Foods, Fashions, and Furnishings Trip Collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: SCA-0092

Staff Only

Foods, Fashions, Furnishings, and Friendship Digital Exhibit

Scope and Contents

The collection documents the experience of eight Queens College students and their Foods professor, Dr. Helen Volkman, on an educational tour to Europe during the summer of 1973. The six week tour, titled "Foods, Fashions, and Furnishings," was sponsored by Scholastic International. The collection includes photographs, printed ephemera, memorabilia, and personal materials documenting the trip. Some materials relate to classes taken by the students at Queens College as part of the Home Economics curriculum.

Dates

1967 - 2003
Majority of material found within 1973

Conditions Governing Access

Appointments to examine materials must be made in advance. Please email QC.archives@qc.cuny.edu for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Conditions Governing Use

Reproductions may be provided to users to support research and scholarship. However, collection use is subject to all copyright laws. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Rights for some materials in this collection have been transferred to Queens College or are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License. Please contact qc.archives@qc.cuny.edu for more information.

Biographical / Historical

In 1973, eight Queens College students had the opportunity to travel across six European countries in what turned out be a once in a lifetime trip. Decades later, these women have remained friends and cherish their shared memories.

Dr. Helen Volkman, a Foods instructor in what is now the FNES Department, came across a proposal from Scholastic International. The educational tour was named "Foods, Fashions, and Furnishings." The company teamed Dr. Volkman and her eight Queens College students with three students from Texas and one from Connecticut. Dr. Volkman's young daughter, Carol, also joined the journey.

In addition to Dr. Volkman and her daughter, the Queens College contingent included Patricia Veneziano (class of 1975), Jane Giovaniello Reiser (class of 1974), Debra Danis Seiden (class of 1976), Linda Casper Crossman (class of 1974), Mina Stecker Malin (class of 1974), Patricia Fogolin Fischer (class of 1975), June Minoff Rudin (class of 1975), and Janice Avera Novak (class of 1974).

On the six week tour, the students were introduced to local culture and traditional cuisine. They went to Rome, Florence, and Milan, Italy; Lausanne, Switzerland; Dijon and Paris, France; Copenhagen, Denmark; Malmo, Sweden; and Londan, England. The experience was an introduction to international travel for all the women. The students saw a cooking demonstration at Le Cordon Bleu, visited a Danish furniture factory, had tea at the Ritz, and viewed art at the Uffizi Galleries, among other activities.

With Dr. Volkman, the group had several reunions over the years. Sadly, Volkman passed away on May 2, 2022.

Extent

3 Linear Feet (1 records carton; 2 document cases, 3 flat boxes.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials donated in 2020-2021 by Patricia Veneziano (class of 1975); Mina Malin (class of 1974); and Debra Danis Seiden (class of 1976). Patricia Veneziano's donation included materials that originated from Jane Giovaniello Reiser.

Debra Danis Seiden Donation: Rough draft of independent study paper written after the trip; “Trip Abroad” Journal; List of purchases during trip; Handwritten recipe from the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school; Sewing samples; weaving workshop materials.

Mina Stecker Malin Donation: 27 photos from trip and subsequent reunions; 1993 reunion invitation.

Patricia Veneziano Donation: Three textbooks circa 1973 and 1 paperback 1972 related to the Queens College Home Economics/FNES curriculum; Photo album; Approximately 65 photographic slides of the trip; Package of printed ephemera (brochures, fliers, etc.), including materials given to her by Jane Giovaniello Reiser.

A small selection of items were borrowed, photographed, and returned. Those items are not represented in the finding aid but were used in digital exhibit.