Library Company of Philadelphia
Tomorrow we welcome Michael Zinman, renowned collector of Americana and inventor of the critical mess theory of collecting, to speak at our Annual Meeting reception and celebrate the opening of our exhibit, The Living Book: New Perspectives on Form and Function. Mr. Zinman has given the Library Company some amazing additions to our collection including texts for the blind and many with unique bindings, such as this dos-a-dos, Psalms and Hymns (1810), on display in the gallery.
Psalms and Hymns (New York, 1810). The Michael Zinman Binding Collection.
Life and Loves: adventures with books and booksellers (highly enjoyable and often successful); with women (entertaining but a non-starter in this environment); and with my epiphanies du jour (invariably disastrous); in all, a merry dessert for a merry evening. To attend, register HERE.
Last night the Library Company, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the William Way Center, were excited to welcome historian, Jen Manion speaking about her research on transgender and gender-nonconforming people in early America, or the “T” in LGBT.
This program is part of #PastPresentPride, a free two-part lecture series exploring sexual identity in literature and media, and the history of transgender and gender-nonconforming people, hosted by the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
We are excited to feature this beautiful leather wallet with flap binding and tie closure, originally owned by John Barker Sr. The wallet Includes four slots to hold promissory notes, which are arranged in rough alphabetical order by last name with dates ranging from 1842 to 1869. The slots are labeled in black ink: ABCDE, EGHIKL, MNOPQR, and TUVWXY. The wallet also includes an attached leather envelope with button closure.
John Barker Sr., a 19th-century merchant and grain broker, moved from Andover, Massachusetts to Michigan City, Indiana in 1835. In 1855, Barker bought interest in the passenger and freight car firm of Sherman, Haskell, Aldridge & Company and the firm’s name was changed to Haskell, Barker & Aldridge. In 1858, the firm became known simply as Haskell & Barker.
By the late 1850s, the firm ceased manufacture of passenger cars and devoted themselves to freight cars. The American Civil War brought an increase in business due to government contracts, which made the firm one of the largest employers in Indiana, and one of the wealthiest. In 1871, the firm was incorporated as the Haskell & Barker Car Company.
Behold, the ruggedly handsome hand-colored hogfish! #fishyfriday #heytheregoodlookin
Beware the wild and well-groomed Manticore. #dapperdanman #fantasticbeastandwheretofindthem
Meet our new intern, Hunter Johnson, who is working on the Digital Paxton project. He is scanning, transcribing, and providing metadata for all things Paxton. Hunter’s work is part of a partnership project with The Historical Society of Pennsylvania that aims to make Paxton materials, especially pamphlets available digitally for research.
Who can resist space cat? Let’s hope he has a good sense of direction because that compass won’t be much help.
Today is a very special day where we look to the cosmos and image a galaxy far far away… #maythefourthbewithyou and if you are going on a journey please, don’t forget your #spacepants.
Herschel, John F. W. A Treatise on Astronomy. Philadelphia : Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1834.
In Praise of Women on International Women’s Day
Tracing women’s lives in the historical record reveals the multitude of ways women have charted their course in the world. There are women who led major endeavors. There are women who flouted conventions. There are women who supported themselves through their work. There are women who followed conventional paths as wives and mothers.
Thanks to Connie King, the Library Company’s Curator of Women’s History, the Library Company has an ongoing project to digitize women’s portraits. Please enjoy this fast-paced slide show of 101 portraits – featuring famous women, infamous women, public personalities, and women known only to their families and friends – all from sources at the Library Company.
In praise of all women, Happy International Women’s Day!
Frederick Douglass was the most photographed American of the 19th Century. His likeness also appears in print processes large and small, from broadsides and political cartoons, to frontispieces and ephemera. We selected some details from our collection to share with you today to complement a temporary mini-exhibition about the celebrated abolitionist on display in our Logan Room, and a lecture about Douglass’ relationship with photography as a tool for social justice by Harvard historian and author, John Stauffer. For more information please visit http://www.librarycompany.org/events/index.htm.