The Matthew Vassar School of Learning

Poughkeepsie, NY—During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, painted copies and plaster casts were used to cultivate an appreciation of major works of western art, as well as a corresponding sense of elite culture to Americans who could not travel to see the original works firsthand...As the first U.S. college founded with both a permanent art collection and an art gallery, and with art among its core academic offerings, “It is no surprise that Vassar College collected and displayed both copies and casts from the very start,” said Jacqueline Marie Musacchio, an associate professor of art.

—Vassar College Press Release for the new exhibit at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Copies, Casts, and Pedagogy: The Early Teaching of Art and Art History At Vassar College

While this exhibit is quite fascinating, it does not reveal the whole truth about the methods of early teaching used at Vassar College. Matthew Vassar, upon realizing what a wonderful teaching aid casts and copies could be, decided to implement their usage in all areas of study at the College. We here at The Miscellany News have taken it upon ourselves to dig through the archives and in a few closets to find the history of copies and casts in all areas of academia.

Biology. In the basement of Main lurks a spirit. It is the plaster of Paris life-size model of Matt’s half-sister Maureen at age 16. Sources believe it was used to teach the early Vassar ladies about their own anatomy. It should be mentioned that said plaster model has no nipples and a sealed-off vagina.

English. Other than the requisite casts of Shakespeare and Allen Ginsberg busts, Vassar commissioned plaster fascimiles of the Gutenberg Bible, Shakespeare’s First Folio, and The Erotic Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson, among others. It should be said that these plaster models were in fact shaped like the books and painted to match the covers of their originals, but, being made of plaster, did not open or have pages. Vassar himself painted the lines on the sides of the casts to make them look like they had pages.

History. After he got caught trying to dig up Napolean’s grave to make a plaster cast of Monsieur Bonaparte, Matthew Vassar strayed from trying to get copies of actual historical figures. Instead, he opted for historical objects. Hence the hand-carved wooden replicas of George Washington’s teeth. Vassar even had his nanny teach him to sew so that he could recreate Betsy Ross’s first American flag. Several of these faux historical artifacts can still be seen around campus. Contrary to popular belief, the piece of Plymouth Rock in New England Building is not actually authentic; Vassar hired a Native American stone-carver to replicate the piece of Plymouth that he chipped off with his pick-ax. Vassar later reattached his chipped off piece of rock to Plymouth with chewing gum and masking tape.

Euthenics. This now defunct major prompted Matthew to purchase several plaster models of babies, created by noted artist Jenny Holzer.

Psychology. Four words: famous people’s brains; plaster. The brains were borrowed from the Cornell University Brain Collection, located in the hall of the third floor of the psychology building.