New Acquisitions, Events, and Highlights from Our Collections

New and Notable Has Moved!

2011-10-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

New and Notable has moved! Please visit us on our Special Collections and University Archives homepage, where you can click on "New and Notable," browse our latest entries , and even subscribe to our blog feed. Our blog entries are now illustrated with photo galleries of each subject, so make sure to scroll down and see all of the great stuff from our collections, now each and every Monday!

Tour SCUA's New Webspace!

2011-08-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Take a tour of SCUA's spot on the Library's dazzling new website! We are excited for the Library's new look, and we want to take you on a tour of our new space. First, take a look at the new lightbox feature at the bottom of each news post. This gallery of images will accompany each post, and allow us to give you a deeper look at some of collections, services, and tools we feature on our blog. On our Home page, you can get a glimpse of some of our featured collections in the revolving image box--just click on "Read more" to see details about that collection. Near the bottom of the Home page, you'll see a feed to this blog--watch this space for frequent new content! Next, check out About the Collections to explore overviews of our Print Collections, Manuscript and Archival Collections, University Archives, Graphic and Ephemera Collections, and Digital Collections. Then take a look at Using the Collections, watch our orientation video, and read over our Reading Room Guidelines before your visit.

Check out our Exhibits section for a glimpse of current exhibits and events, and browse our Online Exhibits for engaging, in-depth, multimedia experiences with some of our collections. Browse our Research Tools to find our materials in the Library Catalog or Finding Aid Database, or by subject in our multiple Research Guides. Our new Online Materials page gathers in one spot all of our content available to you online, including University Publications, Manuscript and Archival Collections (new! More about that next week), extensive Oral Histories, and Online Exhibits. Explore our instruction and duplication possibilities under Services, and use our new webform to Ask a Question without sending an email. To see our current hours, look to the left of the main space, and to see our contact info, scroll to the bottom. We're so pleased to have a new look for the new school year. Please give us your feedback!

(SCUA will continue to post here for a little while, but soon all of our New and Notable content will be featured solely on SCUA's new website.)

The Matter of Front Matter

2011-08-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

Last October, Special Collections embarked on a project to improve the "front matter" in the finding aids of some of our archival and manuscript collections. "Front matter" is a term that archivists use to describe the "front" parts of a finding aid, or all the components found before the Box and Folder List. Primarily, the term refers to the Historical or Biographical Note and the Scope and Content Note. These components help researchers understand the context and content of a collection, and are essential to understanding how a particular collection can be used for research.

Many of our collections processed and made available for research in the 1960s through 1990s had front matter that was incomplete, too brief, or even inaccurate. So, we began working to refresh and revise the finding aids of some of the smaller collections, and to date we've completed over thirteen revisions. Browse the list below to discover some new treasures in our collections! We'll continue on this project in the coming year and tackle some front matter in our larger collections.

Associated Students Records
Campus Laboratory School Records
Oscar Kaplan Papers
Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce Records
Lemon Grove Fruit Growers Association Records
Anthony Sonka Papers
San Diego State Historical Collection
Exploring Family School Records
Agnes Osgood Papers
Allen Dairy Collection
National Conference of Christians and Jews Records
William Egle Papers

Subject Browsing with Style

2011-06-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can browse our manuscript and archival collections by subject? Our Finding Aid Database (now newly redesigned--more about that coming up next time!) allows users to see lists of all the subjects covered in our collections, and to filter these subjects by corporate name, geographic name, topical term, and more. The range and diversity of subjects is really quite astounding!

Just to whet your appetite, here's an A to Z sampling: Alcoholism, Butchers, Cemeteries, Department Stores, Entomology, Folklore, Gerontology, Horse Racing, Indian Pottery, Jewelry, Low-income Housing, Miners, Nursing, Opera, Peace Movements, Race Discrimination, Stagecoaches, Tuna Fishing, Voyages and Travels, World Politics, Youth Movements, and Zines.

Click here to browse a full list of topical terms. To browse all of our collections by subject, see our complete subject guides, which include print collections, unprocessed archival collections, and graphic and ephemera collections. Stop by Special Collections and University Archives to explore!

Using Finding Aids

2011-06-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is proud to share a new tutorial called Using Finding Aids (best viewed with the latest version of Quicktime). Have you ever started a research project, quickly overwhelmed at the idea of working through lots and lots of material to find what you're looking for? If you're using an archival or manuscript collection as part of your research, finding aids can help. Finding aids are tools created by archivists that help users understand and navigate archival and manuscript collections. Finding aids describe and detail the organization and the contents of a collection. We created this tutorial because we know it can be daunting to embark on a project using primary sources or archival collections for the first time, and knowing your way around a finding aid can make the process much easier!

The tutorial is divided into nine brief sections, and includes a quiz to test your knowledge after you've progressed through the sections. Learn more about these important tools, then stop in to Special Collections to put your knowledge to work!

Welcome, Summer!

2011-05-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

Special Collections can't wait to get into the SDSU Summer Session, beginning today! We're very excited for a summer of important projects and events in Special Collections, including: launching our newest video tutorial, called Using Finding Aids; a redesign of the library's website; the release of a suite of major archival collections, including the San Diego Opera Collection; and the launch of our Virtual Reading Room. The Virtual Reading Room (powered by Archon Version 3.14) allows us to embed digital copies of materials in archival collections directly into the collection's online finding aid, so that users can access collections digitally exactly as they would see them in our physical Reading Room.
We are also looking forward to welcoming our new Dean, Dr. Gale Etschmaier, who will be joining the library on June 30!
Stay tuned to hear more about newly processed collections, new acquisitions, upcoming events, and exciting new tools from Special Collections!
Image is from the San Dieguito Boys' and Girls' Club Records.

Founder's Day and the 40th Anniversary of Love Library Dedication

2011-05-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Happy May! The first week of May has always been a special time at SDSU. For many years, students, faculty, and alumni would gather on campus this week for Founder's Day celebrations. Founder's Day (which was also called Dedication Day and May Day at various points in our history) commemorated the passage of the bill creating the San Diego Normal School by California state legislature in 1897, and was marked by festivities, performances, events, demonstrations, and open houses across campus. Programs, ephemera, news clippings, and correspondence related to Founder's Day is now collected in our Founder's Day Collection here in SCUA, as well as in the University Archives Photograph and Topical Files.

The celebration in 1971 was particularly festive, as the campus dedicated our (then brand-new) Love Library with a special ceremony. Though the ribbon-cutting on the new building had already happened in March, and though students had been able to check out materials for some time, the dedication ceremony for Love Library fixed the Library's central place in the campus and in the hearts of faculty and students. Novelist Irving Stone gave the remarks at the ceremony in the Open Air Theatre, and Everett Gee Jackson unveiled his portrait of President Love. Happy Birthday to SDSU and to Love Library!

Sesquicentennial Events in April

2011-04-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Join SCUA this week as we begin our short series of lectures presented in conjunction with our Civil War exhibit, Echoes of the War: The Civil War Sesquicentennial. This Thursday, April 14, at 4 p. m. we will host Ed Blum, assistant professor of history at SDSU as he discusses "Satan and the Civil War: Considering Ultimate Evil in the War that Shaped America." The lecture will be held in Room LL430 of the SDSU Library.

Next Wednesday, April 20, Thomas Bahde will discuss "Neither Historian Nor Novelist: Captain Francis Moore & The Making of Civil War Memory" in Room LL430 at 7:30 p.m. Bahde, who is the curator of the current exhibit, will speak on a Civil War soldier's memoir held in our collection. Join us to hear these terrific speakers!

The Old West in Special Collections: the Annie L. Jobs Photograph Album

2011-04-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

One of our newest collections is perfect for study on mining towns, western emigration, and the Old West. The Annie L. Jobs Photograph Album. This album features photographs of Flint, Idaho. Flint was a mining town with a population of fifteen hundred in Owyhee County, Idaho run by the Flint, Idaho Mining Company during the 1880s and 1890s. Native Americans from the surrounding area often made incursions into camp, and eventually the United States Calvary was called in to prevent further disturbances. Today, Flint is a ghost town with only a few buildings still standing.

Compiled by Annie L. Jobs (possibly the wife of Thomas A. Jobs, Esquire) in 1886 and 1887, the scrapbook is a rich resource for the study of mining town life in the Old West. Jobs' scrapbook features photographs of camp holiday celebrations, miner tents and dwellings, the town mill, the boarding house, other camp buildings, surrounding scenery, and much more. Jobs meticulously describes each photograph and lists the names of individuals in the photograph, including the intriguing "Professor Duff."

For other Old West materials, check out the California Stage Company Register, a log of stage coach runs between North San Juan, Sacramento, Nevada (CA), and Virginia City between 1864 and 1868. Also see the J.W. Eighmy Notebook, a doctor's notebook from 1875 containing prescriptions and formulas for ailments like gout, syphilis, snake bites, and more, which can be linked to a northern California town.

Source: http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/id/flint.html

More Newly Processed: San Diego's Jewish History

2011-03-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

In a previous post we announced that Special Collections has processed fifteen new archival and manuscript collections over the last few months. Next up in our series of posts describing them are several collections documenting San Diego's Jewish history. In this week's spotlight are the Morris Showel Cottage of Israel Collection, the Gussie K. Singer City of Hope Collection, the Abraham Nasatir Papers, the Ida Nasatir Papers, and the Women's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education Collection. All of these collections were donated to Special Collections by the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego.

Morris Showel Cottage of Israel Collection, 1948-1999 (MS-0462)

Dancing Girls Outside the Cottage of Israel

Balboa Park, 1952

Morris Showel was president of the Cottage of Israel in Balboa Park when it opened in August of 1948 - three months after the founding of the state of Israel. The Cottage's operation was directed by a Board elected at an annual meeting by the general membership. Membership was open to anyone interested in Israel. The Cottage, now known as the House of Israel, is one of the 29 Exposition cottages that make up the House of Pacific Relations located in Balboa Park. The collection consists of documents from promotional events either hosted by the Cottage of Israel or sponsored by other Jewish organizations in the San Diego area. It includes newspaper articles, photographs, flyers, announcements, displays, and invitations which document the public relations efforts of the Cottage of Israel from 1948 to the late 1990s.

Gussie K. Singer City of Hope Collection, 1977-2008 (MS-0463)
Founded in 1912 as the National Jewish Consumptive Relief Association of Southern California in Duarte, CA, the City of Hope offered treatment and services as a sanatorium for tubercular patients of any religious or ethnic background. Local chapters were started across the country to help raise funds for the hospital. The Gussie K. Singer Chapter of the City of Hope was founded in 1928 as the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association of San Diego. It was the second chapter formed, and is the oldest chapter still in existence. The collection consists of tribute books, newsletters, certificates, and other papers, including a 1971 tribute book honoring Harry Bronstein.

Abraham Nasatir

Abraham Nasatir Papers,1939-1995 (MS-0465)
Abraham Nasatir was born in 1906 in Santa Ana, California. He entered UC Berkeley at the age of 14, and received his PhD in History at age 21. While studying at Berkeley he met his future wife, Ida Hirsch, an English student. After marrying in 1929, the couple moved to San Diego where Nasatir began a 50-year teaching career at San Diego State College. Focusing on his fields of Spanish border, Mississippi Valley, and Gold Rush history, Nasatir published 14 books and numerous articles. He also served as vice-consul for Paraguay and Ecuador. As an Orthodox Jew, he was a leader and educator of the Jewish community. Nasatir Hall on the SDSU campus is named for him. The collection consists of correspondence, articles, photographs, newspaper clippings, materials from various Jewish institutions in the area, items about Nasatir Hall, and materials on the destruction of their home by fire and the rescue of their papers.

Ida Nasatir aboard the Isle de France, 1930

Ida Nasatir Papers, 1897-1995 (MS-0466)
Ida Nasatir was born in Denver, Colorado in 1910. She attended UC Berkeley and majored in English. She met her husband, while at Berkeley. They married in 1929, and came to San Diego when Abraham accepted a teaching position at San Diego State College. Ida was an English teacher, specializing in working with emotionally handicapped children at San Diego High School. She also taught adult education programs. She was very active in the Jewish community, where she was well known as a teacher, book reviewer, and writer. She chronicled community members by writing their obituaries. Nasatir traveled widely in Europe and South America with her husband throughout his career. She wrote about their travels in detailed correspondence and articles. She passed away in 2005. The collection consists of press clippings, book reviews, correspondence, obituaries, and a yellow star that reads "Juif" worn by a French Holocaust survivor and given to Nasatir during a visit to Paris.

First Women's Seder in San Diego at the Woman's Institute
for Continuing Jewish Education, Spring 1979

Woman's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education, 1977-2004 (MS-0464)
The Woman's Institute for Continuing Jewish Education was founded in 1977 and existed until 2004. Its mission was to bring women together to study with Jewish female scholars and artists who were accomplishing cutting-edge research and scholarship. The Institute pioneered the teaching of Torah, Talmud, and Midrash by women and established the Shabbat lecture series. The collection contains complete documentation of all the programs and publications of the Institute, including books, newsletters, press releases, clippings, photographs, and a video tape. The collection was created and donated to the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego by Dr. Irene Fine who was co-founder and director of the Institute. The Institute was the first such women's institute in the country.

Newly Processed Collections for the Spring Term

2011-03-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce that we have fifteen newly processed collections, open for research for the Spring 2011 semester! We'll be featuring them in groups here on New and Notable for the next few weeks.

First to appear here is a group of collections documenting San Diego local history, including the James B. Pearce Papers, the San Diego Center for Children Photograph Collection, and the San Diego Public Information Office Records. The Pearce and San Diego Center for Children collections were processed by department staff, while the San Diego IPO Records were processed by an undergraduate intern from the History Department.

James B. Pearce Papers, 1924-1963 (MS-0182)

James Pearce was born in Minnesota in 1896. He moved to Lemon Grove in 1923 with his family. When Pearce's father passed away in 1927, he took over the family real estate business, which specialized in the sale of ranches. Pearce also served as a member of the Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce. The James B. Pearce Papers (1924-1963) primarily document the advertising activities and real estate listings of Pearce's real estate company, H. Pearce "Ranches Only." Of particular interest is the first issue of the Lemon Grove Empire (1928), a rare newspaper about the area's agricultural activities, and scrapbook of Pearce's real estate listings.

San Diego Center for Children Photograph Collection, ca. 1920s and 1930s (MS-0451)

The San Diego Center for Children is San Diego's oldest accredited nonprofit organization serving children and adolescents. During the first half of the 20th century, the Women and Children's Home was located in Balboa Park, in a building designed by architect Irving Gill. This small collection consists of sixteen photographic negatives of the San Diego Center for Children. Photos of the interior and exterior of the Balboa Park building, designed by Irving Gill, are included, as well as photographs of children and their adult caretakers. The images date from the late 1920s or 1930s.

