Without a doubt, many amazing people arrive daily on the doorstep of Antiquarian Hall. They bring research early in its infancy, artistic projects, personal histories, obligations of library pilgrimage – all in need of the AAS touch. In 1813, Isaiah Thomas made clear the intent for the doors and collection be open to all who [...]
“Did he say anything about politics?” “Not a word. We talked mostly about books.” “Books! What does he know about books?” From Henry Adams, Democracy One of the more enjoyable aspects of working with old books all day is having the chance to see what past owners have tucked away for safe-keeping in the leaves [...]
With AAS’s annual Adopt-A-Book event right around the corner (read about last year’s event here), I thought I’d share another collection that will be up for adoption in April. The Sawyer brothers lived in Manchester, New Hampshire in the mid 19th century. Brothers Joseph and Henry enjoyed life in the bustling city, and loved sharing [...]
The online part of the American Antiquarian Society’s fifth annual Adopt-A-Book event is underway! Check out the catalog here. The Adopt-A-Book Catalog features a variety of items acquired by AAS curators in recent months, which are available for “adoption.” Your “adoption” gift is a fully tax-deductible charitable contribution and will be used by curators in [...]
Let’s turn our gaze for a moment from our work at the AAS to the West Coast, where Brewster Kahle has founded The Internet Archive. Kind of like a modern day Isaiah Thomas, Mr. Kahle had made his fortune, and now wanted to use it, in part, to establish an organization that would seek to [...]
On this day 150 years ago, Martha LeBaron Goddard (1829-1888) wrote the letter transcribed below to her friend Mary Ware Allen Johnson. Her letters, composed over the years of the Civil War (of which the AAS has about 30), describe one woman’s response and ways of intersecting with the world (and war) around her. This [...]
Augustus Chatterton, Esq. World traveler, wit, and author of a late eighteenth-century book of poems, Buds of Beauty; or, Parnassian Sprig. The only problem is that no one knows who the man is. After Chatterton authored the 1787 work, which contains such picks as “The Printer and Plagiarist,” “The Segar,” and “Epitaph on a Mean [...]
After supper Pap took the jug, and said he had enough whiskey there for two drunks and one delirium tremens. – Huckleberry Finn Delirium Tremens: the strange affliction of “being tormented by devils” (Root 14) while under the influence of alcohol. The Book: The Horrors of Delirium Tremens by James Root; New York: Josiah Adams, [...]
About two years ago, I found myself looking at an 1892 Bibliobroadsheet. It advertised the Bronson, Michigan, store of J. Francis Ruggles, the most unusual bibliopole ever working in Bronson, for sure. Michael Winship, professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin and an editor of the recently published five-volume series A History [...]
Recently I’ve been going through some newly acquired diaries in our manuscript collection. Randomly reading diary entries can prove to be very entertaining. Sure, you could end up reading page after page of daily weather, or recaps of Sunday sermons, but once in a while you’ll find a gem. Because so many diaries are straightforward [...]
The first ever Chairman’s Commendation from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) was awarded to AAS staff member Philip J. Lampi in a ceremony yesterday afternoon. Local politicians, current and former AAS staff, and some of Lampi’s many friends and colleagues gathered to honor his lifetime of research into early American election returns. Learn more by [...]
Who knew the skill set for a successful curator of newspapers included dumpster diving abilities? While this may not always be literally true, figuratively speaking at least AAS’s curator of newspapers has rescued some of the collection’s treasures from pretty precarious situations. Vincent Golden recently gave a talk on his “Chasing the Dumpster” activities, which [...]
For those who may have missed David Jaffee’s talk on “Learning to Look at Early American Material Culture” when he presented it at AAS this fall (or for those who want to see it again), you’re in luck! The program will be airing on C-SPAN 3 this weekend at the following times: Sat. 2/11 @ [...]
The items featured in this post were originally intended to be on display in the Reading Room of Antiquarian Hall by way of noting the Super Bowl. But the Curator of Graphic Arts instead installed archival items relating to the upcoming Leap Year in February. This is probably more fitting as, statistically speaking, Leap Year [...]
We are delighted to republish a piece from the Public Address Division of the National Communication Association. The article that appears below is the first of their series of scholarly conversations they are calling Vibrant Voices of Public Address. This first conversation is with Ronald J. Zboray and Mary Saracino Zboray — both of whom [...]
In 1869, a giant was uncovered, and along with it, a giant hoax. The 10 foot statue of what was thought to be a petrified man was unearthed at a farm in Cardiff, NY. The Cardiff Giant, as it quickly became known, confounded scientists, historians, and the general population. Was this a statue made to [...]
Of all the artifacts AAS has held on to over two centuries, the hardest one to explain is the collection of Staffordshire pottery. It’s not because it is a stretch really, but more because of the never-ending layers to unpack when the question comes up. How is it that a library that is devoted unwaveringly [...]
The Civil War Cartoon collection at AAS was donated by Dr. Samuel B. Woodward in 1934. It consists of over 600 newspaper clippings each containing a cartoon about any and all aspects of the Civil War. Because the cartoons were delivered to the Antiquarian Society as clippings, many of them are out of context and often [...]
Over the past few months, we’ve been following our Civil War soldier Henry Joslin while his company was on picket duty on the banks of the Potomac. Last we heard Henry and his Company were involved in a skirmish in late October. Now in the New Year, 150 years ago, Henry is writing home to [...]
With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, it’s time to think about our New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are a wonderful way to reflect upon the past year, on the year to come, and attempt to bring about changes in our lives. It’s in our nature to seek this kind of renewal – everyone likes a fresh [...]
Clerk and the City, 1849 Schoolmarm, 1870
