Smithsonian Libraries

Patriotic Seed Corn!

Mary Jinglewski — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Ratekin's Seed House, Men, Women and Children Wanted to Plant Good Seeds, 1913, Front Cover

“We are the oldest and largest seed corn grower in the world. Ratekin’s “famous” Iowa grown seed corn is known and planted from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Gulf to Canada. We begun the seed business to stay. Others have tried to imitate us, but many of them have come and gone. WE ARE still HERE, but could not stay if our seed and representations did not bear us out in our claims.” [Bolded and capitalized words as quoted from catalog.]

In this 1913 catalog from the Smithsonian Libraries' Trade Literature Collection, Ratekin’s Seed House celebrated their 29^th year of business with a patriotic-themed cover. Ratekin’s Seed House based their mail-order operations in Shenandoah, Iowa. The catalog’s cover claims that Ratekin’s is, “the largest seed house in the West and the largest producer of seed corn in the world.” Within its 112 pages, this catalog devotes almost a third of itself to seed corn with names such as “Diamond Joe’s Big White,” “Ratekin’s Mammoth Yellow Dent,” and “Ratekin’s Pride of Nishna.”

In addition to seed corn, Ratekin’s Seed House offers a variety of other seed choices ranging from vegetables to grains to fruits. Tree seedlings and tools from Planet, Jr. were also offered. Separate Planet, Jr. catalogs are available within our trade collection. Detailed descriptions of each plant product accompany each listing within the catalog with instructions for planting and personal testimonials from their customers. Unfortunately, Ratekin’s Seed House was no longer in business by 1920.

Enjoy this Fourth of July weekend and celebrate by eating some fresh summer corn. Have a safe and joyous Fourth of July!—Mary Jinglewski

Anniversary of First Zeppelin Flight

Smithsonian Digital Library — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Portrait of Ferdinand, Graf von Zeppelin

On July 2, 1900, Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin flew the first airship, later dubbed zeppelin, near Lake Constance in Germany, with five passengers on board. Zeppelins were used in World War I and II, and as the first commercial air transportation until the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, when their use and popularity declined.

Little-known zeppelin fact: the distinctive tower at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City was originally designed as a zeppelin port, but was only used once in that capacity.—Elizabeth Periale

This image can be found in Scientific Identity: Portraits from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, 2003.

July is National Blueberry Month

Smithsonian Digital Library — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Maria Sibylla Merian, Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung, 1730

July is National Blueberry Month.

This lovely piece by Maria SIbylla Merian is one of many from this item in the Library's collections. More images can also be found on Galaxy of Images.

—Elizabeth Periale

Smithsonian Celebrates Interns

Smithsonian Digital Library — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

On June 25, Smithsonian Secretary Clough and many Smithsonian staff attended the eighth annual Networking Reception for Smithsonian Interns. The reception provided interns the opportunity to engage top management, Office of Human Resources recruiters and career representatives in discussions about possible employment and careers at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Libraries has hosted many wonderful interns and would like to feature two from the National Museum of the American Indian Library:

Elviria Aquino (Ohkay Owingeh) is a graduate student at the University of American Indian Arts with a major in Museum Studies. She currently works as a library technician at the New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library and worked as an Education Coordinator during many years at the Okhay Owigeh Department of Education. Elviria possesses an undergraduate degree in Library Technology from Northern New Mexico College. She will be interning in the National Museum of the American Indian Library at the Cultural Resources Center (CRC) in Suitland, Md.

Karen Elizabeth Brown is a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She currently works as an information technician and digitizing project support at the university’s desktop network services and previously was a reference sssistant at the university’s Business, Humanities and Social Sciences Department. She possesses an undergraduate degree in English and Film Studies from the University of Nebraska. She will be interning in both the National Museum of the American Indian Library and Paper Archives at the CRC.—Liz O'Brien

Be sure to tune in to today's webcast!

