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online forum for early American discovery, discussion, and diversion from the American Antiquarian Society

The Acquisitions Table: Scripture Scenes

December 28th, 2009, by Tom Knoles

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If the holiday leftovers are still lurking in our refrigerators, we figure there’s still time for one more Christmas-themed post, courtesy of Curator of Children’s Literature Laura Wasowicz.   The charming engraving below raises two interesting questions you might want to mull over as you finish off the pecan pie.  First, where would Anderson have [...]


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Do you hear what I hear?

December 22nd, 2009, by Diann Benti

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Within the roughly 60,000 pieces of sheet music in the AAS collection, a devilish and spry Santa Claus waits for just this time of year.  At the first talk of Christmas, he appears, dancing on a chimney while playing the violin.  This 1846 incarnation of Santa Claus stands on the cover of the Santa Claus [...]


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Santa Claus Exposed

December 14th, 2009, by Diann Benti

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AAS’s The Children’s Friend: A New Year’s Present is one of just two known copies of the 1821 pamphlet.  Fifteen centimeters tall and eight pages deep, the paper-covered volume stood little chance of survival in the hands of generations of American children. But there was one family fastidious enough for the task, and by chance [...]


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Christmas Treasures: Flip through the pages of The Children’s Friend

December 7th, 2009, by Diann Benti

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It’s that time of year. Time to take ornaments out of boxes, shake the dust from stockings, and hang wreaths on front doors.  The holiday season is no different at AAS. December is the one month when it’s appropriate to pull out all of our wonderful Christmas treasures– after all who wants to see Santa [...]


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Today in the Life of an 1870 Schoolmarm Aptitudes. : September 2. Silas and I went up to see Ada Montague yesterday afternoon.  We all rode down to Mr. Marvin’s, found Alice much better.  Tried to learn me to play croquet but I am not a very apt scholar.  We came back to Mr. Seymour’s to meeting in the eve and then bid Ada goodbye.  [...]