San Diego Public Information Office Records, 1971-1978 (MS-0450)

In 1970, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors established the San Diego Public Information Office (IPO) which was developed into a public relations firm under the Chief Administrative Office and charged with creating a communications program for San Diego County government. The San Diego and the daily responsibilities of the Public Information Office (PIO) in the county. The Collection consists of community liaising program files, correspondence, memorandums, financial reports, and purchase orders documenting the management and daily repsonsibilities of the PIO.

(Above image is from a scrapbook which is part of the James B. Pearce Papers.)

Historical African-American Materials in Special Collections: the John and Jane Adams Photograph Collection

2011-02-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

At the close of African American History Month, we want to feature some of the many historical materials related to the African-American experience in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries available in our collections. Special Collections has numerous and compelling collections documenting San Diego's local African-American community, such as the Leon Williams Papers, the Reverend George Walker Smith Papers, the Harold K. Brown Papers and more. Other relevant materials can also be found within many other archival and manuscript collections.

Displayed here is a photograph from a travel scrapbook in the John and Jane Adams Photograph Collection. The photograph shows a group of African-American boys and the caption reads, "Ebony models, who were paid ten cents for posing - Harrisonvill, MO. [sic]" Also from this collection is a fascinating photograph of a group of African-American workers at the Green River House in Louisville, Kentucky, 1896. What can we learn about race in American culture and society at the time these photographs were taken? What questions arise from these images?

A Fitting Football Season Ender

2011-02-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to San Diego State University alum Marshall Faulk, elected in his first year of eligibility to the NFL Hall of Fame! One of the most heavily decorated Aztec athletes of all time, Marshall Faulk was the first Aztec named first-team All-American by the Associated Press. He accomplished the feat three times, and left SDSU holding 19 school records, including career rushing yards (4,589). He ran for an NCAA-record 386 yards in one game. Faulk, runner-up for the 1992 Heisman Trophy, holds every SDSU career and single season rushing record but one. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts as the number two choice in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, and was named AFC Rookie of the Year in 1994. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 1999. Faulk is the only player to accumulate 12,000 rushing yards and 6,000 receiving yards in a career. He earned four Pro Bowl trips, three Offensive Player of the Year Awards, and the 2000 NFL MVP Award. To see more about Faulk's amazing career at SDSU, consult the sports pages of the Daily Aztec from the early 1990s. These are available in Special Collections and University Archives, or in Microforms. Coming soon: a keyword-searchable digital version of the full run of Daily Aztecs and the newspaper's predecessors! Be on the lookout here for news of this digital version this spring.

Opening Today!

2011-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

At long last, we are able to say that our Civil War exhibit is open! Though there have been some delays (due to the arrival of fantastic new exhibit cases for our Donor Hall), this exhibit is worth the wait. “Echoes of the War: The Civil War Sesquicentennial” draws on the rich holdings of Special Collections and University Archives to explore the war’s major themes and to highlight the experiences of ordinary Americans during the conflict. From the debates over slavery and abolition that presaged the onset of the war, to the experiences of both Northern and Southern fronts, the exhibit seeks to move viewers away from the noise of battle and closer to the daily experiences of both soldiers and civilians. Original diaries, letters, documents, and photographs highlight soldiers’ everyday lives, their experiences in camp, and their sometimes-conflicted feelings about the causes of the war. The exhibit also engages the war as it was remembered and commemorated by veterans and later generations, asking viewers to question their own understanding of the war and its consequences. The volunteer guest curator for this exhibit is Thomas Bahde, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar in the History Department at UCSD and editor of the memoir of Civil War soldier Captain Francis T. Moore, forthcoming from Northern Illinois University Press. Stop by the Donor Hall today to peruse this fantastic display!

There are two partner exhibits to "Echoes of the War," and both are in Special Collections, on the 4th floor of the Library Addition. "Sources of Conflict: Researching War in Special Collections" showcases our numerous military-related collections and compelling primary sources related to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. This is a popular research and writing topic among undergraduates, and this display uncovers some amazing archival content that can be used in papers and research projects for classes in history and other disciplines. Finally, "Dear Doc Post: San Diego State's Aztec News Letter in World War II" displays some fantastic letters from student servicemen written from all over the world during the Second World War. They wrote home to Dr. Lauren Post, who published their letters in the Aztec News Letter and thus united scattered "Staters" during a difficult time. Photographs, ephemera, and university publications are display, and explore areas such as the making of the newsletter, combat reports, the letter as artifact, and travel accounts. Come on up to SCUA this semester and check these out!

Later, we'll have updates on lectures and events related to the Civil War exhibit--check back soon!

Everett Gee Jackson's Christmas Cards

2010-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Special Collections is fortunate to have a large selection of holiday ephemera, both in the John and Jane Adams Greeting Card Collection and in the Topical Series of the John and Jane Adams Postcard Collection (now newly reopened after this fall's reprocessing). These collections can be drawn upon for primary sources to service a multitude of research topics and fields, including American Studies, graphic design, the history of advertising, and general cultural history. But tucked within Dr. Adams' personal papers lies a wonderful folder of unique Christmas greetings. These postcards are all addressed to the Adams' by their friend and colleague Everett Gee Jackson, who taught in the SDSU Art Department for over thirty years. One of San Diego's most recognized and respected artists, Jackson nurtured the Art Department through some of its most notable achievements as its chairman, including a 1934-1936 project to paint social realist murals in Hardy Tower (now restored and removed to the library).

Each Christmas, Jackson created a quirky original linocut in his distinctive style to mark the season, and sent these postcards to intimate friends and loved ones. The designs were often poignant--the card from 1944 hopes for peace coming to a war-torn world. In the 1960s, the linocuts frequently allude to the contemporary space race, as this monkey on a rocket (below) from 1961; however, the Cthulhu astronaut from 1968 begs for explanation! Stop by Special Collections for a look at these fantastic greetings from a famous artist.

Beginning today, our hours will be Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm. We will be closed December 24th through January 2nd. Join us in January for the 2011 Spring Semester!

The WWII Servicemen's Correspondence Collection

2010-12-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today's anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 warrants a look at one of our wonderful University Archives collections relating to soldier-students at San Diego State. The World War II Servicemen's Correspondence Collection is an incredible wealth of personal war experiences, written by San Diego State students serving all over the world. During the early months of World War II, geography professor Lauren Post began the Aztec News Letter, a highly popular newsletter sent to dispersed Aztecs serving in all branches of the military. Servicemen and their families wrote to Dr. Post to relate news of themselves, and to tell of the war activities of other "Staters" they had encountered. Many soldiers express, in poignant terms, their personal difficulties in dealing with combat, with suffering, with loss, and with the war atrocities they were seeing.

This letter, written only three months after Pearl Harbor by football player Wally "Mac" McAnulty, likens his experience at Pearl Harbor to a game: "It was really something on the seventh of December. I'll tell you it was just the same as waiting for a kickoff. Your old stomach was just as tight as it could be but when the first gun was fired, boom, it was gone and you were figgering [sic] how to run one through tackle." Wally goes on to say that the one job he dislikes in his service so far is that of censor: "I once thought that reading other folks mail might be fun but boy was I fooled. Reading a hundred to a hundred and fifty letters a day is no fun."

Currently, Special Collections is working on a project to capture data about each of the approximately 3000 letters in this fantastic collection, in anticipation of its eventual digitization. Selections will be on display beginning next Spring in a small exhibit featuring the collection in the Special Collections foyer. This will accompany the Spring display inside the department, called Sources of Conflict: Researching Wars and the Military in Special Collections, which will feature a number of our war-related collections. And watch out for our Spring Donor Hall exhibit, Echoes of the War: The Civil War Sesquicentennial. We're looking forward to these displays in the coming semester!

New Online Exhibit: Unidos por la Causa

2010-11-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

Special Collections is proud to announce the publication of our latest online exhibit, Unidos por la Causa: The Chicana and Chicano Experience in San Diego. This fantastic exhibit, prepared by SCUA employees Amanda Lanthorne, Priscilla Lopez, and Kerwin So, is the tenth in our series of exhibits using an open source exhibits tool from the New Media Consortium called Pachyderm. It is our very first bilingual exhibit, and we are excited to release these great selections from our Chicano/a Studies collections in both English and Spanish. We are currently processing several more additions to the Chicano/a Studies Archive--stay tuned to New and Notable for updates! And don't forget to take a look at the physical version of Unidos por la Causa on display in the Reference area of the Library under the Dome, which will be available through December 31.

In other exhibit news, we're busy planning our upcoming Civil War anniversary exhibit for Spring 2011, which will be in the Donor Hall for all of Spring Semester. To complement this exhibit, we'll be showcasing some of our best war- and military-related collections in the foyer gallery outside SCUA in the Spring. And inside the department, have a blast from the past with selections from University Archives in our SDSU A-Z display. Drop by the department to take a look soon!

Soldiers at State: Celebrating Veteran's Day at SDSU

2010-11-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Veteran's Day, San Diego State! In honor of Veteran's Day and our large number of student veterans and servicemen, we are showcasing our newly processed collection, the Robert M. Briggs Papers. Robert M. Briggs was a professor of Secondary Education at San Diego State for thirty years. Prior to this tenure at San Diego State, he served in the army during World War II. He was stationed primarily in the Pacific Theater where he worked as a sharpshooter and communications sergeant. Briggs was also an artist, and during his time in the Pacific, he made sketches and watercolors of other servicemen, battleships, local people, and landscapes, sometimes even while under enemy fire. He also painted insignias on military planes, including the insignia on Bockscar, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The Briggs Papers offers a unique look at war art.

Briggs' artwork reflects the feel and mood of the time, and offers insightful perspective on WWII. He often sketched rapidly while under enemy fire, then added watercolor later, in the safety of his barracks. The image shown here is a sketch of men bathing in a stream. Briggs and several members of his unit went to bathe and unknowingly stumbled upon a group of Japanese soldiers also bathing. Both groups called a temporary truce so that each could finish bathing.

The Robert M. Briggs Papers (1943-2004) document Brigg's military duty during the Second World War and his paintings and personal writings. Highlights include Briggs' scrapbook of photographs, newspaper clippings, sketches, and watercolors of fellow servicemen, local Okinawans, landscapes, and battleships during World War II. The collection consists of newspaper clippings, photographs, sketches, watercolors, poems, essays about WWII and the Rocky Mountains, and an oral history discussing his experiences during WWII.

Other WWII-related collections include the WWII Servicemen's Correspondence, Haakon Maurice Chevalier Diary, Hitler Memorabilia Collection, and the Kramer Rohfleisch Papers. To view our military research guide, click here.

A Halloween Grab Bag

2010-10-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

In honor of our spookiest holiday, we offer a selection of our scariest SCUA items!
Happy Halloween!

Pietro Mattioli, De i discoursi ...della materia medicinale. Venice, 1604. Rare Book Collection. Bedbugs!

H. P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror, 1963. Chater Collection of Science Fiction

The Haunted Looking Glass, 1984, signed and inscribed by Edward Gorey. Edward Gorey Collection.

Adams Postcard Collection

German almanac , 1649. Rare Book Collection.

Opening Tonight! "Unidos Por La Causa: The Chicana/o Experience in San Diego"

2010-10-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Special Collections and the Library will celebrate the opening of our new bilingual exhibit Unidos Por la Causa: The Chicano Experience in San Diego, a display of photographs, art, and historic documents illustrating the early years of the Chicano movement for social justice and civil rights in San Diego. Among many documents and images that illustrate the movement, the exhibit includes a selection of 62 movement-related posters and broadsides produced in the 1960s and 1970s promoting anti-war marches, UFW protests, student conferences and many other cultural and political events, demonstrating the movement's struggle for equal education and its resistance to injustice.

Unidos Por la Causa celebrates San Diego's Chicana/o community and the Chicana/o movement, and will be a guide to some of the most seminal events in San Diego's Chicana/o history, including those which helped to shape the community during the 1960's and 1970's. The exhibit draws upon materials held in Special Collections and University Archives. These collections, many of which have only recently been acquired, include the Arturo Casares Papers, the Enriqueta Chavez Papers, the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department Records, the Chicano Federation of San Diego County Records, the Leonard Fierro Papers, the Maria Garcia Papers, MANA of San Diego County Records, the Rene Nuñez Papers, and others. In addition, a separate exhibit case displays artifacts and other materials documenting the takeover of Chicano Park in 1970 and includes a video display of film footage of the Takeover in 1970 (illustrated above).

A special reception during the celebration will honor contributors and donors to the Archive, followed by a talk by Martín Gómez, Director of the Los Angeles Public Library, one of the largest metropolitan library systems in the United States. Mr. Gómez’s presentation “Archiving a Movement” will discuss how this particular archive is part of a nation-wide revitalization of libraries reflecting increased Latino patronage. The lecture will take place in Love Library Rm. 430 on Wednesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. A flyer publicizing the lecture is attached to this message. We hope you will join us Wednesday at 7 p.m. for this important talk.

These events are made possible through the generous support of the President’s Leadership Fund, by contributions from SDSU departments, and support from individuals and organizations in the San Diego community. Please join us!

Inside the SCUA Classroom

2010-10-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

This fall, Special Collections has hosted a number of fantastic class sessions from diverse disciplines, including English Literature, Journalism and Media Studies, History, Art, and Theatre. Our latest class session was an energetic group of undergrads in HIST 400: The Historian's Craft, taught by Professor Paula de Vos. These students are studying the complex topic of historiography, and used a visit to Special Collections to test what they have learned so far in class.

Students got to know a primary source by answering a few questions about it (such as: What type of document is this? Who produced this document? When was the document produced? Why do you think it was produced? What research questions might the primary source help answer?). Then, choosing two options from a range of historiographical traditions/frameworks/approaches (such as gender history, political history, Marxist interpretation, cultural history, social history, economic history, legal history), students described how their source might be used and interpreted in each approach. We all had a great discussion to wrap up the class as students shared what they found. We hope to see these budding historians back in SCUA soon!

Documents included a monthly report from the Traveler's Aid Society in 1923; an anti-slavery treatise on flogging from 1835 found in the U. S. Civil War Collection; a report on Un-American Activities in California published in 1943; an underground newspaper from the local Chicano movement in the 1970s; a letter opposed to forced busing for school integration; postcards from the 1935-36 California-Pacific Exposition in Balboa Park; minutes of the Federated Trades and Labor Council; a health officer's report on local garbage disposal practices in 1900; and a logbook from a California stagecoach company in the nineteenth century.

