Why History Matters
Randolph G. Adams Director of the Clements Library, J. Kevin Graffagnino, comments on the importance of history in our society. I speak at a lot of historical events, where I’m preaching to the choir. However, I also speak to civic and business groups like Rotary,...
Susy’s Breast and Material History
Guest post by Morgan McCullough, Clements Library 2019 Price Fellow In the American Science and Medicine Collection a small slip of paper lies safely nestled in a folder, a recipe “for Susy’s Breast.”[1] Undated, with author, recipient, and Susy the patient...
Imperial Spanish Symbolism: The Pillars of Hercules
This essay by volunteer Derek Brereton examines three examples of the same Spanish cultural symbolism found in some of the oldest collection items at the Clements Library. The Clements Library is fortunate to possess at least three fine examples of illustrations...
Latest Quarto: Our Favorites
The Summer-Fall 2019 Quarto is now available. The Quarto is a semi-annual magazine published by the William L. Clements Library and sent to the Clements Library Associates. Terese Austin, Head of Reader Services, has taken the helm as editor with support from outgoing...
New Graphics Finding Aids: March – June 2019
The Clements Library is pleased to announce that the following graphics collections are now described online and may be requested for use in the reading room. Andrews’ Raid scrapbook and telegraph ledger, 1885-1888 – Processed by Louiegrf Miller The...
An Empire of Free Ports
Guest post by Grant Kleiser, Clements Library 2019 Marsh Fellow Almost immediately after English men and women began to inhabit pockets of the Americas in the early seventeenth century, Parliament debated how best to control the trade that would flow from England to...
Recent Acquisition: The Wilson Globes, ca. 1811
That look of surprise and joy on a map curator’s face can only mean one thing: something fine has just landed in his division. And what better acquisition for the Clements Library than a pair–and not just any pair–of Wilson globes. And what, we hear you ask, are...