Smithsonian Digital Library — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Portrait of Archimedes, Scientific Identity: Portraits from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, 2003

In the the first in a series of speakers to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world, the Libraries, the Smithsonian Institution Archives and the Smithsonian Office of the Chief Information Officer present William Noel, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, "Deciphering Archimedes Palimpsest and Creating Digital Manuscripts."

Noel will lecture on the conservation, imaging and scholarship of the Archimedes Palimpsest, a privately owned codex that has been revealed to contain unique texts not only of Archimedes of Syracuse, but also of Hyperides, an Athenian orator from the fourth century BC, and of Alexander of Aphrodisias on Aristotle’s categories. Dr. Noel will discuss the history of the book and the history of the project, its digital presentation on the web, and mention other manuscript imaging projects currently underway at the Walters Art Museum.—Liz O'Brien

William Noel
"Deciphering Archimedes Palimpsest and Creating Digital Manuscripts"
June 29, 2009
11:00am-12:30pm
Quad, Lecture Hall, Room 3027

live webcast

Choose American Line!

Mary Jinglewski — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

International Mercantile Marine Company, American Line, ca. 1906, Back cover

The On the Water Exhibit at the National Museum of American History illustrates the important role ships have had in the past and in the present. Before airplanes, ships were the main mode of trans-Atlantic transportation. Why not choose American Line as your transport choice for traveling into the past?

American Line “has been specially arranged to accommodate those passengers who want good food and service, moderate speed and to have the best accommodation the steamers afford at moderate cost.” Based in Philadelphia, American Line typically ran a Philadelphia-Queenstown-Liverpool shipping and travel service to and from Europe. This turn-of-the-century American Line brochure can be found in the Smithsonian Libraries' Trade Literature Collection. Within its twenty-eight pages, the brochure gives advice for travel with American Line and travel beyond the sea—points of interest, rail and alternative ship companies further east, and a foreign money exchange rate chart. A picture of either an English tourist landmark or one of the five company steamer ships features on the top of each page. Although once a part of the International Mercantile Marine Company, American Line ceased to exist after 1925.—Mary Jinglewski, with assistance from Jim Roan

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Smithsonian Digital Library — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Peter Henderson & Co., Manual of Everything for the Garden, 1896, "Back Cover."

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1594:

    JULIET:
          'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
          Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
          What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
          Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
          Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
          What's in a name? that which we call a rose
          By any other name would smell as sweet;
          So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
          Retain that dear perfection which he owes
          Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
          And for that name which is no part of thee
          Take all myself.

—Elizabeth Periale

William Noel to speak in 2009 Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives Series

Smithsonian Digital Library — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Don't miss this interesting lecture on Monday:

William Noel
"Deciphering Archimedes Palimpsest and Creating Digital Manuscripts"
June 29, 2009
11:00am-12:30pm
Quad, Ripley Center, Room 3111

live webcast

William Noel, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, will lecture on the conservation, imaging and scholarship of the Archimedes Palimpsest, a privately owned codex that has been revealed to contain unique texts not only of Archimedes of Syracuse, but also of Hyperides, an Athenian orator from the fourth century BC, and of Alexander of Aphrodisias on Aristotle’s categories. Dr. Noel will discuss the history of the book and the history of the project, its digital presentation on the web, and mention other manuscript imaging projects currently underway at the Walters Art Museum.

The Libraries joins with the Smithsonian Institution Archives and the Smithsonian Office of the Chief Information Officer to present the first in a series of speakers in 2009 to address the Smithsonian Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world.

Just one perfect rose?

Smithsonian Digital Library — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

“Why is it no one ever sent me yet one perfect limousine, do you suppose? Ah no, it's always just my luck to get one perfect rose.”—Dorothy Parker

Robert John Thornton, New illustration of the sexual system of Carolus von Linnaeus . . . , 1807, Roses

There are many more wonderful images from this publication.—Elizabeth Periale

This year's CBHL conference

Robin Everly — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

The Libraries was well represented at this year’s annual meeting of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (CBHL) on May 12-15, 2009, hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri. Robin Everly, Botany-Horticulture Librarian and Leslie Overstreet, Curator of Natural History Rare Books, Joseph F. Cullman 3rd, Library of Natural History, attended the conference. The theme was, "Growing Green: the role of gardens as models of conservation and sustainability". Martin Kalfatovic, Assistant Director for Digital Services, presented to a full audience information on Botanicus, Biodiversity Heritage Library, and TROPICOS at the preconference. The presentation was well-received and discussed amongst participants throughout the conference.