Image: History class in SCUA, 2008

Cabinet Card Curiosities in the Adams Photograph Collection

2010-10-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Interested in photography or photographic history? Or just want to look at some cool stuff? Check out the John and Jane Adams Photograph Collection in Special Collections and University Archives. Donated by Special Collections benefactors, John and Jane Adams (for whom the Adams Humanities building is named), the collection consists of a wide variety of photographic processes and formats, including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, albumen prints, platinotypes, glass plate negatives, cyanotypes, cabinet cards, carte de visites, photo albums and more! These photographs primarily date from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth centuries and contain interesting (and sometimes slightly bizarre!) portraits, exotic and familiar landscapes, cityscapes, and amusing scenes of daily life from all over the United States and abroad.

Besides offering scenes from the days of yore, the collection also provides a wonderful glimpse at late nineteenth century advertising. Displayed here is a cabinet card from a local San Diego photographer. Note the that the photographer used an easel and a painter's palette in his advertisement. Photographers in the late nineteenth century often juxtaposed cameras with artist tools, such as paint brushes and palettes, within their advertisements to gain recognition as artists rather than mere tradesmen. These advertisements also document improvements to photographic equipment and processes, and the general progression of technologies during the later nineteenth century. For instance, one photographer boasted his ability to take photographs by electric light, while another advertised his talent for enlarging prints – a difficult and uncommon process during the time.

This collection is one of many Adams collections, including the John and Jane Adams Postcard Collection, the John and Jane Adams Trade Card Collection, and the John and Jane Adams Artwork Collection. Because we are currently processing this gem of a photograph collection, it is not open for research in the Reading Room at this time. We hope to have it available by Spring semester 2011. Stay tuned for more hidden treasures!

Adams Postcard Series Closed this Fall

2010-09-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Fall 2010 semester is off to a fantastic start in Special Collections!

We have upcoming posts about our new Chicano Studies exhibit, some newly processed collections, and some great new acquisitions, but for now a bit of collection management news: the Topical Series of our wonderful Adams Postcard Collection will be closed this fall for reprocessing. We're combining and categorizing the topics in the series into a more usable form, and finding gems in this series every day. It will be opened again for research later in the fall, but for the next month or so, it will be unavailable to patrons in our reading room. In the meantime, enjoy a few of our many great finds in this collections!

Welcome Back SDSU!

2010-08-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Fall 2010 Greetings to returning students, faculty and staff at San Diego State! Special Collections and University Archives is gearing up for a fantastic semester, full of class visits, exhibit openings, and extended public service hours.

This fall, you can browse several terrific exhibits in the library which feature materials from Special Collections. In the Donor Hall, see original newspapers, photographs, correspondence, and other primary sources drawn from our Women's Studies collections in "Sustaining a Revolution: Women's Studies Turns 40." In Special Collections (on the fourth floor of the Library Addition), you can view first editions, rare ephemera, and manuscripts in our visiting exhibit from Vanderbilt University, "Mark Twain: An American Original," as part of our year-long celebration of Twain. Outside the department in our foyer gallery, see items from the collections supporting the legacy of Mark Twain in "Laughing Matters: Researching American Humor in Special Collections." Last but definitely not least on the exhibit schedule, we will be opening our fantastic exhibit on Chicano/a history in San Diego, called "Unidos por la Causa: The Chicano Experience in San Diego," on October 1st in the Reference area. Come check them out while you're under the Dome! If you miss them during the library's open hours, we'll have online versions of most of these exhibits later in the fall.

This year, we're happy to return to our extended service hours in the Reading Room. We'll be open for you to consult the collections Mondays and Tuesdays 10am to 7pm, and Wednesdays through Fridays 10am to 5pm, so drop by any time! And if you want to browse our holdings after those hours, check out our research guides or our Finding Aid Database. Got a question? Browse our homepage, send us a reference question, check out our digital collections, or better yet, drop by the department to get an extended reference consultation with one of our librarians!

Images: Registration, 1965: University Archives Photograph Collection.

A New Astronomical Acquisition

2010-07-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

This spring, Special Collections acquired a very special book for our Historic Astronomy Collection. First published in 1524, Cosmographia was written by Peter Apian (or Petrus Apianus in the more common Latin version of his name), and was such a popular text that it eventually went through 45 separate editions. In Cosmographia, Apianus gave for lay readers an introduction to the discipline of cosmography, which blended concepts in astronomy, astrology, navigation, cartography, geography, and instrument design in order to plot the positions of astronomical and terrestrial masses (such as stars, planets, or continents).

A few years after the first edition appeared, mathematician Gemma Frisius published an edited version of Cosmographia and added his own corrections and additions to Apianus' original text. Special Collections' new acquisition is Frisius' version of 1540. Frisius added many illustrations to the text, as well as complex volvelles (stacks of paper discs strung together on a page and rotated to compute calculations in geographical, astronomical, or mathematical problems). In our 1540 version there are four complete working volvelles, which helped the reader determine calculations about distance, altitude, and even time of day. The volvelles are supplemented by many striking woodcuts.

Apianus discussed many basic elements of cosmography in his work, illustrating them so that a beginners in the field could easily understand. Here, he plays with a visual analogy: geography is similar to drawing the whole head; chorography (or topography) is similiar to looking closely at the detail of an eye or ear. Apianus introduces several practical ways to measure distance, such as these illustrating how to measure by using one's hands or by paces.

Our copy of this fantastic work really has it all! It is bound in a vellum manuscript leaf with initials in blue and red. It also happens to be a copy formerly owned by Owen Gingerich, the famed historian of early astronomy who also wrote the introduction to our Catalogue of the Rare Astronomical Books in San Diego State University Library in 1988. The 1540 edition joins a 1537 edition in our Historic Astronomy Collection.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-06-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

In honor of July 4th, the library and Special Collections will be closed all day on Monday, July 5th. But after the holiday, we'll resume our summer hours of 10am to 3pm, Monday through Friday. In July, look for a brand new online exhibit about the history of San Diego theatres, a new page of highlights from our Spring book arts exhibit, Above and Beyond, a new physical exhibit in the Donor Hall honoring the fortieth anniversary of Women's Studies at San Diego State, and a new exhibit in the Reading Room commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Mark Twain. Stay tuned for more details as we work on these projects through our busy summer!

Image from the John and Jane Adams Postcard Collection.

Two Final Spring Collections

2010-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

To round out our list of Spring 2010 newly processed collections, we'll end with the fascinating archival collection of an important local organization, and the related manuscript collection of a notable San Diegan. Both collections add significantly to our strong emphasis on African-American history and general twentieth-century social history in San Diego, which also includes the Carlin Integration Case Records, Citizens United for Racial Equality Records, School Integration Task Force Records, and the Leon Williams Papers. Documents from both new collections now supplement our wonderful online exhibit, "Creating Community: African-Americans in San Diego."

Image: Protest against discriminatory employment practices at the San Diego Bank of America, 1964. From the Harold K. Brown Papers.

Center for Community Economic Development Records, 1963-2006 (MS-0432)
Initially formed in 1995 as a certificate program in Community Economic Development at San Diego State University's College of Business Administration, the program expanded in 2000, becoming the Center for Community Economic Development (CCED) under the direction of Harold Brown. The Center's goal was to endorse economic self-reliance, and generate community-minded individuals in the hopes of improving disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods. The collection documents the establishment, operation, and curriculum of the Center's thirteen-year existence. The collection includes correspondence, reports, power point presentations, student projects, photographs, certificates, awards, seminar handouts, class curricula, real estate research files, and student rosters. The majority of materials date from 1996 to 2005, and highlight the CCED's efforts to promote and foster community economic development through classes, seminars, and student projects.

Harold K. Brown Papers, 1956-2000 (MS-0436)
Hal Brown became extremely active in the San Diego civil rights movement during the 1960s. Later, Brown became the Deputy Director for the US Peace Corps in Lesotho. In 1971, he returned from Africa and became California State University's Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Assistant to the Vice President for Administration, making him the first African-American administrator at San Diego State. Later, he was the Associate Dean of Planning and Director of the Afro-American Studies Program. The collection documents Brown's participation in the local Civil Rights Movement, his dedication to community economic development, and his professional life, with a heavy emphasis on the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Brown's role in the School Integration Task Force, and his involvement with the Black Economic Development Task Force.

Women's Studies turns 40

2010-06-09T16:28:00.001-07:00

This summer in Special Collections, we're gearing up for our Fall 2010 exhibit honoring the fortieth anniversary of the Women's Studies program at San Diego State, which was the first Women's Studies program ever founded in the U.S. in 1970. Special Collections is collaborating with the department to research, mount, and install a fine display of our fascinating primary sources related to the historic founding of the program. Our friends at SDSU's 360 Magazine currently have an article featuring perspectives on the anniversary from the department chair, an alumnae, and newly-minted M.A. graduate, Stevie Seibert. In the interview produced by 360, Stevie talks about her extensive research on the exhibit and about her experiences researching in Special Collections. We're looking forward to a great exhibit in the fall!

Next Up: Some Intriguing Manuscripts

2010-06-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

Next up in our parade of newly processed Spring collections are two fascinating manuscript pieces. The first is a lovely set of diaries from a young New York girl in the 1870s, and would be perfect source material for scholarship on the history of girlhood or childhood in the late 19th century, or on American recreation, tourism, or vacationing. It would also be a great resource for anyone studying early photography in Minnesota or in the upper Midwest.

The second collection is an exciting piece of California history, and is a vital resource for studying the settlement and development of California, the history of the Chinese in California, or post-Gold Rush transportation history. Check out these finding aids for more details!

Hattie French Diaries, 1874-1878 (MS-0435)
Hattie French was born in Buffalo, New York in 1859, and died 28 December 1923. Her parents were Edward French and Abigail Furman, and she had one sister, Abbie. This collection consists of two diaries kept by Hattie French on two separate family summer vacations. The first volume dates from July 9-August 13, 1874, and chronicles a beachside holiday on the Atlantic coast when Hattie is 15 years old. The second diary details Hattie's summer trip from July to September in 1878. This journey was undertaken "for her health." Hattie writes about a variety of travel adventures, including getting stranded briefly on a sandbank in the low Mississippi River, dancing with other passengers on the boat while entertained by African-American musicians, and seeing a number of attractions, such as the chapel at the Shattuck-St.Mary's School, and the local asylum for the deaf and dumb.

California Stage Company Register, 1864-1868 (MS-0443)
The California Stage Company was founded by James E. Birch and was one of the principal stagecoach lines carrying passengers during the California Gold Rush during the 1850s. The company became a Wells Fargo line later in that decade, carrying mail, money, and passengers, and by the early 1860s was operating a huge network of stage lines out of three main hubs: Sacramento, Folsom, and Marysville. The ledger begins on January 1, 1864 and ends on August 3, 1868, and is a log of the daily stagecoach run between North San Juan (the line stop where the book was based), Sacramento, Nevada (CA), and Virginia City (NV). Passenger names, residence, destination, fare paid, and cashier name are all detailed for each day; other details such as extra or special baggage, driver name, and special directions are also given.

Three Performing Arts Collections

2010-05-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Next up in our list of newly processed collections for the spring are three collections related to different areas of San Diego performing arts history. The Sellman Playscripts collection includes annotated scripts and stagings for what was presumably a local company of actors at the turn of the century. The Merle Clayton Papers include fascinating correspondence from a local actress of the "golden ages" of both San Diego theatre and Hollywood, as well as a number of photographs of Julian Eltinge, "the greatest female impersonator of the twentieth century." And the Records of JuleTone Productions includes wonderful materials documenting rehearsals, stage directions, musical compositions, participants, and venue preparation for a local musical theatre production company which specialized in providing entertainment for charities and private events. An online exhibit complementing the JuleTone collection is available here.

Hunton D. Sellman Playscripts Collection, 1900-1913 (MS-0414)
This collection is made up of ten manuscript playscripts and actors sides, from plays written between 1900 and 1913. Some are copyrighted and published by the Chicago Manuscript Company. The majority seem to have been produced by a theatrical company called "Gray, Dowell, and Company"; the names Julia Gray and Ed Dowell appear consistently as names of actors. Scripts and sides have manuscript notations and stage directions, presumably made by the actors; most side have the name of the actor to play the role pencilled on the front cover. These playscripts were donated by Hunton D. Sellman, a professor of Theatre and stage lighting designer at San Diego State until his retirement in 1971. It is not known whether Sellman had any personal involvement in the production of these plays.

Merle Clayton Papers, 1951-1976 (MS-0089)

This small collection consists primarily of research materials used by Merle Clayton, author of several local history pieces for San Diego Magazine. The materials consist of paper records, photographs, and several copies of San Diego Magazine. Clayton did a series of pieces on topics in the history of theatre and performing arts in San Diego, and most of this material pertains to that work. Of special note in Series I is the six-year correspondence between Clayton and actress Virginia Brissac, who he interviewed several times in person for a series of articles on her life. Brissac was famous in San Diego during the most active period in its performing arts theater; first with the Savoy Players and World's Fair Stock Company, then founding and managing the Virginia Brissac Company, a stock company which put on a play a week from about 1915 to 1921. Perhaps the most interesting materials in Series I are the publicity stills and photographs of Julian Eltinge, a local entertainer who was called "the best female impersonator of the twentieth century." Eltinge played various female characters in vaudeville acts, on Broadway, and on screen from about 1910 until about 1935.

Records of JuleTone Productions Incorporated, 1958-2007 (MS-0418)

Julie Golden and Toni Michetti founded JuleTone Productions, Inc. as a musical theatre production company that provided entertainment for local charities and private events using local talent, including prominent San Diegans, such as Rolf Benirschke, Jim Laslavic, Ron Mix, Willie Buchanon, Pete Wilson, and Valerie Harp. Organizations such as the YMCA, the Balboa Theatre Foundation, Children's Hospital, the SDSU Alumni Association, the San Diego Symphony Association, and the San Diego Rotary Club hired JuleTone entertainment for their fundraisers and events. The JuleTone Productions, Inc. Records document rehearsals, stage directions, musical compositions, participants, and venue preparation for JuleTone performances. The collection consists of sheet music with notations, original lyrics, cast lists, news clippings, photographs, audio recordings, production invoices, invitations, correspondence, stage directions, programs, plaques, and performance DVDs.

Round Three of our Newly Processed Collections List

2010-05-17T20:47:00.001-07:00

Next up in our spotlight on this spring's new collections are three collections related to military, war, and veterans history. Particular highlights include the manuscript military commanders' reports and memos, sent between operating generals in the Pacific Theater. These manuscripts are full of fascinating details about operations and missions in that area. Also interesting are the materials from Dennis Conforth's collection relating to his experiences as a Vietnam veteran returning to the United States after duty, and coping with public backlash against the war.

