What do wedding photos, dance cards, queer memorabilia and the infamous Love/Lust poem have in common? That’s the question UNM archivists will answer at an upcoming Valentine’s Day event. 

Love in the Archives is happening Feb. 14 at the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR). Join in the fun from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Frank Waters Room 105 at Zimmerman Library.

“At the CSWR and the Digital Initiatives and Scholarly Communication (DISC) offices we are passionate about processing archives but mostly we work in isolation,” said Heather Foster, a CSWR fellow. “One day when we were talking about our collections, we realized we all had centuries of materials about love, lust, passion and courtship.  Sharing this passion for and in the archives is what we want to do with the community on Valentine’s Day.” 

The archivists are bringing out their personal archival crushes and sharing stories for this open house. Among the culturally diverse and controversial pieces are love letters, wedding photos, postcards, songs and sheet music, theater and movie memorabilia, and expressions of LBGT banned love and outlaw love. There will also be images of D.H. and Frieda Lawrence’s love nest, UNM dance cards, and the 1969 torrid Love/Lustpoem that sparked statewide outrage.  

Participants of Love in the Archives can pick up a dance card, visit the exhibits to fill it in and enter the drawing for prizes. Visitors can also make Valentine’s Day cards for their sweeties and try out the 3-D printer for love tokens. The NM Women’s Choruswill sing love ditties and refreshments will be served.

For more information contact Portia Vescio.