Days of Pomp & Circumstance
A photo retrospective of Commencement and Class Day exercises of yesteryear.
Although Dartmouth’s commencement ceremonies date back to august 28, 1771, cameras didn’t capture the scene—or Class Day, first held in 1854—until the late 19th century.
Since then, hundreds of archival images have accumulated in Rauner Library’s special collections. These rarely seen archival photos are primarily from the first half of the 20th century, before brownies, polaroids and cellphones became as ubiquitous as caps and gowns.
