From the Stacks: U.S. Political Satire and Cartooning
Guest post by Molly Malcolm, Clements Library volunteerMany of the holdings in the graphics division here at Clements are a form of political satire, which seems especially relevant and interesting during this election year. Presidential races have a strong history as opportunities for media outlets to employ satire to create divisions in public opinions. These divisions occur over differing viewpoints and belief systems and are often created in an effort to ensure a specific party’s political...
Current Exhibit: “Murder Most Foul: Homicide in Early America,” June 11 – October 5, 2012
"Murder Most Foul: Homicide in Early America"June 11 - October 5, 2012Curated by J. Kevin GraffagninoClements Library DirectorThis exhibit looks at murder in America from the seventeenth century to 1900 using the rich resources on crime and punishment held by the Clements. Murder and the source materials about it touch on many aspects of early American social, political, geographic, ethnic, gender, and legal history, and the Clements collections are distinctive windows on this fascinating...
From the Stacks: Baseball in the 19th Century
Guest post by Esti Brennan, Social Media InternThough there's evidence of the sport dating back to Europe in the late 18th century, the first game of baseball as we know it today was played on June 19, 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over the years the game has become an iconic part of American culture as well as an internationally-recognized sport, and its evolution and rise are well-documented in the Clements Library collections.Chadwick, Henry, Spalding's base ball guide and official...
From the Stacks: Victorian Courtship and the Language of the Fan
Guest post by Esti Brennan, Social Media Intern“The Language of the Fan” is one of the most pervasive myths of Victorian society. In a culture perceived to be straight-laced and highly codified, the idea of a secret language that permitted youthful rebellion (of a particularly romantic nature) has proven too delightful to give up. To signal “I love you” (drawing the fan across the cheek) or “I hate you” (drawing the closed fan through the hand) or arrange a clandestine meeting (showing a...
Lecture by Kevin Graffagnino: “Our Hearts Were Touched with Fire: The Civil War Collections of the William L. Clements Library,” by J. Kevin Graffagnino, June 11, 2012
J. Kevin Graffagnino, Clements Library Director"Our Hearts Were Touched with Fire: The Civil War Collections of the William L. Clements Library"Monday, June 11, 20127:00 p.m.On June 11 at 7pm, Kevin Graffagnino will speak on "Our Hearts Were Touched with Fire: The Civil War Collections of the William L. Clements Library." Kevin's talk will include images of great William L. Clements Library holdings on the Civil War in the areas in which we collect--books, maps, newspapers, manuscripts,...
Reminder: Clements Library Summer Hours Begin May 29
On May 29, the Clements Library starts the summer schedule. Note that the library will be open for research on weekdays until 5:45 pm, except for Fridays. (Thursday evening research hours will resume in the fall.) Public exhibits will be open in the afternoons, Monday through Thursday. Library:Monday: 9:00 am – 5:45 pmTuesday: 9:00 am – 5:45 pmWednesday: 9:00 am – 5:45 pmThursday: 9:00 am – 5:45 pmFriday: 9:00 am – 11:45 amGreat Hall exhibits:Monday – Thursday: 1:00 pm – 4:45 pmYou can...
In the News: “Clements Library Takes a Bicentennial Look at War of 1812”
On AnnArbor.com is a review of the current Clements Library exhibit by John Carlos Cantu, titled "Clements Library takes a bicentennial look at War of 1812." The exhibit was curated by Brian L. Dunnigan, Associate Director and Curator of Maps. It features maps, manuscripts, prints, and other artifacts documenting America's "forgotten war." For more information about current exhibits, see the Clements Library exhibits page. The War of 1812 exhibit will be open until June 1 in the Main Room...
In the News: “Clements Accepts Gift of State’s Oldest Photographs”
The May/June 2012 issue of Michigan History Magazine includes an announcement about an important Clements Library acquisition. Clayton Lewis, Curator of Graphic Materials, reports that daguerreotypes of Eber Brock Ward and his family were recently donated to the library. These images, taken in 1842, may be the earliest documented in Michigan. "Clements Accepts Gift of State's Oldest Photographs," Michigan History Magazine (May/June 2012, p. 7).
Upcoming Exhibit at the Clark Library: “An Imaginary Arctic: Speculative Cartography in the Search for the Northwest Passage,” April 30 – July 27, 2012
Melanie Langa, a researcher at the Clements Library and a student from Community High School in Ann Arbor, will curate an exhibit on the history of cartography beginning April 30th at the Stephen S. Clark Library in the Graduate Library. Entitled, An Imaginary Arctic: Speculative Cartography in the Search for the Northwest Passage, it will feature maps from both the Clements Library and the Clark Map Library through July.This event is the culmination of Melanie's research during the 2011/2012...
For National Poetry Month: Anne Bradstreet’s Tenth Muse
Anne Bradstreet, The Tenth Muse (1650).In honor of National Poetry Month, we are featuring one of the Clements Library's great treasures, The Tenth Muse by Anne Bradstreet. Printed in 1650 in London, it is noteworthy as the first book of poetry published by an American.Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) and her husband Simon immigrated to America in 1630. In 1647, her brother-in-law John Woodbridge took her manuscript poems to England to be published under the title The Tenth Muse, Lately...