You scream, I scream Part II: We all scream for parmesan ice cream?

So I must confess.  I didn’t make the chocolate ice cream.  I had my eggs and cream and, well, not the best French chocolate, but chocolate nevertheless, ready to go, when I read an even more intriguing recipe that I just couldn’t pass up.  Fellow AAS staff member Paul Erickson sent along the following recipe ...

To Do Tomorrow: Discover the Great Divorce

Tuesday, September 28 - 7:30 p.m. Discovering the Great Divorce by Ilyon Woo In 1814, Eunice Chapman's estranged husband stole away her three children and took them to live among the Shakers. At a time when wives and mothers had few rights to speak of, Eunice Chapman waged a colossal campaign for her children's ...

It’s National Punctuation Day!

Friday, September 24th, is National Punctuation Day.  Here at the American Antiquarian Society, we take our commas and semi-colons quite seriously.  We hold in our collection numerous grammar manuals, essays, school books, and pamphlets on the correct use of the English language, dating from the 1780s right on up to 1875.  However, being the curator ...

The Acquisitions Table: Children’s Book with Paper Dolls

The History and Adventures of Little Eliza. Philadelphia: William Charles, 1811. This imprint is among the earliest American editions of a book first printed in London accompanied by a set of paper dolls. The celebrated Philadelphia engraver and publisher William Charles integrated the images with the text as a picture book, complete with his subtle background ...

The Acquisitions Table: German-American author Charles Sealsfield

The Karl J. R. Arndt Collection of Charles Sealsfield Mrs. Blanca H. Arndt of Worcester has donated to AAS the remarkable collection of works by and about the German-American author Charles Sealsfield (1793-1864) formed by her late husband, Karl J. R. Arndt. Numbering some 250 volumes, with accompanying research files, the Arndt gift elevates AAS’s ...

Hidden Treasure of Hawaiiana

The vast collections at an institution like the American Antiquarian Society have been built and sorted over decades and, somewhat to the surprise of many scholars and readers, continue to be processed today.  Bulk collections are constantly being inventoried and rehoused to address conservation concerns and, when the Society has the resources and staff available, ...

The Aquisitions Table: Amateur Newspapers

Two titles were recently added to AAS's collection of Amateur Newspapers. The Orb. Portland, ME. 1838. 3 issues. Adopted by Jo Radner. The Liliputian. Canajoharie, NY. 1876, 1877. 22 issues. Amateur newspapers were printed usually by teenagers, and more for the pleasure and experience rather than profit. The Orb (recently "adopted" by Jo Radner during AAS's ...

My Funny Valentine

Recent AAS fellow Hugh McIntosh recently spent some time with our Valentines Collection.  This collection includes some of the frilly, lovey-dovey valentines one would expect, but also some unexpected gems!  The comic valentines of the 19th century in particular caught Hugh's eye, and he shares the following about his look at the 19th century's sense ...