During our recent collections move, we had a chance to discover forgotten treasures hidden in the stacks. While re-shelving the book collection, we came across not one, but two rare examples of papier-mâché bindings. These lovely items have book covers made of layered...
In 2012, the Clements Library received a generous gift from Charles and Julia Eisendrath, with an appraised total value of $150,000. The gift includes a page from the Gutenberg Bible and a first edition set of Premier Établissement de la Foy dans la Nouvelle-France,...
Guest post by Sarah Fitzgerald, Book Division volunteer *** Many of our Christmas traditions come from the Victorian Era, including the decoration of Christmas trees and Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol. The Clements has several versions of A Christmas...
A rebus is a puzzle in which pictures are used to represent words or parts of words, sometimes used as a form of political satire. One such example from the Book Division of the Clements Library is Britain to America, published by Matthew Darly in 1778. It is a mock...
Guest post by Sarah Fitzgerald, Book Division volunteerEzra Heywood was a feminist and abolitionist who edited an individualist anarchist magazine, The Word. He was convicted of violating the 1873 Comstock Act in 1878 for mailing ‘obscene...
Guest post by Sarah Fitzgerald, Book Division volunteer The library has recently acquired the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, compiled by Abby Maria Hemenway. This five-volume set is a remarkable accomplishment for a 19th century woman. Hemenway’s goal was...
Guest post by Esti Brennan, Social Media Intern.Though it may occasionally be a confusion between ‘Samuel L. Clemens’ and ‘William L. Clements’ that brings people to our collections looking for Mark Twain, they won’t be disappointed....
Guest post by Esti Brennan, Social Media Intern[General Mills, War Work: A Daybook for the Home (Minneapolis, 1942).]Rationing is a common practice in wartime, meant to ensure that the country’s military is kept well-supplied without unduly depriving those...
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...
