Smithsonian Libraries

Levi Hill's Treatise on Heliochromy

As film photography becomes more and more a thing of the past, the pioneering works that examined what could be achieved with chemicals, paper, glass and light become more important and valuable.  Michelle Delaney, associate curator of the Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), has been working with several others, including staff at the Getty Conservation Institute, to examine a little-studied and long-disputed process some believe to be the earliest example of color photography. Focusing on a collection of Levi Hill's own "Hillotypes" (a kind of daguerreotype) at NMAH, their collaboration has uncovered some intriguing facts about Hill's process, and answered many of the unknowns.  You can read more about the project here and here.

Delaney alerted us to the sale of Hill's Treatise on Heliochromy, and describes the book as "a truly significant book in the history of photography."  It provides an important complement to their current research and to the Smithsonian's collection of rare Hillotypes, and we are happy to now have it in the Dibner Library's collection.

President Bush and Our Oceans -- Up Close

Tomorrow is the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History, and today I had the privilege of being in the Baird Auditorium to hear remarks from President Bush concerning his administration's efforts to protect our oceans.  Regardless of party affiliation, it is exciting to be in the vicinity of the President, as the Secret Service operates the security measures needed to keep our leaders safe.  The central core of the museum was closed to staff and public until 11am today when the visit concluded.  We waited in the auditorium while the President toured the new exhibition and learned about what Smithsonian scientists are doing to learn about our oceans to underpin protection efforts.  Touring with him were our new Secretary Clough, Chairman of the Board of Regents Roger Sant (for whom the exhibition gallery is named), Natural History Museum Director Cristian Samper, and other dignitaries.

President Bush said "oceans are important as an economic lifeline" and spoke of the 88-point "Ocean Action Plan" that has guided the work of the White House in restoring diminished fish stocks, protecting coral reefs, expanding ocean research and educational programs, expanding the Monterey Sea Sanctuary in California and protecting whales in shipping lanes.  It was a brief presentation, but it brought attention to the new Sant Ocean Hall, which will do much to enlighten the public about the importance of oceans in our lives.

Algonquin Indian Primer

Western Abenaki is an almost extinct form of the Algonquin language indigenous to Quebec on the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City.
 
This book is a purchase from the Frank T. Siebert sale.  Siebert was a pathologist and scholar of Penobscot Indian linguistics.  He amassed one of the largest and most complete collections of books on North American Indian linguistics ever known.  His collection was dispersed at auction by Sotheby’s in 1999 after his death in 1998.

Native American Indian linguistics is a subject that Smithsonian Institution Libraries is committed to collecting.  Catalog records for other Indian readers our collection can be found in SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System catalog.

Edward Donovan’s Insects of Australia

Edward Donovan (1768-1837) was a British naturalist and natural history painter, who founded the London Museum and Institute of Natural History largely from his own collections. 

His work on New Holland, New Zealand, and New Guinea is the first systematic and illustrated survey of the insects of Australia based on the collections gathered during the famous first voyage of Captain James Cook throughout the Pacific between 1768 and 1771.  Significantly, a copy of this work was used by scientists as a reference during the United States Exploring Expedition from 1838-1842.

The Cullman Library collects natural history narratives of scientific voyages, and holds the complete works of the three voyages of Captain Cook, as well as the complete works of the United States Exploring Expedition (in both print and digital formats).

More information on these books can be found in SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System catalog.