At Wednesday's evening literature awards reception held at the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park, TL-2 or Taxonomic Literature: a selective guide to botanical publications and collections with dates, commentaries, and types, 2nd edition, was given a special recognition award by the organization. This fifteen-volume work is one of the most important resources in taxonomic literature. Through its over 30-year history, it's been written, organized, and produced by botanists, most recently Laurence Dorr and Dan H. Nicolson of the Smithsonian’s Botany Department. At the reception, many librarians recalled fondly working with many of the botanists involved in TL-2.

Finally, Robin Everly was elected by the CBHL membership to serve on the Board as Second Vice President. It’s a four-year commitment, with the third year serving as the organization's Board President.

For over 40 years, CBHL has been an independent, innovative group of primarily botanical, horticultural, and natural history librarians. They work in partnership with researchers. Their skills and training reach across all aspects of librarianship and information management.—Robin Everly

New notable additions to AA/PG library in June

Doug Litts — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Looking for Mushrooms: Beat Poets, Hippies, Funk, Minimal Art; San Francisco 1955-1968. Cologne, Germany: Museum Ludwig, 2008.

This catalog of an exhibition held at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne focuses on political, social, and artistic trends that occurred in Northern California between 1955 and 1968. Often marginalized in contrast to the art scene of the East Coast of the United States, and especially that of New York City, the West Coast was a site of important changes in both art and society. In Northern California during this time, political and artistic movements became engaged and dissolved the boundaries of art to produce a “politicized counterculture” which incorporated theater, film, visual arts, dance, and literature. The organizers of the exhibition focus on the socio-political changes of this time and the artistic experiments that took place in this environment. Artists such as Bruce Conner, Jay DeFeo, and H.C. Westermann are some of the artists examined at length, along with important counterculture figures such as Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, and important influences such as the Black Panther movement and the Bay Area rock bands.

Hoving, Kirsten. Joseph Cornell and Astronomy: A Case for the Stars. Princeton University Press, 2009.

Joseph Cornell was an American artist who created collages and assembled boxes with objects and images that seem to hint at enigmatic meanings. Hundreds of the works that he created over his career contain references to astronomy. Although not formally trained in astronomy, Cornell taught himself by collecting more than one hundred books on the subject which he supplemented with clipping files filled with illustrations from old books and magazines. Many of these clippings would subsequently be used in his artwork. This book explores Cornell’s deep interest in astronomy, and examines hundreds of his works that contain references to astronomical phenomena. The author considers the importance of science in Cornell’s creative process and explores the connection the artist felt to the stars and the exploration of space in his time.

Milne, David. America’s Rasputin: Walt Rostow and the Vietnam War. Hill and Wang, 2008.

Walt W. Rostow was an economic historian who became one of the primary architects and defenders of the Vietnam War as an adviser to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. A perpetual optimist in the ability of the United States to export the American dream to countries under the threat of communism, Rostow was an unwavering proponent of the Vietnam War during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Described as “America’s Rasputin” for the influence he exerted on presidential decision-making, Rostow espoused a policy of military escalation, championed optimistic reporting, and then advised Johnson against pursuing a compromise peace with North Vietnam. David Milne closely examines Rostow’s role in Vietnam decision making and the subsequent impact of the policies and decisions that were made.

Neset, Arne. Arcadian Waters and Wanton Seas: The Iconology of Waterscapes in Nineteenth-Century Transatlantic Culture. Peter Lang, 2009.