Kramer J. Rohfleisch Papers, 1935-1945 (MS-0274) Kramer Rohfleisch studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago. After serving in Intelligence Operations during World War II, he wrote several histories of the Army Air Forces in the War, concentrating on operations in the South Pacific. He taught history at San Diego State College from 1947 to 1974. This collection consists of research materials used by Kramer Rohfleisch in his work on the history of the Army Air Forces in World War II. The collection includes articles, pamphlets, clippings, training and field handbooks and manuals, ephemera, miscellaneous materials, and declassified commanders' reports, memos, and letters. Also included are Rohfleisch's personal training notes and curriculum from the Army Officer Candidate School.

Letain Thom Kittredge Papers¸1919-1981 (MS-0139) A naval aviation officer during World War I, Kittredge was assigned to San Diego in 1917 as a flight instructor at North Island. Resigning his commission in 1922, he joined the staff of the San Diego High School and served as a wood shop instructor until his retirement in 1948. This small collection consists of photocopies of published materials relating to U. S. Naval aviation in World War I, especially around San Diego. There is also a photocopy of an unpublished manuscript written by Kittredge about his backpacking adventures in the High Sierras with burros, and his obituary.

Denis Conforth "Adam's Apple" Collection, 1976-2009 (MS-0429) Born in 1947, Denis Conforth grew up in Chula Vista, California. He began taking classes at Southwestern College in 1966. In 1967, Conforth enlisted in the military. He was initially stationed at Fort Ord, California, but in June of 1968 he was deployed to Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, Conforth once again attended Southwestern College. At age 26, he met Appley Adams, a local prostitute. His relationship with Adams is prominently featured in his autobiographical work, "Adam's Apple," which he began writing in the early 1980's. The Denis Conforth "Adam's Apple" Collection documents Conforth's life with a major focus on Vietnam, Chula Vista, baseball, his relationship with Appley Adams, alcoholism, addiction, and mental illness. The collection includes all 52 chapters of "Adam's Apple I" and four volumes of "Adam's Apple II," which make up Conforth's autobiography.

Image is taken from a pack of playing cards designed to train aircraft spotters in World War II. Kramer J. Rohfleisch Papers, Box 1, Folder 21.)

Next Up in Our Newly Processed Collections List

2010-05-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

In the previous post we announced that we have over twenty new archival and manuscript collections processed over the last few months. Next up in our series of posts announcing them are several small collections of family papers. Though small, they are rich in detail and will make wonderful primary sources to support research and teaching in a range of historical interests, including life during the Depression, and Southern California family experiences in the 1920s. There are also two intriguing collections of family papers related to San Diego history, most notably the Eldred Family Papers, which reveal the lives of a devoted and articulate family that what active in the developing city during the 1910s. To top off the San Diego history collections, there is the newly processed San Diego Scrapbook Collection, which features scrapbooks of various families and individuals in the area kept mostly during the early twentieth century. Peruse these finding aids and enjoy!

Eldred Family Papers, 1908-1937 (MS-0433)
Wilfred Eldred attended Washington and Lee University and Harvard University and achieved a doctorate in Economics. He went on to hold research or teaching positions at the University of Washington, Stanford University, and the University of Virginia; he also taught briefly at San Diego High School. The collection consists primarily of correspondence from members of the Eldred family sent to Wilfred Eldred while at school on the East Coast. There is also a diary kept by Wilfred while a student at Washington and Lee in 1908, and letters from Wilfred to the family twenty years later. Winifred and Edith, Wilfred's sisters, and his father William Eldred wrote long letters to Wilfred updating him on the family's activities and on life in San Diego. The family is active in the developing city (especially in Point Loma) during important years in San Diego's history.

Kent Family Papers, 1915-1923 (MS-0223)
This small but rich collection consists mostly of letters written by Jessie Kent to her mother Kate Kent, who lived in San Diego, but also includes other correspondence written to Jessie and Kate by various relations and suitors. Jessie's letters frequently allude to marital troubles with her husband Fred Avery, financial troubles, and family issues. Moving from Los Angeles to New York and back again, Jessie and Fred raise their child Fred Jr. with considerable difficulty, becoming penniless in New York City at several points. The family settled in Los Angeles in 1923. Kate's papers include letters from her other children, Nita and Harry, and her sister May, as well as a copy of her divorce filing.

Allen Family Papers, 1934-1936 (MS-0431)
This Allen Family Papers consist mostly of correspondence to Vera Allen from her mother, Ethel Hamilton of Los Angeles, and her husband, William Allen. William writes Vera of his experiences as a sailor aboard the U. S. S. Medusa, and counsels her about financial issues she is facing alone during the Depression. Vera's mother writes to her of financial troubles she faces, and of troubles in her living situation. Vera apparently lived with her mother in Los Angeles for some time while William was away. Also included are several letters from Vera to her sister Margaret, and several to William from Vera and other family members.

Martin Family Papers, 1933-1941 (MS-0430)
The collection consists of correspondence between members of the Martin family, including Jodie Martin, his sons Alvin and Winston Martin, and Alvin's wife Florence Bunk Martin. Though Alvin and Florence life mostly in Portland, Oregon during the time of the letters, the family is centered in Texas around Ft. Worth and Cleburne. Many letters mention the trials of living during the Great Depression; most family members are unable to find any sort of work and mention this fact repeatedly. Though Alvin is employed by the Citizens Conservation Corps in Pima, Arizona for some time, the family still struggles to support themselves. Several members are involved in farming or agricultural matters and mention the difficulties of farming in Texas within the Dust Bowl. Alvin and Florence seem to have better luck in Portland, sustained by the income from the beauty salon owned by Florence.

San Diego Scrapbook Collection, 1896-1940 (MS-0419)
Most of the ten scrapbooks in this collection date from the early twentieth century and depict San Diego life through the various photographs, news clippings, and ephemera items within each one. Where discernible, the scrapbook creator has been noted; however, the creator in unknown in most scrapbooks. Any discernible named persons, places, events, and/or activities are summarized in the description of each individual scrapbook.

(Images: Adobe Ruins in Old Town San Diego and Mission Dam...., Box 2, San Diego Scrapbook Collection)

A Parade of Newly Processed Collections

2010-05-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is delighted to end the Spring Semester with over twenty newly processed collections! We'll be featuring them in groups here on New and Notable for the next few weeks.

First in the spotlight are a set of collections processed as part of the Chicano Studies Archives Project, made possible by a grant this year from the President's Leadership Fund. Future collections to be processed as part of this grant include the papers of Enriqueta Chavez, the Mexican-American Women's National Association, Leonard Fierro, the Chicano Studies Department at SDSU. All of these important collections will add significantly to Special Collections' holdings documenting Chicano/a heritage in San Diego County, and will help tell the captivating story of local leaders in the Chicano Movement.

Chicano Federation of San Diego County Records, 1968-1980 (MS-0085)
The Chicano Federation of San Diego County Records (1968-1990) document the activities of the Chicano Federation during the 1970s. Highlights include meeting minutes dealing with the Federation's involvement with Chicano Park and the Federation's expansion of services, particularly in affordable housing. The collection primarily consists of meeting minutes, which discuss Federation policies, services, reports, social conditions, education, health, and politics; however articles of incorporation and by-laws are included in the collection as well.

Rene Nuñez Memorial Collection, 1968-2008 (MS-0434) The son of immigrants, Rene Nuñez was born in 1936 and raised in San Diego. In 1969, Nuñez became Director of the Centro de Estudios Chicanos at SDSU. He formally joined the faculty in 1971, and helped to develop the curriculum for the Chicana and Chicano Studies department. The Rene Nuñez Memorial Collection, assembled after Nuñez's death, documents his work in promoting educational equity and parent involvement, and his help in founding the Chicano Studies Department at SDSU.

Arturo Casares Papers, 1968-2008 (MS-0440) Born in 1943, Arturo Casares grew up in Del Rio, Texas, where he attended a segregated school. Casares moved to California in 1960, transferring to San Diego State College in 1968, where he majored in Spanish and minored in History. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Casares became active in the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO), an activist Chicano group, and later in the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA). The collection documents the establishment of Barrio Station and Casares' involvement in the Chicano Movement. Highlights include photographs of the UFW grape strike and the Chicano Moratorium, Casares' English class journal with entries discussing the formation of a Mexican-American Studies program at San Diego State College, old Barrio Station Newsletters, and documents regarding the Chicano Park Incident in which police arrested Casares.

Maria Garcia Papers, 1968-1997 (MS-0441) Born and raised in San Diego, Maria Garcia received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from San Diego State University. During the 1970s, Garcia actively lobbied for bilingual educational programs, attending many conferences focused on bilingual education and Mexican-American education. In addition, Garcia was an active member of the Chicano Federation of San Diego County. The collection documents the establishment of the Chicano Federation of San Diego County and Garcia's work in education. Highlights include early Chicano Federation records, including Federation newsletters and documents relating to the Federation's Leadership Training Program. In addition, the collection contains an extensive collection of Chicano newspapers and newsletters dating from 1968 to 1977, including "La Verdad" and "La Voz del Pueblo."

The Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection has also been processed and digitized as part of this grant.

(Above image is from the Arturo Cesares Papers and was taken at Camp Oliver in December 1969. Camp Oliver is a youth camp near San Diego that was the site of important Chicano activist events in 1969.)

Notice of Special Closures

2010-04-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Special Collections will be having a few days with special hours in the next couple of weeks. On Monday, April 26, we'll be closed from 12pm to 3pm. On Thursday, May 6th, we'll be closed from 11am to 3pm. And on Monday, May 10th, we'll be closed again from 12pm to 3pm. Otherwise, all our regular Spring Semester hours will remain the same.

Our different hours on specific days:
Monday, April 26: 3pm-7pm
Thursday, May 6: 10am-11am
Monday, May 10: 3pm - 7pm

Why all these closed hours, you ask? The library is interviewing candidates for our open Dean of the Library position. Interviews for such an important position mean that all library staff should participate, and so the faculty and staff of Special Collections will be attending interview events during those hours. We're very sorry for the inconvenience!

And remember, due to state-mandated furloughs, we'll also be closed on Friday, April 23, and Friday, May 6th. Please give our front desk a call for more information about these closures and our open hours.

(Gate image is from a wonderful book in Special Collections on decorative ironwork in Austria, circa 1883.)

JFK's Visit to San Diego State

2010-04-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered San Diego State College's commencement address before approximately 30,000 people at the Aztec Bowl. He was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree during the commencement exercise at San Diego State University. It was the first honorary doctoral degree awarded by any California State University campus. Following a letter to President Kennedy in which Associated Students President Bob Weir asked him to consider giving the 1963 commencement address, California Governor Edmund Brown extended a formal invitation to the President on April 18, 1963. On May 16, a letter from Kennedy's aide Ken O'Donnell addressed to President Malcolm Love was received confirming that Kennedy would be honored to accept the honorary degree. In his commencement address he said, "As a nation, we have no deeper concern, no older commitment and no higher interest than a strong, sound and free system of education for all. In fulfilling this obligation to ourselves and our children, we provide for the future of our nation-and for the future of freedom."

Though we didn't finish in time to celebrate SDSU Month in March, we're still happy to announce a new online feature which captures an audio recording of that historic day with a selection of photographs and Daily Aztec articles documenting Kennedy's visit. (Please note: QuickTime is required to view; wait just a moment for entire feature to load before viewing.) Take a look, and perhaps revisit your own memories of Kennedy's San Diego visit!

We're on Flickr!

2010-03-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the talents of our Digital Collections Librarian Lisa Lamont, the John and Jane Adams Trade Card Collection is now on Flickr!

Trade cards, also known as advertising cards, were wildly popular collectibles in the latter half of the nineteenth century as consumer culture took over America. Advertising a huge variety of manufactured goods in bright chromolithographed colors, trade cards were produced by businesses and advertisers to encourage recognition of brand names and to stimulate demand for the products advertised. Though trade cards sometimes feature rather generic Victorian images of flowers or birds, these attractive pieces of ephemera often feature comic vignettes with punchy slogans, or instructions for catchy games to be played using the card. Some are die-cut, and some have folding or moveable pieces--features that surely made great fun for their collectors. Trade cards were often issued in series to emphasize their collectible aspect, and this collection has many representatives from various series; for example, McLaughlin's Coffee "War Ship" series, or Arbuckle's "States" series.

Trade cards often contain a separate advertisement for the local seller of the product, usually on the back of the card. (In our Flickr collection, the back of the card appears after the front image in the Photostream sequence.) A huge variety of social and cultural topics are open for study using trade cards. Depictions of women and femininity, domesticity and the American home, advertising methods and consumerism, social mores, race relations, humor--all are made tangible in this wonderful type of American ephemera.

Join us (Digital Projects at SDSU Library) for fun with trade cards on Flickr! Browse through our tags, add images to your favorites list and or galleries, or leave a comment!

A New Reading Room Orientation Video

2010-03-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce the release of our new Reading Room orientation video, which gives a brief introduction to the department and to our policies and procedures. Geared towards all first-time users of our department, the video is an introduction to our reference desk, the registration process, materials handling basics, and procedures for making copies of materials in Special Collections. Produced in collaboration with Instructional Services Coordinator Carolyn Baber and Information Literacy Librarian Pamela Jackson, this video is the first part of a four-part instructional suite that will include future modules on identifying, finding, and analyzing primary sources in our collections. The video can currently be accessed in three ways:

Our "Using the Collections" page: http://scua.sdsu.edu/usingcoll.shtml
The Infotutor page: http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/scua/readingroom.cfm
The SDSU Infodome Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SDSUInfodome#p/a/u/0/boZdrwlJQPY

Whether you're a first-time user or a regular visitor to our Reading Room, take a look and learn a little about the special ways of Special Collections!

Celebrate SDSU Month with the University Archives!

2010-02-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Discover a wealth of our university's history in our new exhibit, SDSU From A To Z. Take an alphabetical stroll through time and view photographs, yearbooks, correspondence, artifacts, and other primary sources, dating from the institution's founding as a teacher training school in 1897 to the vibrant university we know today. The selections on view will offer a glimpse into SDSU's rich and textured past using materials from University Archives collections. This exhibit is one of a number of artistic, academic, and athletic events and displays related to SDSU Month, held every year in March to celebrate our campus accomplishments and raise awareness of SDSU's vital role in San Diego's community. SDSU From A To Z is on display in the Love Library Donor Hall from March 1st through March 30th, so drop by and learn some SDSU history!

