Library Company of Philadelphia
Hand-colored lithograph depicting diadelphia in flower, from Botanical
Specimens (Liverpool, 1828).
Volunteer, Ann Nista explores a mysterious folio of botanical drawings. The drawings might be clear, technical, and beautiful, but the source of these drawings and their printing are unknown. Read more this folio and our Ms. Nista’s project on our blog : http://librarycompany.org/2018/08/01/a-portfolio-of-botanical-illustrations-at-the-library-company/
William Birch, Analostun, or Mason’s Island, with one wing of the House, at
Georgetown, and two of Mr. Custus’s in the distance. Watercolor.
John Mason built a Greek revival country seat in the 1790s on the island across the Potomac from Georgetown. In 1806 one wing of the house burned, which must be why Birch shows only part of it. George Washington Park Custis was Washington’s stepson, and his house, dimly seen in the distance, is the site of Arlington National Cemetery.
See this painting and more on view now in our main gallery as part of our current exhibition, William Birch, Ingenious Artist: His Life, His Philadelphia Views, and His Legacy, through October 19, 2018.
Charles Knowlton’s Fruits of Philosophy; or, the Private Companion of Young Married People (New York, 1832) is the first edition of the first popular manual on birth control and the first book on the subject by a physician. While earlier books had advocated birth control and even hinted at various methods, Knowlton was the first to describe in detail all the known methods and to discuss their pros and cons in practical and medical terms. He advocated douching with cold water or with various solutions of alum or vinegar, which was “sure, cheap, convenient, and harmless,” and had the added advantage of putting control over contraception in the hands of women, where he insisted it should be for both medical and political reasons. #MiniatureMonday #MedicalHistoryMonday
Read more about this important little book on our blog.
Today’s #Feathursday feature was found on our copy of Thomas Stackhouse’s A New History of the Holy Bible (London, 1764). The striking bespoke binding is heavily decorated with floral designs and features eight gold-tooled birds per side, making this a true #GiltyPleasure.
Stackhouse, Thomas.
A new history of the Holy Bible. London, 1764.
This week we highlight the joy of finding the unexpected and the joy of naming our collections in the most literal way.
Ephemera reveals something about regular people in their historical context, what they wanted to remember, and how they interacted with the visual culture of their daily lives. When we process material and find a photograph or note tucked in between pages of a book, that item could be secret token in a hiding place, or it could be as utilitarian as a bookmark. Either way these are clues of history that many can relate to now. Have you ever hidden something in a book?
Things found in books graphics collection.
[ca. 1880-ca. 1950]
Shown here is a study for the plate, “The View from Springland,” published in William Birch’s “Country Seats of the United States,” showing the gated lush grounds of Springland, Birch’s Pennsylvania country home near Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County from 1798 to 1818. Birch sold the property in 1805, continued to dwell on the grounds, and repurchased the estate in 1813.
According to an obituary for William Birch’s son, Thomas Birch (1779-1851), the two-roomed toll-takers’ house, visible on the bridge over the creek, served as the studio where father and son produced the views for The City of Philadelphia.
See this painting and more on view now in our main gallery as part of our current exhibition, William Birch, Ingenious Artist: His Life, His Philadelphia Views, and His Legacy, through October 19, 2018.
Some of our favorite beasts are helping us start this week with a #MiniatureMonday feature! Measuring just over 8 centimeters, our copy of The Museum of Beasts (New Haven, 1836) is bound in delightful yellow printed paper wrappers and contains 16 pages of woodcuts of animals alongside a poem about each animal.
Illustrated in our copy of The History of Barbados (1666) are two examples of sea unicorns, OR one example of a narwhal and something else from our dreams. Maybe a narwhal is just a unicorn that had to evolve because it missed the boat… just maybe. Side note: Who is that man in the kayak? And who is that phantom in a raincoat?
Friedrich Schoedler’s The Book of Nature (Philadelphia, 1853) is filled with illustrations and information on a variety of topics, including physics, geology, astrology, and zoology. The mollusk that adorns our copy of The Book of Nature is from an illustration on page 611.
Schoedler, Friedrich. The book of nature.
Philadelphia : Blanchard and Lea. 1853.
An image that inspires joy (and sometimes jealousy) are these bindery tools. We make any excuse to see what conservation is up to, and learning about the tools they use is no exception. The well-loved book is their forte, and well we love books.