Galleys

The Galley Collection is comprised of galleys and community notices written by Bennington College students, faculty, and staff members. Galleys were informal publications (usually one page in length) that were mimeographed or photocopied and distributed to all members of the Bennington College community. Students, faculty, and staff members used galleys as a forum to comment on campus issues and events, express opinions on national and international issues, and as a creative outlet.

The 1969 Student Handbook explains "Galley appears in mimeographed form when someone wants to express an opinion in writing on some issue of current concern. Though it has neither an editor nor an editorial policy, it is not intended as a publicity organ. All contributions must be signed by the initials of the author(s) or a nom de plume and left in the Galley mailbox at the Switchboard." While many galleys are signed with the author’s name or initials, some galley authors chose to use pseudonyms or remain anonymous. There were some reoccurring pseudonyms, for example Anita Roach or Captain Normal Monad.

Galley first emerged as a student publication in May 1955. These early newsprint publications were collections of opinion-based material similar to what would later appear in the mimeographed galleys, along with advertisements. It is unclear whether any galleys were distributed between 1955, when the four newsprint issues of Galley appeared, and 1957, the year this collection begins. The collection of galleys is sporadic from 1957-1964 and after 1979. Galleys particularly flourished between 1967 and 1972, and reflect student and faculty concerns with campus governance, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, and other issues.