National Letter Writing Day: The Lost Art of the Handwritten Letter
While the origins of this obscure December 7 holiday are unclear, the tradition of having letter-writing days can be traced back to a time when handwritten letters were the most common form of communication. Before the invention of the telegraph, the typewriter, or the computer, handwritten letters were both an art form and an essential part of everyday business. To illustrate this history, we present the following examples from the Book and Manuscript Divisions of the Clements...
Today in History: Thanksgiving during the Civil War, November 24, 1864
Although we traditionally trace the origins of this holiday to the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621, it did not become an annual celebration in the United States until 1863 and a federal holiday in 1941. In the colonial era, days of thanksgiving were designated throughout the year by individual colonies as a time for prayer and fasting. After the Revolutionary War, Thanksgiving days were occasionally proclaimed by American presidents or governors of individual states. During...
From the Stacks: Two Hollow Books
In the Clements Library book collection, one small shelf of books has the call number "Curiosa." Here may be found oddities that fit nowhere else in the collection, including these two hollowed-out books. The smaller one is the Oeuvres choisies de Bossuet, volume 24 (1824), and the larger one is the Historie ecclesiastique par Monsieur l'Abbe Fleury, volume 1 of 20 (1722). Books like these provide an intriguing glimpse into the history of the book as an artifact. While most books are intended...
Playing Ball with Legends: An Afternoon with Don Lund, Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 4:00 p.m. in the Main Room of the Clements Library 909 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Enjoy never-before published personal stories about famous sports legends. Please join us to hear noted local businessman Jim Irwin and legendary University of Michigan athlete Don Lund. Jim will be discussing his new book, Playing Ball with Legends: The Story and the Stories of Don Lund. This is an exciting biographical look at one of Michigan’s most talented and honored...
An Exhibition and Symposium: “Reframing the Color Line: Race and the Visual Culture of the Atlantic World”
Exhibit dates: October 19, 2009 - February 19, 2010 Exhibit location: William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan Curated by Martha S. Jones, Associate Professor of History and Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, and Clayton Lewis, Curator of Graphics, Clements Library. Symposium dates: October 30, 31, 2009 Symposium location: 1014 Tisch Hall, 435 S. State St., University of Michigan, Department of History The William L. Clements Library presents "Reframing the...
Clements on the Air: 1949 Radio Show Featured Dramatizations of Library Materials
Did you know the Clements Library had a radio program in 1949? "Treasures Off the Shelf" was a 13-episode show on the Michigan radio station WUOM that featured dramatizations of materials from the collection. The subjects of the episodes were: Columbus returns to Spain & reports to the King and Queen Benedict Arnold offers West Point to the British Washington plans to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown Invasion from the north! General Burgoyne at Saratoga Sebastian Cabot in England Captain Thomas...
Future of the Book Symposium, October 10, 2009
The Clements Library, The Special Libraries Association-U of M chapter, and the School of Information invite you to a fall 2009 interdisciplinary conference "Digital Book Debates" asking the question, "What is the future of the book?"This event will be held in the Main Room of the Clements Library on October 10, 2009, 10:00-4:30. Clements Library Director Kevin Graffagnino will be participating in the first panel, "The Physical Book and Its Future."Online registration is available through the...
Online Exhibit in honor of Banned Books Week
Dangerous Ideas: Controversial works from the William L. Clements Library In honor of Banned Books Week, this online exhibit from the William L. Clements Library presents twenty titles from the collection that have been the subject of controversy at different moments in history. These books span over four centuries, from the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493 to Elinor Glyn's Three Weeks in 1907. They provide examples of actual or attempted censorship by governments, social organizations, and private...
Recently Published: Article about the Clements in the Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily has a new article about the Clements Library: "Off the Beaten Path: William L. Clements Library," by Gracelin Baskaran. The article includes quotes from Tom Dziuszko, longtime Clements Library volunteer, and Ann Rock, director of development at the library.
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we offer several examples from the pirate-related materials at the Clements Library. The library has a variety of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and maps related to the history of pirates, buccaneers, privateers, and other folks on the high seas.Did pirates really say, "Arrrr, matey"? Probably not, but you can find accounts about real pirates in the Clements Library. The picture below is from the 1699 English translation of The History of the...