Through the interdisciplinary perspectives of art history, cultural history, literature, and visual culture, the author defines and interprets the iconology and cultural meanings of landscape and waterscape pictures in the United States and Europe in the 19th century. Depictions of landscapes have a long history that can be traced back to classical ideals of Arcadia and Eden, and the author posits that these influenced American artists of the 19th century who portrayed an American Arcadia through classical conventions. These influences are also manifested in seascapes in which the author perceives iconological traditions in cultures across the Atlantic. Drawing on many different perspectives of the 19th century, the author proposes a different way of looking at the landscapes and seascapes produced during this time.—Doug Litts

June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month

Smithsonian Digital Library — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Elwin R. Sanborn, The New York Zoological Park, 1905, Orang-utans around a table

The Libraries has many guidebooks in its collections, as well as an interesting online show.

For Father's Day...

Mary Jinglewski — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Gillette Safety Razor Co., Gillette Blade, Silver Jubilee Issue, 1926, Catalog cover, globe and razor (top) and Tuckaway and Traveler razors (below)

“We do not realize it, but compared with our grandfathers, men today are as hairless and smooth-faced as girls. Once only great noblemen and princes enjoyed such a luxury. Poor men now can shave every day. The cause? The invention of the safety razor.”

On September 28, 1901, Gillette Safety Razor Company celebrated their 25^th anniversary by publishing a Silver Jubilee Issue catalog. One of these copies is now located at the Smithsonian Libraries' Trade Literature Collection. The 142-page catalog features silver- and gold-plated blade holders for men (and women) usually ranging between 5 to 10 dollars. The height of luxury was the $75.00 ‘New Improved De Luxe,’ an entirely gold-plated blade holder and brush kit. Imagine that as a Father’s Day present! Also, the history of the company, portraits of 20-25 year company employees, and reports from the manufacturing, sales, accounting, and advertising divisions are featured. The article, “The Conquest of the Beard,” describes a history of shaving throughout the ages and features small illustrations of beards and mustaches with captions such as the “Viennese Boulevardier” and “The Windbreakers.”—by Mary Jinglewski, with assistance from Jim Roan and Alexia MacClain

Bald Eagle Day

Smithsonian Digital Library — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Today is Bald Eagle Day.—Elizabeth Periale

William L. Bailey, Our own birds; or a familiar natural history of the birds of the United States, 1863, "Bald eagle, Engraving of the national bird."

Mark Catesby, The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands: containing the figures of birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, insects, and plants, 1731-43 [1729-48], "The White headed Eagle [Aquila capite albos]."

Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon, Histoire naturelle: générale et particulière (Oiseaux), 1799-1808, "1. Le Petit Aigle. 2. Le Pygargue."

De Laval Cream Separators

Mary Jinglewski — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

De Laval Separator Co., De Laval Cream Separators, Farm and Dairy Sizes, 1913,

Above: Cover

Below: Illustrating the Automatic Oiling of an Improved De Laval Cream Separator

To celebrate National Dairy Month...

Located in the Smithsonian Libraries' Trade Literature Collection, the De Laval Cream Separators catalog from 1913 features over seventy pages of illustrations and articles. Published by the De Laval Separator Company, ten centrifugal-based cream separator models are showcased with schematics detailing their special features and construction. Their largest cream separator, the 'Improved No. 22,' separated 675 quarts per hour, while their smallest, the 'Improved No. 19,' separated 340 quarts per hour. Though intended to be powered by hand, De Laval Separator Company did offer specially adapted electric motors for their machines. In addition, various topics are covered concerning cream production and the implementation of De Laval Cream Separators.

In 1877, Carl Gustaf Patrik De Laval "evolved the first continuous separator, which discharged the cream and skim-milk separately while the milk was being fed into the machine, and its commercial manufactures was begun in 1878." De Laval's company, which has included the De Laval Separator Company, still exists today, focusing on dairy-related endeavors.—Mary Jinglewski, with assistance from Jim Roan

Singer reception

Smithsonian Digital Library — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Above: The beauty of Botanica Magnifica was on display during the event

Below: Guests enjoy a rare opportunity to view an Audubon

On June 10, around 70 guests gathered for “Afternoon Tea with Audubon,” an event celebrating the gift of a double-elephant folio facsimile of John J. Audubon’s Birds of America to the Libraries.