Above and Beyond: An Exhibit of Student Work in the Book Arts

2010-01-20T16:42:00.001-08:00

Each semester, a lively and productive series of classes called The Art of the Book is offered in the Department of Art, Design, and Art History. Taught by professional artist and co-director of the Brighton Press Michele Burgess, this class is a memorable experience for all its lucky participants. In the past, students have learned binding and book arts techniques by creating one unique work for each different style of book structure. But during the 2009 Spring and Fall semesters, students went Above and Beyond the typical book arts class experience by undertaking the incredible task of "editioning" their creations. In the field of the book arts, to "edition" means to create a finite number of multiples of the same hand-printed, hand-bound book. Book artists then sell their limited editions to private collectors, libraries, and art museums. Through this assignment, students were able to operate just as professional book artists do, learning practical methods for edition binding while creatively exploring one theme in depth, and while using the full range of their artistic techniques and talents.

Students wrote their own texts using methods incorporated in "found" poetry forms. Throughout the course, there were exercises and discussions about the creative process, and about the processes used in conceptualizing and transforming ideas into paginated visual art forms. The art media and techniques used in each edition were chosen by students and adapted to editions standards, and included: hand binding, printmaking, painting, digital art and computer-generated imagery, letterpress, creative writing, metals, photography, wood and furniture techniques, ceramics and clay, drawing, sculpture, and fibers.

Special Collections is deeply appreciative of these students' willingness to donate one copy of their remarkable book creations to our collection. Stop by the gallery area outside our department (on the 4th floor of the Library Addition) starting January 25th to browse these incredible works of art!

The Peabody Magic Lantern and Glass Slide Collection

2010-01-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Last year, Special Collections acquired a fantastic collection of glass slides and magic lanterns, generously donated by Friends of the Library Betty and Homer Peabody. The collection contains over 2000 glass slides, and includes examples of standard, mechanical, photographic, and hand-painted slides in a wide range of topical categories ,such as medicine, education, religion, art, history, politics, travel, and popular culture. The collection also contains about 35 magic lanterns, most of which date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and includes a particularly exciting collection of toy lanterns. In addition to these working artifacts, the Peabodys donated their collection of magic lantern literature, which includes books and serials on the history and collecting of these fascinating instruments.

Though the collection of slides and lanterns has not yet been formally processed, a significant portion of the slides has been made accessible in a truly grand online exhibit (created by our talented intern Amanda Lanthorne), which delves into the details of magic lantern use, mechanics, themes, slide types, and more using images from our collection. Take your time and explore this wonderful resource!

Viva la Huelga!: The Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection

2009-11-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce our newest digital collection, the Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection. Generously donated by Carmen Sandoval Fernandez, the collection consists of 62 Chicano Movement-related posters, broadsides, and advertisements. These one-of-a-kind posters and broadsides document local events and organizations, as well as local and national groups involved in the Chicano Movement in San Diego, including the Chicano Federation of San Diego County, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, the United Farm Workers, and the Committee on Chicano Rights, Inc.

The collection dates from the early 1970s through the 1980s. Major topical themes of the posters include education, celebrations and special events, heritage and pride, conferences, demonstrations and protests, art, the Chicana movement, organizations, propaganda and slogans, fundraisers, and theater and performing arts. A brief finding aid for the collection is available in our Finding Aid Database.

The Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection can be viewed in Luna, along with the Adams Trade Card Collection, University Archives Photograph Collection and the WPA Murals Collection. (Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker before viewing images in Luna.)

Greg Bear Visits His Alma Mater This Week

2009-11-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Library is proud to present a lecture by award-winning science fiction author and alumnus Greg Bear on Wednesday, November 18th at 2pm in LL430. As part of the Library's ongoing celebration of Darwin anniversaries, Bear will give a lecture entitled, "What Would Darwin Do? Fundamentalism in Science and Religion Versus the Search for Scientific Truth."

Bear is a 1973 graduate of SDSU and the author of more than 30 novels and 26 short stories. He is the winner of two Hugo Awards and five Nebula Awards. His highly-acclaimed books Darwin's Radio and Darwin's Children deal with accelerated evolution and its consequences; Bear has been widely praised for his adherence to scientific fact in his crafting of science fiction. Special Collections already holds a collection of Bear's manuscripts and papers, as well as first editions of all Bear's books in our Elizabeth Chater Science Fiction Collection.

Please join us for what will surely be an exciting talk by Greg! The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact us at 619.594.6791.

Veterans at State

2009-11-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

Veteran's Day this week warrants a look at one of our wonderful University Archives collections relating to soldier-students at San Diego State. During the early years of World War II, geography professor Lauren Post began the Aztec News Letter, a highly popular newsletter sent to Aztecs serving all over the world. Servicement and their families wrote to Dr. Post to relate news of themselves and war activities of other "Staters" they knew of. Many soldiers express, in poignant terms, their personal difficulties in dealing with combat, with suffering, with loss, and with the war atrocities they were seeing. This soldier writes in 1945, "...[I] have glimpsed some of the prison camps and talked to the inmates. The stories of Nazi atrocities are subdued rather than exaggerated and I know that you can hardly believe what has been told."

The newsletter was a critical link to their families, friends, and their lives back in San Diego, and many soldiers express their deep appreciation of Dr. Post's efforts in their letters to him. Each issue of the News Letter is a powerful document, and each shows the huge effects of the war on both the SDSU homefront and the servicemen writing. The World War II Servicemen's Correspondence Collection is a valuable collection for anyone researching the impact of World War II on lives and families.

Darwin Lecture this Thursday

2009-10-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Please join us on Thursday, October 29th at 4pm in LL430 (Leon Williams Room), for a presentation by Howard Rootenberg, president of B & L Rootenberg Rare Books and Manuscripts. Mr. Rootenberg will give an entertaining look at "Darwin in the Market," and discuss Darwin, evolution, and natural selection in the world of book collecting.

Mr. Rootenberg is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of American, the Bibliographical Society of America, and the Grolier Club. He actively researches and lectures on rare books and the history of science and medicine, and has been kind enough to loan several items for the exhibit currently on display in Special Collections, The Book that Shook the World. Please join us in welcoming him on Thursday!

Portrait of Charles Darwin on display in Special Collections, on loan from Barbara Rootenberg.

Socialist Sources

2009-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Special Collections has recently uncovered an unusual item in the San Diego Vertical Files Collection: a minute book for a socialist organization in San Diego County from 1913-1916. These handwritten minutes records the organization's activities and accounts during these years. Though the full name of the organization is not recorded, the minutes show support for various national and local socialist and labor concerns (including the large 1913 Wheatland hop-picker strike in California). The group was apparently anti-Anarchist in their leanings, as they decided not to subscribe to the International Socialist Review because of its contributions by Anarchists; however, they did subscribe to periodicals like The American Socialist and Western Comrade. According to membership rolls in the book, local women were active in the chapter, and one, Anna Willoughby, was chair for some time. Debates, readings, speeches, and even musical entertainment were part of these rousing meetings.

The minute book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the labor movement in southern California during the Progressive era, especially after the San Diego "free speech fight" of 1912. These riots occurred when the city passed an ordinance prohibiting free speech at the soapbox corner of 5th and E Streets, where the local IWW chapter frequently recruited. Many local labor leaders disobeyed, and over 5,000 others arrived in San Diego from around the nation to demonstrate against the ordinance. As a vigilante crew attempted to subdue them, violence broke out, and many workers were jailed for some months. Well-known anarchist Emma Goldman even arrived in San Diego to show solidarity with the demonstrators, but left almost as soon as she arrived when vigilantes threatened her and her agent. The San Diego Historical Society has fascinating photographs of these demonstrations, and San Diego State has other very important sources (see under G., Business) that can be used to research labor history in the area.

Welcome Back!

2009-08-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Special Collections and University Archives welcomes students, staff, and faculty back to campus for Fall 2009. Special Collections is, quite simply, the coolest place on campus! We are home to over 60,000 rare books, over 500 manuscript and archival collections, and half a million other items like photographs, postcards, prints, and ephemera. We are also the home of the San Diego State University Archives. Special Collections is your first stop to discover amazing primary sources on the history of San Diego and dozens of other subjects. Stop by our website to explore our holdings using the Finding Aid Database and the Library's Catalog, then stop in our Reading Room to experience the materials hands-on and up-close. Don't know what you need to see? Stop in to consult with one of our librarians, and we'll match you with the collections best for your research.

Fall 2009 is shaping up to be an interesting semester, in Special Collections, in the Library, and around the whole campus. Due to CSU budget cuts and resulting faculty furloughs, we will sadly be limiting our available instruction sessions and reducing our hours in the Reading Room. Our new schedule is: Mondays and Tuesdays, 12pm to 7pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 10am to 3pm. We will also be closed every other Friday: September 11 and 25, October 9 and 23, and November 6 and 20. Please check our website for these hours, and check out the Library's schedule for hours changes throughout the Library.

We invite you to view several unique exhibits throughout the Library celebrating the life, works, and influence of Charles Darwin. These will be on display through the end of the semester--stay tuned for announcements about our accompanying lecture series!

(Images are from the University Archives Photograph Collection, and show a 1992 campus rally protesting drastic SDSU budget cuts, and the student signs and posters put up in protest on the entrance to the Administration Building that year. There is an all-campus rally against the current drastic budget cuts on the first day of classes, August 31 at 11:30am in front of Hepner Hall.)

Celebrating Darwin's Life and Work

2009-08-10T09:42:00.001-07:00

Library and Information Access is hosting several exhibits during Fall 2009 in honor of Charles Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. In the Donor Hall, you'll find Darwin Now, a traveling exhibit created by the British Council that explores Darwin's life and the importance of the theory of evolution to the contemporary world and to modern science. Biological specimens from the collections of the SDSU Department of Evolutionary Biology (including a Galapagos Island tortoise shell and a terrarium of orchids and insectivorous plants) are also on display in the Donor Hall in an exhibit called The Fact of Evolution. Special Collections will host the exhibit The Book that Shook the World, a vivid exploration of Darwin's life, his masterpiece, and his other contributions to scientific thought using illustrations, photographs, and first editions of his works. A complementary display called Discovering Darwin highlights evolutionary thought in books and ephemera from the collections of Special Collections. These exhibits begin on August 10th and will run through December 20th, 2009. Stay tuned for details about lectures and other events in conjunction with these terrific exhibits!

(Image: the rare orchid Angraecum sesquipedale, which Darwin studied intensively.)

Online Archive of California (OAC)

2009-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce that the Online Archive of California (OAC), a core component of the California Digital Library (CDL), now includes finding aids for all of our processed collections: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/institutions/San+Diego+State+University.

The OAC provides free public access to detailed descriptions of manuscript and archival collections maintained by more than 150 contributing institutions throughout California. As California's central repository for collection guides, the OAC is a vital resource that serves everyone interested in California's rich history, allowing them to browse online, search for information about specific items and their location, and learn how to access them no matter where in the state they are housed.

Our contributions have especially enriched the OAC's holdings documenting the San Diego region, and will enable all OAC users to discover our collections. Additional collections are added on a continuing basis.

A June Bouquet

2009-06-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

These lovely blooms are scanned from Special Collections' copy of a rare horticultural journal of the early nineteenth century called The Floricultural Cabinet and Florists' Magazine. Joseph Harrison, head gardener for Wortley Hall in Sheffield, founded several British gardening magazines in the 1820s and 1830s in response to rising interest in the hobby of flower cultivation and fine gardening. The Floricultural Cabinet was one of the most successful of these publications and ran for over twenty-five years, finding many upper-class Victorian readers who admired the high quality of its articles and illustrations. Though the periodical is rather small in size, these full-page, hand-colored lithographs and engravings are stunning even to the modern reader. Produced before the dawn of the chromolithograph later in the century, these watercolors make The Floricultural Cabinet one of the high spots in the history of botanical illustration.

Special Collections has many of these high spots in the Norland , Orchid, and Herbals Collections; stop by the Reading Room to peruse them today!

On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, 1543

2009-05-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

This week marks the 466th anniversary of two events: the publication of Nicolaus Copernicus' De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), and the death of its author. San Diego State added its copy of this landmark edition as its one millionth volume in 1992. Generously purchased by the Friends of the Library, this book is the jewel of our Historic Astronomy Collection.

De revolutionibus marked the beginning of the scientific revolution, for in it Copernicus overturned the Ptolemaic theory of a closed universe with a fixed earth at its center around which all celestial bodies rotated, in favor of the heliocentric model. This theory had been proposed before, by the Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos. But Copernicus was the first to formally document the rotation of the Earth on its axis, the correct positions of the planets, and the rotation of the moon around the Earth. Copernicus died the week of the book's publication, but legend has it that he was able to hold a copy in his hands on his deathbed.

Though the book was not particularly controversial when it appeared, in 1616 it was placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum by the Catholic Church pending corrections that would recharacterize the work as more hypothetical than definitive. However, the next edition of the work, issued the next year, did not contain these corrections, nor did any subsequent editions; and so the book remained on the Index until 1758. San Diego State's copy is particularly special because it contains the recommended corrections in a contemporary hand, with the questionable passages and headings censored in ink (see image).

San Diego State also has the second edition of 1566 among the other 800 volumes of the Historic Astronomy Collection, along with many other rare and important first editions by Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton. With these and the wonderful Zinner Collection, San Diego State boasts truly remarkable resources in the history of astronomy--stop by our Reading Room to find a treasure!

A Collection of the Cold War

2009-05-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

This magazine is part of the recently processed Gwartney American Legion and Anti-Communism Collection, a treasure trove of materials dealing with patriotism issues from the 1940s through 1960s in America, including the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism, atomic power, and and the Cold War. Donated by B. E. Gwartney, both the manuscript and the book collections are wonderful resources for students researching propaganda in America during this period. Titles in the book collection include How to Prevent Your Young Person from Becoming A Communist, What Can I Do? To Combat Communism, and A Handbook for Responsible American Citizens: A Plan of Action for Maintaining Freedom in America. The manuscript collection includes fascinating correspondence regarding the educational efforts of the American Legion Americanism Committee and the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade, as well as wonderful scrapbook documenting the Southern California School of Anti-Communism, a sold-out, four-day event in Los Angeles in 1961 which 16,000 persons attended. The collection also includes eleven pristine posters from the United States Food Administration during World War II encouraging citizens to conserve food and to guard state secrets. American history, political science, and even art students will find useful and interesting materials in this great collection!

A Grand New Acquisition

2009-04-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce an exceptional new acquisition, titled A Woman Hit By A Meteor. Produced in 2001 by the Brighton Press, this stunning book is one of several collaborations between SDSU faculty Sandra Alcosser and Michele Burgess. Japanese bound in ruby silk, this massive book measures 44 x 31 inches, and is truly breathtaking to encounter. Responding to the awe-inspiring etchings by Burgess, poet Alcosser says that "one must look up to enter these etchings, tip one's chin, exposing the throat. The brain, the crown, moves off center, lifting the heart, permitting correspondence with the darkness."

