Smithsonian Libraries

Happy Birthday Jackie Robinson!

Jackie Robinson swinging a bat in Dodgers uniform, 1954. Photo by Bob Sandberg. Published in LOOK, v. 19, no. 4, 1955 Feb. 22, p. 78.

Jackie Robinson, born January 31, 1919, and helped to end segregation in major league baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. But Robinison was not only important historically—he was an All-Star baseball player, starting at first base, then taking over second for most of his career, all with The Brooklyn Dodgers. He also played himself in the Hollywood film, The Jackie Robinson Story. The Libraries has many books available to learn more about this fascinating baseball and civil-rights legend.—Elizabeth Periale

Jackie Robinson: a life remembered. Maury Allen. New York : Franklin Watts, 1987.

Jackie Robinson: race, sports, and the American dream. Edited by Joseph Dorinson and Joram Warmund. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, c1998.

Opening day: the story of Jackie Robinson's first season. Jonathan Eig. New York: Simon & Schuster, c2007.

Carrying Jackie's torch: the players who integrated baseball—and America. Steve Jacobson. Chicago : Lawrence Hill Books, c2007.

First class citizenship: the civil rights letters of Jackie Robinson. Edited by Michael G. Long. Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972. New York: Times Books, c2007.

I never had it made: an autobiography. Jackie Robinson as told to Alfred Duckett; foreword by Cornel West; introduction by Hank Aaron. Hopewell, N.J.: Ecco Press, c1995.

Stealing home: an intimate family portrait by the daughter of Jackie Robinson. Sharon Robinson. New York, NY: HarperCollins, c1996.

"I owe my life to my hobbies—especially stamp collecting"—Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30th, 1882. January is also National Hobby Month. In honor of both, here's a photo from the National Postal Museum Library's photo collection—of President Roosevelt enjoying one of his favorite hobbies, stamp collecting!

For more information about FDR, his stamp collecting hobby, and the U.S. Postal Service, you can explore the exhibit Delivering Hope: FDR & Stamps of the Great Depression online or now on display at the National Postal Museum.—Cassie Mancer and Beverly Coward

Sources Consulted:

Ganz, Cheryl.  January 2010. National Postal Museum: About the Museum: Object of the Month: FDR-Stamp Collecting President.

Spotlight on: Preservation Volunteers

The Libraries' Book Conservation Lab is pleased to introduce volunteer Andra Risch. Each of our volunteers is essential in helping with the constant workflow within general collections care.

Andra Risch has been volunteering in our lab for a full year! During this time, Andra constructed dozens of custom four-flap enclosures, created barcodes and labels for completed treatments, and cleaned spines on books needing repair (a very tedious, messy task). Andra is currently working on meticulous paper cleaning and repair on a series of fashion magazines from the Cooper Hewitt Museum. Before moving to the D.C. area, Andra lived outside of Portland, Oregon where she was exploring her career options in art and conservation. Andra has previously lived in Rome and is a prolific baker and gardener. Andra has also been a certified scuba diver since the age of 17.

All of our volunteers help complete many tedious and meticulous tasks that are essential in everyday preservation operations. The current economic conditions have affected all departments of the Libraries, and the already short-staffed book conservation lab would be lost without their help. Many thanks Andra—we look forward to continuing our work with you!—Phuong Pham

Early 1900s DIY

Aladdin Readi-Cut Homes (not pre-fabricated) 1906-1981

The popularity of DIY “do-it-yourself” home improvement and decorating projects began in the early 20th century. The North American Construction Co., later known as the Aladdin Co., was founded in 1906 by the William and Otto Sovereign Brothers. They got the idea from a Michigan company that was selling pre-cut, pre-fitted boats for consumers to assemble themselves. The Sovereign Bros. took the idea a few steps further and offered boats, homes, and garages and advertised that “Anyone who can drive a nail can put together an Aladdin House.” Once they sold a “kit” by mail order, they contracted out the specifications for the wood in the kit to local lumberyards, which would then pre-cut the sections of the houses for shipping and final assembly by the consumer. Aladdin claimed that “A saw is practically unnecessary in the erection of one of our houses. We supply the entire house for you to fit and nail together in a few days.”

In 1910 they coined the term “Readi-Cut” and by 1915, in addition to small cottages, they offered farm outbuildings such as barns and henhouses, and eventually interior furnishings such as cabinetry and appliances. The small cottages soon grew into large scale houses and Aladdin was so successful because they offered a style for everyone in all price ranges. They sold Dutch, English, and Georgian style Colonial houses, California and Stickley bungalow styles, and variations of all of the above. A few years later, North American Construction had grown into a million dollar business, owned their own lumber mills, and were calling their products Aladdin Readi-Cut (not pre-fabricated). Note the inclusion and emphasis of the word not pre-fabricated in parentheses of their name! You do it yourself! During the early 20th century the Radford Architectural Company, Sears, and other Michigan firms, Liberty, Sterling, and others were competing with Aladdin in the do-it-yourself housing market. These catalogues are valued and interesting because of their creative graphic design, and how they show the evolution of interior and exterior 20th century home design.

The National Museum of American History Library trade literature collection also has early examples of these home building kits. These and other trade catalogs can now be searched in the trade literature database available via SIRIS Collections Search Center.—Elizabeth Broman

related post: DIY at CHM

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