Contents

Contents
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

The symbolism here is pretty obvious: college graduates are the new aristocracy in America. 1928 was on the cusp of the Great Depression; I would imagine that the 30s and World War II marked a sea change in American eduction, moving it toward the populism it embodies today. There are probably very few college yearbooks today that would draw such allusions to British nobility. Maybe Yale.

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The Oracle, 1928 (2)

The Oracle, 1928
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

This is definitely the product of a bygone era, when colleges actually WANTED to court an image of gentility and nobility. I'm assuming the people on horseback are intended to represent the students, but the students as country lords gaming on their estates. The coursing greyhounds imitating paintings of lordly fox hunts. And that castle? Well, that's just bizarre. With that in the picture it's just missing one thing: a unicorn.

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Copyright

Copyright
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

Was this all etched by hand?

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The Oracle, 1928

The Oracle, 1928
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

The allusions to classical notions of gentry only increase from here. His huge tophat (and matching cravat) is either extremely fuzzy or glows with a radiant inner light.

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Ex Libris

Ex Libris
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

Kephart puts quotation marks around his own nickname.

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Cover

Cover
Originally uploaded by deafmute.

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