A Woman Hit by a Meteor was donated to San Diego State by two long-time friends of Brighton Press, Sonja Jones and Helen Faye. Because of their generosity, students in both Alcosser's Form and Theory of Poetry class and Burgess' Art of the Book and Printmaking classes will gain inspiration and delight for years to come, and will see the dramatic possibilities of a talented collaboration between artist and poet.
(Thanks to Brighton Press for use of the above images.)

A New Tool for an Important Collection: The Hotel Del Coronado Subject Index

2009-04-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Hotel del Coronado Collection in Special Collections is an extraordinary and varied collection, documenting the early history of this notable San Diego landmark. A highlight of the collection is the eighty-nine volumes of bound outgoing correspondence, dating from 1888-1907. This correspondence is extremely valuable for the insights it provides into the early day-to-day management of the Hotel, the emerging urban landscape, and the lives of the people living in San Diego and environs at the time. Though a partial index of correspondents' names is included in the collection, until recently, the incredibly rich content of the letters has been opaque to researchers unable to spend the significant time required to browse the volumes. However, a comprehensive subject index to the first six years of the correspondence has recently been released in Special Collections.

Through this index, the remarkable life of the young Hotel del begins to come to light. These subject headings allow us to see the wide range of issues facing the early managers of the Hotel, some of which are important even today. There are extended entries on agriculture in the area, water and irrigation, immigration, labor, marketing methods for the Hotel and for Coronado, and companies and services in the developing city, such as sanitariums, railroads and electric streetcars. Some of the more intriguing subject entries include: air pollution, hot air balloons, desalinization, evangelists, the Hay Fever Association, parachutists, anti-Chinese racism, saloons, shipwrecks, and the World's Fair in Chicago. Researchers pursuing the correspondence listed under the subject entries will certainly find fresh insights into the role of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, and exciting new perspectives on enduring topics in San Diego's rich history.

Originally a card file, this subject index was microfilmed as part of a preservation project in the early 1990s. This microfilm has now been scanned as a searchable PDF of 1371 pages (a large file). When searching the subject index, it is recommended that you mark the checkbox to "include comments" in Adobe Reader. We are excited to release this wonderful new tool!

Our Newest Digital Collection

2009-03-04T20:34:00.001-08:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce our newest digital collection, the John and Jane Adams Trade Card Collection. Trade cards, also known as advertising cards, were wildly popular collectibles in the later half of the nineteenth century as consumer culture took over America. Advertising a huge variety of manufactured goods in bright chromolithography, trade cards were produced by advertisers to encourage recognition of brand names and to stimulate demand for the products advertised. Though trade cards sometimes feature rather generic Victorian images of flowers or birds, these attractive pieces of ephemera often feature comic little vignettes with punchy slogans, or instructions for catchy games to be played using the card. Some are die-cut, and some have folding or moveable pieces--features that surely made great fun for their collectors.

Special Collections' Adams Trade Card Collection has examples advertising brand names still recognizable today: Arm & Hammer Soda, Heinz 57 Varieties, and Kellogg's Cornflakes, for example. However, most products in the collection have long been discontinued (for good reason!); Eilert's Extract of Tar and Wild Cherry, Borg's Sure Cure Pepsin and Bismuth Chewing Gum, or the mysteriously named Dr. Price's Locust Buds are examples of patent medicines represented in the collection.

Trade cards can be used to study an incredible variety of social and cultural topics--depictions of women and femininity, domesticity and the American home, advertising methods and consumerism, social mores, race relations, humor--all are made extraordinarily tangible in these fascinating pieces. The Trade Card Digital Collection can be viewed in Luna, along with the University Archives Photograph Collection and the WPA Murals Collection. (Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker before viewing images in Luna.)

A New Research Guide

2009-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

Special Collections has recently prepared a new research guide to Children's Literature for our collections. The guide can be found under the "Special Collections" tab in the main Children's Literature Research Guide, prepared by children's literature librarian Linda Salem. Use this tab if you're looking for materials especially for young ones in our collections, including beautiful pop-up and movable books, exciting nineteenth century boys' adventure series, or historic children's periodicals.

Also featured in the Special Collections tab are some of our manuscript and archival collections dealing with children's literature, including the papers of Peter Neumeyer, and the papers of San Diego author Madeline Tabler. Our popular Edward Gorey collection is also linked from the research guide. And be sure to contact us or stop by the department if you have questions about this or any of our other research guides! (Image from John Martin's Book, a children's magazine, 1918.)

Welcome Back!

2009-01-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

Special Collections welcomes students and faculty back for Spring Semester 2009. We're ready for an exciting semester!

To celebrate Black History Month in February, we'll be featuring the exhibit "Creating Community: African Americans in San Diego." Produced through a Presidential Leadership Fund grant, this exhibit will use captivating selections from manuscript collections held in Special Collections. (Reverend George Walker Smith Papers, Alpha Pi Boule Records, Carlin Integration Case Records, Leon Williams Papers, and Records of the School Integration Task Force). Through photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, legal documents, and brochures in these collections, "Creating Community" illustrates how San Diego's African Americans transitioned from being a small group of geographically scattered individuals and families to the thriving community of today. Education, culture, business, and economics are just some of the many aspects of the community covered in this exhibit. The exhibit will begin January 22nd in the Donor Hall and run through June 15th. Within Special Collections, a complementary exhibit on the history of African Americans at San Diego State will be on display, using items from the University Archives about student organizations, academics, events, athletics, and alumni. To launch these exhibits, Shirley Weber, chair of Africana Studies at SDSU, will discuss “Building African American Communities: A Legacy of Resistance and Resiliency” on February 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Room LL430 of the SDSU Library.

We are also hosting a full schedule of classes once again this semester, and as usual we're really looking forward to meeting new students, showing all the amazing materials we hold here, and teaching strategies for how to find and use them effectively! We wish you a productive Spring Semester, and encourage you to drop by the Reading Room to get to know us better.

The Henry James Manuscript Collection

2009-01-12T21:15:00.001-08:00

Special Collections is proud to announce the completion of the Henry James Manuscript Collection. Discovered last year among a backlog of unprocessed manuscript accessions, this collection of fourteen letters from The Master will be a research treasure for James scholars for years to come. John and Jane Adams donated this small collection of manuscripts in 1984 as part of their comprehensive collection of first editions of and scholarship about James.

The collection contains letters from James to five different correspondents: William Colles, Josiah Holland, Leonora Lang, Lady Caroline Blanche Elizabeth Lindsay, and Dame Ellen Terry.

The letters to Dame Terry and to Lady Lindsay are particularly intriguing. Terry, a beloved British actress, worked with James on his dramatic flop Guy Domville, and asked him in 1895 to write a play for her, which became Summersoft and later the story Covering End. She paid one hundred pounds for it at the time, but they later argued over her rights to the play and their relationship was strained because of this. One of the letters to Terry in this collection (the first page shown here) may allude to an early manuscript of Summersoft. James complained in a letter to H. G. Wells (9 December 1898) that Dame Terry kept the manuscript for "three mortal years"--perhaps the letter in this collection may pardon Dame Terry of this, as here James assures her, "Don't take the trouble to send back my Scenario." The notes contained in the collection will certainly give new insight into this interesting relationship.

The letters to Lady Lindsay are equally fascinating, and give glimpses into James's thoughts on a range of topics, including publishing, friendships, and travel. Lady Lindsay was a socialite, artist, musician, and writer, and published many volumes of poetry and short fiction during her friendship with James. Steven H. Jobe, James scholar and author of The Online Calendar of the Letters of Henry James and a Biographical Register of Henry James's Correspondents, reports that SDSU's James collection is particularly useful because "none of the SDSU letters to Lady Lindsay are even hinted at" in the papers of Leon Edel, James biographer and editor.

Also present in the colleciton are an early manuscript book review, and letters from both William James and Henry James, Sr.(the latter concerning his views on spiritualism). Please stop by Special Collections to take a look at this important new collection!

Meet the Bookeye!

2008-12-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Last week, Special Collections was delighted to receive the newest member of our team--the latest walkup model of the Bookeye, an amazing overhead image scanner. With the Bookeye, patrons in our Reading Room will be able to easily digitize images from items in our collections, then email these images to a valid email address, or save the images to a USB drive (a jump drive/flash drive/thumb drive).

Images can be created at low (100dpi), medium (300 dpi), or high (400 dpi) resolution. (600 dpi scans may soon be available on the Bookeye, but are still available for order in Special Collections). After scanning, images can be easily manipulated in the Edit feature. Here, you can zoom in to a high level of page detail, and crop the image to include just the portion you wish. Images can be scanned as jpeg, rtf, png, or pdf files, and you can even make searchable pdfs right from the machine--an incredible option when scanning a large body of material or when completing research on limited time. Most amazingly, files can be saved as auto-read mp3s for visually disabled patrons.

The Bookeye has a extremely user-friendly touch-screen interface, and though Special Collections staff will always be on hand to walk you through the process, it's easy to get comfortable with the scanner right away. Perhaps the best part about the Bookeye is that all scanning is free. Print copies of digital files will still be available at $.10 each. Special Collections staff will evaluate each item you'd like to copy for copyright and fragility reasons, but most items from the collections will be possible to scan. We'll also help you set up bound items in the cradle for the best possible binding support.
Come by Special Collections and try out the Bookeye!

We'll be closed for Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Special Collections and University Archives will close at 5pm on Wednesday, November 26th for the Thanksgiving break. We'll reopen Monday, December 1st at 10am.

The images here come from the John and Jane Adams Postcard Collection, which is an extraordinary collection for both its size and its scope. The Postcard Collection has over 200,000 rare examples of postcards from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, and not only includes traditional travel-themed postcards, but also a huge, highly varied range of topical postcards. Holiday greetings make up a large portion of this topical series, but postcards are also grouped under interesting headings like "Lovers," "Farming," "Disasters," "Women's Suffrage," and "Political Cartoons." Postcards and similar ephemera can be used as primary sources in a wide range of American historical and cultural research, such as the history of holidays, sentiment, nationalism, feminism, technology, advertising, religion, and travel and tourism.

John and Jane Adams spent a lifetime collecting American ephemera, and donated their incredible collections to Special Collections in the 1980s. Other collections we're grateful to have include the John and Jane Adams Trade Card Collection (coming soon in digital form!), the John and Jane Adams Greeting Card Collection, and the John and Jane Adams Autograph Album Collection. These benefactors are also responsible for a wonderful collection of artwork, as well as the valuable Henry James Book and Manuscripts Collections.

Thirtieth Anniversary of the Jonestown Tragedy

2008-11-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

This week marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Peoples Temple massacre at Jonestown in Guyana. Special Collections holds a large collection related to Peoples Temple, including audiotape transcripts and summaries, audiotapes, photocopies of original unclassified documents from the federal government, and newspaper and magazine articles related to Peoples Temple. The two largest portions of the collection are the audiotape transcripts and summaries, prepared by SDSU Religious Studies professor Rebecca Moore and Fielding M. McGehee III of the Jonestown Institute, and the unclassified government documents obtained by Moore and McGehee through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The materials of this collection are extremely powerful primary sources. The transcripts, including those of phone calls and radio broadcasts from Jonestown and Jim Jones, are especially important documents for future scholarship about the massacre, the people of Jonestown, and the study of alternative religious movements.

Image "Jonestown Houses" from The Jonestown Report.

The University Archives Photograph Collection

2008-10-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

The University Archives Photograph Collection
includes over 30,000 photographs, negatives and slides as well as glass negatives and lantern slides. The images depict San Diego State University throughout its history, from its beginnings as a Normal School in the late 1800s and early 1900s, to when it was San Diego State Teachers College, to today - the largest campus in the California State University system. Also included in the collection are images of the San Diego area.

The collection continues to grow as SDSU offices and departments deposit their materials. SDSU student assistants are working to scan the remainder of the collection and have completed nearly three-quarters of it. Students are also assisting in the creation of descriptive keywords and other information about each photograph in order to make the collection fully searchable.

This Friday: "Lost and Found" Interactive Exhibit Opening

2008-10-13T09:24:00.001-07:00

This Friday, October 17th, from 3pm-5pm, Special Collections will be hosting a unique interactive opening for "Lost and Found," an exhibit of book arts projects from students in Michele Burgess' Art of the Book I and II classes. This event is part of the San Diego Festival of the Book, co-sponsored by San Diego Book Arts and University of California-San Diego.

Back in March, Michele's students browsed the shelves of Compact Storage in the Library Addition Basement, and selected an outdated or obscure book that somehow spoke to them. After finding a book, they were asked to respond to the contents of the book by making a new dustjacket for it, along with inserts to be placed inside the book.

The conditions: the dustjacket and inserts must be completely reversible, must not harm the book in any way, and must fuse together the subject matter, the physical book, and their personal experiences to create a new and provocative book object and "visual conversation." The results were truly fantastic--the students responded in energetic and thought-provoking ways, breathing new life into these books and fashioning items that are incredibly original and imaginative.

At the interactive exhibit opening, the books will be placed in their original call number spots in Compact Storage in the Library Addition Basement, and visitors will have the opportunity to browse the shelves, keeping an eye out for these remarkable creations and leafing through their pages to experience the magic. Please join us if you can, to see (among others) a book about Arctic exploration "encased" in ice, a nineteenth-century guidebook to Turkey in the form of a time machine, a rhyming dictionary turned dialogue between rappers, and many more delightful creations.

Our last time in May was great fun! But if you're not able to join us for the reception, don't despair--we will be installing these wonderful items in exhibit cases outside of Compact between October 20-December 31. Some new projects from Michele's Art of the Book II classes will also be on display, and include samples from a project on "altered" books.

De Facto Segregation in San Diego: the Carlin Integration Case Records

2008-09-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce that the Carlin Integration Case Records are available for research! The Carlin Integration Case spanned three decades, and sought to improve the ethnic balance and multi-cultural curriculum in San Diego city schools.

In 1967, parents filed a class action lawsuit against the San Diego Unified School District for alleged inequalities of educational opportunities for students of all ethnic backgrounds. These inequalities were the result of unfair housing patterns and a neighborhood school policy. The plaintiffs filed the suit in the name of ten children who represented four ethnic groups (Caucasian, African-American, Chicano, and Asian-American).

In 1977, Judge Welsh ordered the San Diego Unified School District to develop a detailed voluntary plan to alleviate racial segregation in twenty-three city schools. Then, in 1978, he created the School Integration Task Force to assess and monitor the school district's progress. In response to Judge Welsh's order, the Board of Education began improving existing school integration programs, and implementing new ones such as the Voluntary Ethnic Enrollment Program, the Magnet Program, and the Race/Human Relations Commission. Although the Board's plan changed the ethnic composition of city schools, very little social integration occurred, and an achievement gap still existed between the Caucasian majority students and the minority students.