This impressive and valuable work, published by Robert E. Abrams of Abbeville Press, and donated by Jonathan Singer, resides in the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History in the National Museum of Natural History. In addition to a private viewing of this rare book, guests of the tea also got an up-close glance at Jonathan Singer’s famed Botanica Magnifica and the original printed folio of Audubon’s Birds of America.

Singer, Smithsonian research scientist and botany curator John Kress, and the Libraries’ own Leslie Overstreet, Daria Wingreen-Mason and Diane Shaw were on-hand to show attendees the three double-elephant folios and answer questions. Libraries Director Nancy E. Gwinn, Associate Director of the Museum of Natural History Hans Sues, and Jonathan Singer spoke at the event.—Liz O'Brien

Picturing Words reception next week!

Smithsonian Digital Library — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:22:07 -0400

To celebrate the current Smithsonian Libraries exhibition Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration, Helena Wright, Curator of Graphic Arts at the National Museum of American History, will present “Book Illustration and Visual Culture.”

The lecture will take place in the National Museum of American History Carmichael Auditorium, located at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. next Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 5:30 pm, with a reception to follow.

If you would like to attend, please Rsvp to 202.633.1522 or SILRsvp@si.edu

A rose is a rose is a rose—Gertrude Stein

Smithsonian Digital Library — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

The Art work of Louis C. Tiffany., 1914, "Rose window."

The Sites in Phoenix Park, Dublin

Martin Kalfatovic — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

Royal Zoological Society of Ireland. Guide to the Zoological Gardens, Phoenix Park. "The Elephant takes visitors round the Gardens at a charge of 2d. on Week-days, and 1d. on Sundays."

Happy Bloomsday!

June 16, 2009 marks the 105^th anniversary of Leopold Bloom's adventures in Dublin in James Joyce's Ulysses. In Joyce's epic (literally!) novel, Leopold Bloom travels in and around Dublin. The novel itself is a masterwork of modernity and frequently cited as one of the most important and influential novels of the 20^th century. First published in 1922 (by Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare and Company in Paris), it was initially banned in the United States as obscene.

One of the pleasures of the book is the vivid descriptions of Dublin sites as seen through the mind of Bloom. One of these sites, Phoenix Park, the largest public park in Europe, is mentioned a few times in the text:

He had sometimes propelled her on warm summer evenings, an infirm widow of independent, if limited, means, in her convalescent bathchair with slow revolutions of its wheels as far as the corner of the North Circular road opposite Mr Gavin Low's place of business where she had remained for a certain time scanning through his onelensed binocular fieldglasses unrecognisable citizens on tramcars, roadster bicycles equipped with inflated pneumatic tyres, hackney carriages, tandems, private and hired landaus, dogcarts, ponytraps and brakes passing from the city to the Phoenix Park and vice versa.

One of the notable elements of Phoenix Park is the Dublin Zoo. Founded in 1830, the Zoo is an important research center.

Smithsonian Libraries holds an interesting collection of printed ephemera from zoos around the world, documented in "Zoos: A Historical Perspective". In this collection is a copy of the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland's "Guide to the Zoological Gardens, Phoenix Park."

In looking at the photographs from this publication, one can almost see Bloom himself, strolling amongst the animals.

See also the Online Concordance to Ulysses for more fun sailing with Ulysses!—Martin Kalfatovic

The Great Kite Experiment

Smithsonian Digital Library — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

H. Wright Smith, "Benjamin Franklin."

June 15 is traditionally considered the date of Benjamin Franklin's experiment with a kite to prove that lightning was electrical in nature. The Libraries has recently published a very interesting piece about Franklin by Joyce E. Chaplin, Benjamin's Franklins Political Arithmetic: A Materialist View of Humanity. Excerpts can be read on this blog, the entire publication can be found on the Libraries website, or you can even request a copy from the Dibner Library.—Elizabeth Periale