Buried within a small, leather-bound memorandum book that’s part of the Hudson’s Bay Company materials at the William L. Clements Library lies a two-page map, charted circa 1779 by John Thomas of London, depicting a consequential but nonexistent waterway connecting Lake Superior with Hudson’s Bay. The search for this fictitious waterway led to the aggressive expansion of the HBC. Read on to learn more.
Political satire is not a gentle art—it is meant to leave a mark. Since the heyday of James Gillray and William Hogarth in 18th-century England, visual satirists have been able to “say” things about political leaders in their illustrations that would get writers censored (or worse). As such, it has played an important role in American political culture for over two centuries. Many of the qualities that we most readily associate with political leaders in our past come to us from satirical illustrations, not from things those leaders actually did. This exhibit invites you to think about how visual satire has shaped the way you think about political life in America. What can visual artists say about politics that writers can’t? What role does visual satire play in American political life in an age when most of what we read (and see) is online, rather than in a newspaper?
The William L. Clements Library’s collections continue to grow, helping researchers and students study the rich and diverse American past. The collections described below touch on a wide range of topics, including spiritualism, crime, children and education, business, military and international affairs, and book trades and print culture. This includes the diary of Achsa W. Sprague, Etna Bittenbender’s case statements, and various drawings and penmanship books from the 1800s. Read more to see what catches your interest!
The Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library is pleased to announce 27 new or substantially revised finding aids. With topics ranging from spiritualism to women’s service in World War II, these finding aids are a small reflection of the great depth of the holdings at the Clements that can support research and learning. This batch includes the papers of spiritualist James V. Mansfield, the Samuel and William Vernon Collection, and the J.B. Cooke Collection.