The Carlin Integration Case Records include nearly three decades of court proceedings and research regarding segregation in San Diego City Schools. The records include court transcripts, briefs and court orders, correspondence, maps and charts of ethnic imbalance, various committee reports, court exhibits and depositions, declarations, interrogatories, enrollment statistics, student testing result studies, trial notes, news clippings, and information concerning similar court cases. The collection is divided into two series: Research Files and Court Records.

A Civil War Soldier's Perspective: the Asa Sackman Diaries

2008-08-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

The Asa Sackman Diarie s offer a wonderful account of a Civil War soldier's daily life. Asa Sackman was a private in the 44th Regiment, Company G, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain John M. Newkirk during the Civil War. He entered service at age 22, fought for three years, and transferred to Company G, 8th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry on January 4, 1864. His status in the Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio is listed as "veteran."

This collection consists of seven manuscript diaries, written while Asa Sackman was serving in the 44th Regiment. The diaries date from October 1861, his first month of service, to August 1862. Sackman writes almost daily about the company's movements and actions, the weather, scouting food, and camp conditions. He occasionally describes encounters with Confederate troops. In one diary, he details the punishments for unruly soldiers and deserters: "the court marchel is over and the sentance was red of at dressperade one Pattric Hart was disonerable discharged from the sirvis for offences to noumerous to mension he belonged to Co. A 44th regment and one in the ohio cavelry regment was to be kept at hard labor during his tirm of sirvis and forfit half of his pay and the other half was to be payed to his wife for dissirting...." The manuscript notes on the diary covers list several camps in western Virginia, including Camp Piatt and Meadow Bluffs.

Welcome Back!

2008-08-27T12:00:00.001-07:00

Special Collections and University Archives would like to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to SDSU for Fall Semester 2008!

Special Collections is, quite simply, the coolest place on campus! We are home to over 60,000 rare books, over 500 manuscript and archival collections, and half a million other items like photographs, postcards, prints, and ephemera. We are also the home of the San Diego State University Archives. Special Collections is your first stop to discover awesome primary sources on the history of San Diego and dozens of other subjects. Stop by our website to explore our holdings using the Finding Aid Database and the Library's Catalog, then stop in our Reading Room to experience the materials hands-on and up-close. Don't know what you need to see? Stop in to consult with one of our librarians, and we'll match you with the collections best for your research.

We're looking forward to an exciting and busy year in Special Collections. We have several fascinating exhibits coming up to watch out for. "Nate Harrison, The Life, Legend, and Legacy," produced in collaboration with Dr. Seth Mallios and his SDSU Historical Archaeology Field School, this fascinating exhibit will be on display beginning September 15th. Using artifacts from Dr. Mallios' excavation of Harrison's cabin site, the exhibit explores the legends surrounding an African-American pioneer who lived on Palomar Mountain in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

In October, we'll be hosting a reprise of the popular summer exhibit, "Lost and Found" as part of the San Diego Festival of the Book (co-sponsored by UCSD Mandeville Special Collections Library and San Diego Book Arts). On display will be the work of Michele Burgess' Art of the Book I and II students, who created amazing book arts objects using materials from the Library's compact shelving area. Join us on October 17th from 3-5pm, when these books with their new dustjackets and inserts will be placed back on the shelves for a unique interactive exhibit opening! And if you can't make it to the opening, look for these creations on display outside Compact Shelving from October 21-December 31, along with other ingenious student work from Art of the Book classes.

To celebrate Black History Month in February 2009, we'll be featuring an exhibit on the history of African Americans in San Diego. Produced through Presidential Leadership Fund grant, this exhibit will use captivating selections from several newly processed collections (Reverend George Walker Smith Papers, Alpha Pi Boule Records, Carlin Integration Case Records, Leon Williams Papers, and Records of the School Integration Task Force). Stay tuned for news about upcoming lectures, tours, and other events associated with this exhibit.

We'll also be hosting over ten classes in September, from the Departments of Art, History, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, English, and Theatre. We're really looking forward to meeting new students in these classes, showing all the amazing materials we hold here, and teaching strategies for how to find and use them effectively! If you're a faculty member interested in bringing your class to Special Collections, please contact us--we'd love to have you!

Images are from the University Archives Photograph Collections, and show Registration Day in the mid-1950s, the new SDSC site in 1929, and the University Training School in 1905.

Papers of Prominent San Diego Councilman, Leon Williams

2008-08-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce access to the Leon William Papers. Leon Williams worked tirelessly for three decades to improve and transform San Diego county. Early in his career, Williams worked for the Urban League, a movement dedicated to "empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream," and became the director for the Neighborhood Youth Corps Program, which helped underprivileged youth in San Diego by offering job placement services and educational opportunities. Williams was also active on the Citizens Interracial Committee (CIC), which worked to combat racism and alleviate racial tension specific to San Diego neighborhoods.

In 1969, Williams became the first African-American elected to the San Diego City Council as a representative for District IV. He later became county supervisor in 1982. As County Supervisor, Williams was president of the California State Association of Counties in 1993, and he was on the board of directors for the National Association of Counties. Both these associations serve to represent county governments before the state and federal legislatures.

During Williams' years in the City Council, he helped initiate the Southeast Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and the Regional Growth and Planning Review Task Force to promote land use programs in order to revitalize and sustain low to moderate income communities. He similarly co-chaired the City-County Reinvestment Task Force to encourage financial institutions to reinvest in these dilapidated neighborhoods. Williams also established the Martin Luther King Park, and endorsed the downtown redevelopment project.

In addition to (re)development projects, Williams created the Human Relations Commission and the Hate Crimes Registry to tackle racial and religious tensions. He fought for state constitutional reform as a member of the California Constitutional Revision Committee, and helped change the county charter to increase government accountability. Williams' Prevention Policy sought to create long-term solutions for issues such as crime, drugs, welfare, and health concerns. During this time, Williams also taught public policy classes part-time at San Diego State University.

Although Williams worked as a councilman, he was also active with the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB). In 1976, he began his long tenure with the MTDB, and in 1994 was appointed chairman of the Transit System's board of directors. Williams had always supported the use of public transportation as a means to connect and revitalize San Diego's older neighborhoods, rather than expand into undeveloped areas. He believed the creation of the San Diego Trolley was the best way to achieve this goal. He was also the chairman of the Services Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE), and was responsible for freeway call boxes. He retired from City Council in 1995, and the MTDB in 2005.

The Leon Williams Papers document three decades of William's public service career, and includes news clippings, photos, correspondence, invitations, public appearance forms, public opinions, campaign information, reports, ordinances, plaques, certificates of achievement, various committee files, and conference minutes. During his time on city council, Williams advocated land use programs, revitalization of older neighborhoods, and the use of public transportation. The majority of the material dates from about 1970 to the late 1990's, and highlights these aspects of Williams' career.. The Collection is divided into five series: Campaign Files, Conference Files, Professional Files, Personal Files, and News Clippings. (Excerpt from Finding Aid by Amanda Lanthorne.)

Diary of a Voyage Across the Atlantic, 1854

2008-07-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

George Batty kept this daily journal as a long letter to his friends in England, as he voyaged from Liverpool to Montreal on the "Cleopatra" in 1854. Batty describes his very eventful journey in great detail and with significant humor, though he does not relate for posterity the reason for his visit to Canada. His adventures are vividly anecdotal. A drunken stowaway is discovered in the hold of the ship: "his lordship being informed that he is on his way to America gets into a rage and swears he will go back. he became raging Mad and stabbed one of the sailors with a big Knife. They tie him all fours to the foremast to face the Wind, where he spends the night calling for a Policeman." The ship encounters exceedingly rough storms: " Night comes on very rough again, and continues so several people get thrown clean out of bed by the rolling of the ship and the women scream and cry nearly all night never expecting to see morning." He expresses delight at icebergs: "...a day of sights and merriment on board on getting up in the morning we find we have Icebergs very near us and before 10 o'clock (AM) we are in the midst of some Hundreds the most beautiful sight ever seen. whole mountains of Ice which resemble old castles... of white marble some of them are several miles round."
Batty engagingly describes (and criticizes) his fellow passengers, expresses wonder at porpoises, whales, and Native American tribes, gives an account of a worship service on board, and relates his witty observations on "Yankees" in Montreal and Quebec. Though he finishes his daily account when he lands in Montreal on the "New Era," Batty adds an extensive description of living conditions in Montreal during the summer and winter, and writes anecdotes of frostbite, sleighrides, frozen rivers, and the fur and timber trades. An extraordinarily rich account (in a very readable hand), this item is available for further research in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Comet in Mezzotint, 1744

2008-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Special Collections has recently acquired a rare item in the Historic Astronomy Collection. Beschreibung des im Anfang des Jahrs 1744 Erschienen Cometen (or Account of the Recent Comet Beginning in the Year 1744) , by Gottfried Heinsius, describes one of the most beautiful comets of the 18th century. Heinsius observed the comet early in the year, and his account proved essential both for his contemporaries and for generations of later astronomers. The most notable feature of the item, however, is the exquisite mezzotint (shown here), tipped into the volume to illustrate Heinsius' notes. As a printmaking technique, mezzotint was highly valued because of the velvety shades of of gray it was capable of producing; here, this tonal potential has been strikingly matched with the subject matter to great dramatic effect. Produced at the height of the mezzotint's "golden age" in the mid-eighteenth century, this plate is a fine example of a fascinating printmaking technique. The volume and accompanying plate can be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Peter Neumeyer Papers, 1947-2004

2008-06-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Special Collections is pleased to announce that the Peter Neumeyer Papers are processed and available for research. Neumeyer came to San Diego State University in 1978 and retired in 1993. At SDSU, Neumeyer developed in the English Department what has become the largest Children's Literature program in North America. Neumeyer has published extensively on children's literature topics, especially E.B. White, including The Annotated Charlotte's Web.

Outside of academia, Neumeyer collaborated with illustrator and friend Edward Gorey on several beloved children's stories, including Donald Has a Difficulty. He is also a poet, and has published numerous poems in literary journals. After retirement from SDSU, Neumeyer has reviewed children's books for various publications including Prodigy, Mothering Magazine, Parent's Choice, San Diego Home and Garden, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2005, he received the Children's Literature Association's Anne Deveraux Jordan Award for his contributions to the field.

The Peter F. Neumeyer Papers, processed by intern Frank Sweeney, document Neumeyer's professional and academic career, beginning as a student and ending as a critic. The papers date from 1950, when Neumeyer was an undergraduate, to 2004, when he and wife Helen co-curated an exhibition on illustrator Margot Zemach. The bulk of the papers are from the 1970s through the 1990s when Neumeyer was a professor and actively published academic articles, reviews, and poetry. The collection is divided into four series: Pedagogical Work, Professional Files, Published Work, and Margot Zemach Art Show.

Of special note is the Pedagogical Work series, which dates from 1947-1992. The series documents Neumeyer's career as both student and educator, as well as his role in developing the Children's Literature Program at SDSU, with the bulk of the series consisting of lecture notes, children’s literature course readers, quizzes and assignments, and class handouts. These materials date back to Neumeyer’s time at Harvard, but are predominantly from courses he taught at San Diego State. One of the most significant documents in this series is a semester project from Neumeyer’s seminar in Children’s Literature at Harvard in 1966 (cover shown here). This project was an early attempt to approach children’s books from a literary—in this case structuralist—approach. This series offers an invaluable look at the progression of children’s literature as an academic subject as taught by one of its prominent scholars.

Salesman's Dummy of Twain's A Tramp Abroad

2008-06-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Special Collections has recently acquired an 1880 salesman's dummy of Mark Twain's classic travel narrative, A Tramp Abroad. Dummies were used by traveling sales agents, who worked for publishers to sell a book available by subscription only. Often featuring tantalizing selling points like illustrations, compelling extracts of text, and favorable reviews, dummies gave samples of the various options for binding and paper available to the purchaser. The salesman would note these preferences in blank forms at the back of the dummy, and deliver the final product upon publication. Marketing the book in this way allowed publishers to gauge interest and adjust production accordingly, thus eliminating unnecessary expenses.

Salesman's dummies provide a fascinating window into late nineteenth-century print culture, and provide important evidence of book ownership, marketing, production, and distribution, as well as significant bibliographical evidence. This dummy includes a catalog of books offered by the American Publishing Company, with an intriguing note "To the Public" dispelling rumors about price-fixing and unauthorized distribution to bookstores by traveling agents: "We employ only those Agents who enter into agreements with us, pledging themselves not to put any books into stores; and it is only through unreliable Agents that they are seen there...Our Agents are instructed by us to introduce our books, but never to press them upon those who do not desire them. We publish none but valuable and popular work, and we bespeak for our Agents a kind reception."

Special Collections copy can be found in the PAC at PS1321 .A3 1880 and consulted in the Reading Room.

The Records of the Young Women's Christian Association, San Diego Chapter

2008-05-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

The YWCA of San Diego County was founded in 1907, by Dr. Charlotte Baker, Ellen Browning Scripps, George Marston, and G. Audrey Davidson. Then San Diego had no recreational centers, no adult education classes, and no employment bureau for women; but within a year of its founding, the local YWCA provided all of these services, and grew into a 500-member organization by 1908. From 1908 to 1910 the YWCA opened the city's first cafeteria, the first employment bureau, and the first Traveler's Aid Office Bureau. Throughout the following decades, the chapter was devoted to community service, creating summer camps, cooperative housing for women and families, female unemployment assistance programs, and aiding servicemen during both World Wars.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, San Diego's YWCA continued to expand its services. Because of the city's growth, the YWCA established branch divisions to satisfy the needs of local neighborhoods. These branches became centers of activity in communities. They offered outreach programs, established recreational programs for teenagers, and health and physical activities, and child care.

The YWCA is known across San Diego for its public activism. Throughout the organization's history, the most significant and long-term programs have been designed to aid physically and emotionally abused women and their children. In the 1970s, Battered Women's Services, the first comprehensive domestic violence program, was established in San Diego. A series of state and county grants received by the San Diego YWCA in the 1970s and 1980s funded a pilot project to provide shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse. In the 1990s, the YWCA organized the 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, which provided crisis intervention, counseling, and shelter placement to more than 2,500 callers each year. Since 2002, the YWCA has operated Cortez Hill - a highly successful 120-day transitional housing program for homeless families.

