is the number "1849"; this is an official badge of The Order or Francis Joseph founded in 1849 for personal merit of every kind by emperor Francis Joseph I; badge = 1.5" (3.8 cm) x 2.5" (6.4), chain is 38" (96.5 cm) long; excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.22 WOODEN BOX(in which CK.1195.21 was kept; 2.75" (7.0 cm) x 2.75" (7.0 cm) x 1.5" (3.8 cm); box in excellent condition, though lid had to be reconstructed with water soluble glue) |
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CK.1195.23 PIN(golden, in shape of winged demon or goblin, engraved on reverse is the number "230"; badge of Preston Cotten, class of 1906; 0.5" (1.3 cm) x 0.75" (1.9 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.24-25 KNIFE BLADE AND HANDLE(respectively; ceremonial; blade and handle have come detached; large curved blade with hooks curving outward near the handle; handle [brass?] very ornately carved with patterns of foliage and flowers; blade = 14.5" (36.8 cm) x 2.5" (6.4 cm), handle = 5.5" (14.0 cm) x 2.5" (6.4 cm); blade is in poor condition, it is rusty and dirty, and one of the hooks has been bent to the side; handle is in good condition, the outside is relatively clean and without damage, though the inside is rusted) |
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CK.1195.26 COMPACT(round, silver, used to carry face powder, seal on lid depicts a skeleton standing behind a broken pillar holding a key to its left and a baton [?] to its right, a moon and stars are above its right and left, respectively, beneath the pillar scripted text reads "Gimghoul"; accompanied by card which reads "This compact with the Gim-/ ghoul Emblem was the favor/ at the Gimghoul banquet of/ about 1919. Presented to/ the Order by Mary Patter-/ son Fisher, May, 1965."; 1.5" diameter (3.8 cm) x .75" height (1.9 cm); some tarnish around seal on lid, good condition) |
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CK.1195.27 SPOON(small, silver, with a winged demon/devil at the top of a spiral handle, engraved inside the bowl of the spoon is the decorative text "Gimghoul/ '94"; accompanied by a card which reads "Souvenir Gimghoul spoon,/ which was the favor at/ the June banquet of 1894./ Presented to the Order/ by Mrs. Lyman A. Cotten,/ May, 1965."; .75" (1.9 cm) x 4" (10.2 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.28 SPOON(small, silver, with a winged demon/devil at the top of a spiral handle, engraved inside the bowl of the spoon is the decorative text "Gimghoul/ '95"; accompanied by a card which reads "The 1896 spoon was given to/ the Order in 1968 by Jack/ Gregory Tillery (UNC '62),/ who was given it by his/ grandmother."; .75" (1.9 cm) x 4" (10.2 cm); tarnished, good condition) |
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CK.1195.29 KEY(old-fashioned, large, [brass?] with large oval at top in which two circular holes have been made; accompanied by large tag with text that reads "An old/ Gimghoul key"; 3.25" (8.3 cm) x 1.5" (3.8 cm); very rusted, fair condition) |
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CK.1195.30 KEY(thin, old-fashioned, metal key with decorative top in which three circular holes have been made; accompanied by tag with text that reads on its obverse "19[2]7/ Key to Gimghoul/ [l]odge - Chapel Hill/ Given to [JJB] by/ Dr. A. H. Patterson" and on its reverse "J. Fuller Brown"; 3" (7.6 cm) x 1" (2.5 cm); very rusted, poor condition) |
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CK.1195.31 MEDAL(small, round, metallic, obverse reads "University of North Carolina" around the perimeter, and reverse reads "ORDER OF/ GIMGHOUL/ 1967"; .75" diameter (1.9 cm); some tarnish, fair condition) |
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CK.1195.32 MENU(rectangular folding banquet menu holder, covered in black silk (front) and red silk (back); front depicts a winged demon/devil in top left corner with the script "Gimghoul/ '92/ Banquet" at center, script in bottom left corner is very obscured but could say "[June 2nd]"; inside the menu reads "Menu/ Bouillon/ Deviled crabs, celery sauce/ Crackers/ Claret Wine/ Mustard pickles, Olives, Salted almonds/ Roast turkey, cranberry sauce/ Beaten biscuit/ Chicken salad/ Champagne/ Sweet wafers, Boston wafers, Fruit cake/ Roman Punch/ Wine ice, Tutti frutti cream/ Malaga grapes, Oranges/ Fruit, Fancy cakes/ Cheese, Crackers, French coffee/ 'Santo taefto ablau aboul,/ Branka aubus afka Gimghoul.'"; 4" (10.2 cm) x 6" (15.2 cm); some decoration on front obscured and discoloration in the fabrics, good condition) |
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CK.1195.33 STAMP(with dark, carved wooden handle, imprint in [brass?] is the image of a winged devil/demon; 3.75" (9.5 cm) x 1.25" (3.2 cm); excellent condition) |
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CK.1195.34 ENVELOPE(tan, addressed to "J. W[o/a]rd Purrington/ [Y]eta Psi Fraternity/ Chapel Hill/ N. Carolina," no return address, two green U.S. 4 cent stamps in top left corner which read "4c/ Postage/ The United States/ Give me/ LIBERTY/ or give me/ DEATH/ P. Henry/ of America/ Credo," black cancellation stamp extends from halfway mark to the right corner of envelope across stamps, no discernable date; 7.5" (19.1 cm) x 5" (12.7 cm); torn, some staining, fair condition) |
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CK.1195.35 KEY(small, metal, round head with single hole, engraved image of a bird with the text "EAGLE" on one side, on reverse engraved test reads "EAGLE LOCK/ CORP/ Terryville, Conn/ Made in U.S.A."; 1.5" (3.8 cm) x .75" (1.9 cm); very rusted, engraving almost illegible, poor condition) |
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CK.1195.36 KEY(small, metal, round head with single hole, engraved image of a bird with the text "EAGLE" on one side, on reverse engraved test reads "EAGLE LOCK/ CORP/ Terryville, Conn/ Made in U.S.A."; 1.5" (3.8 cm) x .75" (1.9 cm); very rusted, engraving almost illegible, poor condition) |
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CK.1195.37 BOX(gray metal, with key lock on the front, and hinged, upward-lifting lid, on the interior side of the lid is a sticker which reads "Steelmaster/ Office Equipment/ Cash Box/ No. 88 - 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"/ Art Steel Co., Inc./ New York, U.S.A."; 8.5" (21.6 cm) x 3.5" (8.9 cm) x 5.5" (14.0 cm); some very small rust spots on edges and corners, good condition) |
Arrangement: By format, then by subject.
Arrangement: By format, then by subject.
Image P-40262/25 |
Prints, Black and White: Events: Spring Picnic, [early 1960s?](Active Order and Alumni, seated outside) |
Image P-40262/26-27
P-40262/26P-40262/27 |
Prints, Black and White: Events: Active Order and Alumni, seated outside, [early 1960s?] |
Image P-40262/28 |
Prints, Black and White: Events: Active Order and Alumni, at Point Prospect, [early 1960s] |
Image P-40262/29 |
Prints, Black and White: Events: Gimghouls and their Dates, [1966 or 1967?] |
Image P-40262/83 |
Prints, Black and White: Membership: Group Photograph, [1966 or 1967?](see also Change of the Order under Events) |
Image P-40262/84-90
P-40262/84P-40262/85P-40262/86P-40262/87P-40262/88P-40262/89P-40262/90 |
Prints, Color: Buildings and Property: Gimghoul Castle and Grounds, 30 April 1969 |
Image P-40262/91-95
P-40262/91P-40262/92P-40262/93P-40262/94P-40262/95 |
Prints, Color: Buildings and Property: Castle Great Hall, Fall Harvest Festival, [post-1979] |
Image P-40262/96-98
P-40262/96P-40262/97P-40262/98 |
Prints, Color: Events: Presentation of Gimghoul Plaque, November 1979 |
Image P-40262/99-103
P-40262/99P-40262/100P-40262/101P-40262/102P-40262/103 |
Prints, Color: Events: Aftermath of a Party, 10 April 1983(showing trash on Castle grounds) |
Image P-40262/104-119
P-40262/104P-40262/105P-40262/106P-40262/107P-40262/108P-40262/109P-40262/110P-40262/111P-40262/112P-40262/113P-40262/114P-40262/115P-40262/116P-40262/117P-40262/118P-40262/119 |
Prints, Color: Events: Aftermath of a Party, [September 1992?](showing remains of an apparent food fight) |
Image P-40262/132-188
P-40262/132P-40262/133P-40262/134P-40262/135P-40262/136P-40262/137P-40262/138P-40262/139P-40262/140P-40262/141P-40262/142P-40262/143P-40262/144P-40262/145P-40262/146P-40262/147P-40262/148P-40262/149P-40262/150P-40262/151P-40262/152P-40262/153P-40262/154P-40262/155P-40262/156P-40262/157P-40262/158P-40262/159P-40262/160P-40262/161P-40262/162P-40262/163P-40262/164P-40262/165P-40262/166P-40262/167P-40262/168P-40262/169P-40262/170P-40262/171P-40262/172P-40262/173P-40262/174P-40262/175P-40262/176P-40262/177P-40262/178P-40262/179P-40262/180P-40262/181P-40262/182P-40262/183P-40262/184P-40262/185P-40262/186P-40262/187P-40262/188 |
Prints, Color: Events: Change of the Order, 1982 |
Image P-40262/189-231
P-40262/189P-40262/190P-40262/191P-40262/192P-40262/193P-40262/194P-40262/195P-40262/196P-40262/197P-40262/198P-40262/199P-40262/200P-40262/201P-40262/202P-40262/203P-40262/204P-40262/205P-40262/206P-40262/207P-40262/208P-40262/209P-40262/210P-40262/211P-40262/212P-40262/213P-40262/214P-40262/215P-40262/216P-40262/217P-40262/218P-40262/219P-40262/220P-40262/221P-40262/222P-40262/223P-40262/224P-40262/225P-40262/226P-40262/227P-40262/228P-40262/229P-40262/230P-40262/231 |
Prints, Color: Events: Change of the Order, 1985 |
Image P-40262/232 |
Prints, Color: Events: Change of the Order, 2005 |
Image P-40262/120 |
Prints, Color: Membership: William Ross Sullivan, Frances A. Gudger, David G. Frey, 1963(see also Change of the Order under Events) |
Image P-40262/121-122
P-40262/121P-40262/122 |
Prints, Color: Membership: Active Order, circa 1980s |
Image P-40262/123 |
Prints, Color: Membership: Unidentified Gimghoul and his Date, circa 1980s |
Image Box IB-40262/3 |
Negatives |