In 2008, The YWCA of the San Diego County celebrated its centennial. Special Collections is honored to hold this important collection, and has recently made the fully processed collection available for research. The collection, processed by Lana Kondratenko, comprises approximately 67 linear feet of materials including administrative records, financial records , legal documents, correspondence, publicity, photographs, slides, negatives, scrapbooks, audio and video tapes, floppy disks, CDs, and artifacts. The collection includes an extensive amount of photographic material documenting many of the YWCA's most important activities, including photos from the 1910s-1920s. The collection consists of six series: Historical Files, Administrative Information, Buildings/Facilities, Programs and Services, Events and Conferences, and Media and Artifacts. A full finding aid is available here.

Metropolis: The Classic in the First British Edition

2008-05-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Director Fritz Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou collaborated on the screenplay of this science fiction classic in 1924. Von Harbou adapted their work to novel form in 1926, when it was released in Germany only. One year later, the first British edition was published and the team released their ground-breaking film.

The striking dustjacket artwork by Aubrey Hammond emulates the extraordinary Art Deco aesthetic of the film, and is a stunning example of the type of art that would come to be known among science fiction fans as "Raygun Gothic."

Special Collections' copy, in the Chater Science Fiction Collection, joins six others held in institutions in the United States, and can be found in the PAC at PT2615 .A62 M47 1927.

Rose Hartwick Thorpe, San Diego Poet and Suffragist

2008-05-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

When Rose Hartwick Thorpe was only fifteen, she wrote the poem that would become one of the most often recited and anthologized verses of the nineteenth century. "The Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight" is the heroic tale of lovers during the English Civil War, written much in the style of Longfellow (who later admired it). Despite the poem's popularity and success, the young poet never financially benefited from it. The verse was printed first in a Detroit newspaper, and then reprinted liberally without regard for her copyright to it.

Special Collections has acquired a six-page autograph manuscript of Thorpe's poem, accompanied by a letter from Thorpe to the solicitor of the fair copy. The poet explains that she must charge $5.00 to everyone who requests a manuscript copy from her in order to receive some compensation for her time and for her literary product. She also describes her other publications, delicately mentions their prices, and encloses a prospectus for an upcoming book. Written only one year after her husband's untimely death, this letter suggests the enterprising efforts of a female writer trying to support and sustain her family with her talent.

Rose Hartwick Thorpe wrote many articles and poems after the early success of "The Curfew," publishing in temperance newsletters, youth magazines, and ladies' journals. She also wrote several books, including an etiquette guide, children's fiction, and collections of her own poetry. Her family moved to San Diego in 1887, where she became active in the local chapter of the Y. W. C. A. (the Records of which SDSU has also recently acquired), the San Diego Women's Club, and local suffrage causes. She is also gratefully remembered in the region as the writer who, by winning a poetry contest, named Mission Bay, formerly known as "False Bay." The manuscript and letter can be found in the PAC and consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room.

George M. Ellis Donation

2005-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

Dr. George M. Ellis made a donation of rare, historical titles to Special Collections and University Archives, including the 1807 first edition of the first published journal by a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Patrick Gass F592.5 .G2 1807; the first published account of the work (Jose Salazar Ylarregui, 1850) of the Joint Boundary Commission of the United States and Mexico in surveying and marking the present boundary of the two countries under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo F786 .S16 1850; and James Ohio Pattie's Personal Narrative of James Ohio Pattie, of Kentucky... F592 .P38 1833, which is the first published book account of an American overland trip to Alta California. Pattie's narrative is also the first book published by a participant in either the northern or the southwestern fur trade. Sylvester Pattie, James' father, who was one of the members of the expedition, died in 1828, while they were under arrest at the San Diego Presidio during that expedition and the image from the book is of his burial. Sylvester's grave was rediscovered during excavations at the Presidio lead by Dr. Paul Ezell in 1969.

Pictured above: Map from Datos de los Trabajos Astronomicos y Topografico.

Steven S. and Carolyn B. Conner Donation

2005-12-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

Steven S. and Carolyn B. Conner donated a fine collection of historical San Diego imprints, San Diego postcards and ephemera and books about San Diego history. A San Diego County Directory, 1915, History of San Diego - It's Pueblo Lands and Water by H.C. Hopkins, 1926, and San Diego and the Exposition - Things to Do - Things to See published by the San Diego California Club in 1935, are examples of the sorts of items included.

Pictured above: Title pages from San Diego: A California City 1937, printed by Neyenesch Printers, Inc., San Diego

New, Rare Astronomy Books

2005-09-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Recueil d'Observations faites en plusieurs Voyages par Ordre de sa Majest‹. Pour Perfectionner l'Astronomie et la Georgraphie. Avec divers Traitez Astronomiques.

This handsome volume, published by the Royal Academy of Sciences, Paris, in 1693, contains nine first edition texts by four well-respected scientists of the day, Cassini, Richer, Picard and La Hire. This book may be requested in Special Collections QB41 .A16 1693.

De Magnitudinibus, et Distantiis Solis, et Lunae, Liber cum Pappi Alexandrini explicationibus quibusdam, by Aristarchus of Samos.

This is the first edition (1572) of Federico Commandino’s translation of the first treatise to put forward the heliocentric hypothesis. Aristarchus (ca.310-230 B.C.) reconciled the apparent immobility of the fixed stars with the revolution of the earth around the sun, by determining, through his trigonometrical ratios, that the size of the universe was much larger than that conceived by his predecessors. This book may be requested in Special Collections PA3874.A48 A2 1572.

The purchase of these books was made possible by the Friends of the Library.

Pictured above: Detail of a diagram from De Magnitudinibus, et Distantiis Solis, et Lunae, Liber cum Pappi Alexandrini explicationibus quibusdam.

Luscomb Illustrations

2005-08-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

Donald Luscomb (SDSC 1934) was one of a pair of artists who completed eight large-scale illustrations for the 1936 San Diego State College yearbook, Del Sudoeste. The other artist was George Sorenson (SDSC 1937). The Donald Luscomb family donated all eight of those drawings to San Diego State's University Archives. The drawing reproduced here shows many of the faculty in 1936.

Pictured above: The Faculty by Donald Luscombfrom the 1936 SDSC Del Sudoeste yearbook.

Bixby Canyon Ocean Path Word Breeze by Allen Ginsberg

2005-07-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

SDSU alumnus and owner of New York's Gotham Book Mart, Andreas Brown has been a generous donor to the library since the 1960s. Among items received from in in June 2005 was this wonderfully inscribed copy #1 of Allen Ginsberg's Bixby Canyon Ocean Path Word Breeze. The book was published in 1972 by Gotham Book Mart; Mr Brown also donated his prepublication mockups of the book. This book may be requested in Special Collections PS3513.I74 B5 1972.

Pictured above: Front cover illustration from a painting by Emil White.

Donna Barr's Black Manuscripts

2005-07-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Special Collections and Archives received a fabulous gift from author and illustrator Donna Barr in July, 2005. She donated her original Black Manuscripts which are hand-written and illustrated Desert Peach volumes, twelve of which are ornately hand-embroidered on their covers. Original scores, scripts, photographs, videotapes, and costumes from her Desert Peach underground music and culture have created an outstanding collection of alternative popular culture. For more information about Donna Barr, musical were also received. These materials, along with additional donations from Donna Barr and other artists and collectors of zines, comics, see her web site.

Pictured above: Pages from Donna Barr's Black Manuscripts

The Mime of Mick, Nick, and the Maggies: A Fragment from Work in Progress by James Joyce

2005-06-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

The cover, initial letter, and the tailpiece of this beautiful publication were designed by James Joyce's daughter, Miss Lucia Joyce. The library's copy is number 579 of an edition of 1,000, and was printed in letterpress using Old Antique Dutch font at the presses of G. J. Thieme at Nymegen, Holland. This copy is a gift to the library from Paul Kennerson, in honor of Andreas Brown, owner of the Gotham Book Mart, upon the occasion of the conferral of the Doctorate of Fine Arts degree to Brown. This book may be requested in Special Collections PR6019.O9 W615 1934a.

Pictured above: Front cover, designed by Lucia Joyce.

Essentials of Linoleum Block Printing By Ralph W. Polk, 1927

2005-06-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

For 50 years, Horace Dodd has worked to build a diverse collection of books and the SDSU Library is the fortunate recipient of much of this collection. He has generously donated his entire collection of every edition published of Francis Parkman's Oregon Trail; his extensive printmaking, paper making and book making texts; books about George Catlin; theater playbills; and his paper engineering books numbering 235 in all.

Pictured above: Two-color linoleum-block design from Essentials of Linoleum-Block Printing by Ralph W. Polk

Donald and Louise Heyneman Natural History Donations

2005-05-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Donald and Louise Heyneman donated five 18th and 19th century natural history titles. One of the larger sets is Naturae, or The Naturalists' Miscellany, London, 1789, which includes hundreds of hand-colored plates throughout its 17 volumes. (Mr. Heyneman's mother, Amy Jo Wormser donated her large and very valuable collection of natural history titles to Special Collections in 1983.)

Pictured above: Illustration of an Ibis from Naturae, or The Naturalists' Miscellany

Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman

2004-12-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Our unparalleled collection of surfing literature grew dramatically due to continued donations by our long-time surf collection supporters Joe Tabler and Allen Kukel. Old and new classics, journals and magazines, novels, ephemera and games make up this wonderful collection, which now numberes over 350 items. Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman is a limited edition series by Gary Lynch, 2001.

Pictured Left/Above: from Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman by Gary Lynch; Gift of Allen Kukel.

Bat in Rain

2004-12-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Bat in Rain is a hand-pulled aquatint etching by Edward Gorey. It is one of 95 copies numbered and signed by the artist (only 75 were completed before his death). This is one of several pieces of original Gorey artwork purchased for the library by Bob and Ginger Wallace. The Wallaces and several other benefactors made it possible for the library to add to its significant collection of Edward Gorey publications, original artwork and ephemera in Special Collections.

Pictured Above/Right: Bat in Rain, Edward GoreyEtching with aquatint

Optiks: or, A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of light

2003-10-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sir Isaac Newton's Optiks: or, A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of light was donated by John and Barbara Hood in October. This wonderful volume was printed for William Innys, London, in 1730, and is a valuable addition to the rare astronomy and other sciences collections.

Pictured Above/Left: detail from Optiks: or A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of light by Sir Isaac Newton

Mamvsse Wunneetupanatamwe up-biblum God naneeswe nukkone testament kah wonk wusku testament

2003-09-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Guerard Piffard, a charter member of the Friends of the SDSU Library, donated a leaf from The Book of Proverbs from the Eliot Bible This fragment, measuring 18 centimeters in height, contains text from Proverbs, Chapter 10 verse 19 through Chapter 13 verse 4.

In 1661, a Boston printer named Samuel Green (1615-1702) printed the first complete English Bible translated by John Eliot (1604-1690) into Massachuset, a Natick-Algonquin language. The second edition of Eliot’s Bible was revised by him with the assistance of John Cotton (1640-1699) and printed in 1685.

Special Collections and University Archives at San Diego State University received a leaf of the Book of Proverbs from the 1685 printing of the Eliot Bible as a gift from Dr. Guerard Piffard, a charter member of the Friends of the SDSU Library. This fragment, measuring 18 centimeters in height, contains text from Proverbs, Chapter 10 verse 19 through Chapter 13 verse 4.

For additional information about this and other editions of the Eliot Bible, please consult James Constantine Pilling’s book, Bibliography of the Algonquin Languages (Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 1891).

This item is available for consultation in SpecialCollections and University Archives during our regular business hours and may be requested by the use of the following call number: BS 345 A2 E4 1685.

Barbara Abele Bookplate Collection

2003-08-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

The daughters of Barbara Abele donated her very large collection of original bookplates collected from around the world, as well as her extensive library of books about bookplates to the Library in August. Ms. Abele was a scholar of this beautiful art form, and her collection adds wonderfully to the book arts holdings of Special Collections.

Pictured Left/Above: One of many unique bookplates in the collection.

Don Freeman Collection

2003-05-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Veteran award-winning journalist Don Freeman has donated his collection of newspaper columns spanning approximately fifty years. Freeman originally hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada but spent much of his early years in the Chicago area. He earned his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, Illinois. Before choosing San Diego as his home, Freeman served as a sports staff writer for the Chicago Tribune. He joined the staff of the San Diego Union, where he reviewed plays and launched its first jazz column. For more than 35 years, he was the Union's television editor and columnist. Since 1992, when the San Diego Union merged with the San Diego Tribune, Freeman has been the paper's critic-at-large columnist. Freeman has received two San Diego Press Club awards and was designated that organization's print Headliner of the Year in 1998. His collection also includes a tape-recorded interview with Freeman, along with its transcript, conducted by Special Collections staff. Freeman reflects on his entrance into the field of journalism; his discovery of the writer who would become his idol, Ring Lardner; and his experiences interviewing many celebrities over the years, such as singers Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, actresses Marlene Dietrich and Donna Reed, and baseball legend Ted Williams. Researchers of journalism and rhetoric, as well as those interested in sports and entertainment history, will find this collection particularly appealing.

A Reception in Celebration of the Western Printing Collection A Gift from Richard B. Yale

2002-11-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

Renowned printer, journalist, publisher, photographer, historian, and book collector Richard B. (Dick) Yale has selected Special Collections and University Archives as the repository for his extensive collection. Yale, a San Diego resident, has donated books, manuscripts, photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and other materials relating to the history of printing, California, and the American West to be preserved and used by researchers. A third-generation printer, Yale established the Butterfield Express: Historical Newspaper of the Great Southwest, in 1962, which features articles printed in the style of the Old West. Part of his donation includes the Washington hand-printing presses, drawers of wood-type specimens, and vintage cameras that he has used during his lengthy career.

Yale is a long-time member of the Zamorano Club, an illustrious Los Angeles-based group of book collectors, printers, and librarians. Over the years, he has retained keepsakes, memorabilia, and publications that are typically given only to club members; these items are now housed in the collection and offer a rare glimpse into the activities of this organization. Yale is often called the Honorary Mayor of Old Town, San Diego. The collection includes a wood certificate given to him when he received that title.

Yale's decades of collecting have led to an accumulation of rare books on the printing process and the life histories of its artisans. Among these treasures are handmade, limited editions, such as The Life Work of Dard Hunter, by Dard Hunter II, which highlights the experiences of this early 20th-century printer who worked for the Roycrofters Studio; The Wood Type of the Angelica Press; De Little's Wood Type Specimens by Robert De Little; and American Wood Types, 1828-1900: Volume One, collected, cataloged, and printed by Rob Roy Kelly. The collection also includes rare texts on California history. One example is Splendide Californie! by Claudine Chalmers, a publication based on a California Historical Society exhibition that featured 18th- and 19th-century French artists' paintings inspired by the California landscape. While the collection will particularly interest scholars of American Western and California history, as well as printing historians and practitioners, students and San Diego community residents can also benefit from learning more about this local personality.

Pictured Left/Above: From left to right: Richard Yale, Dean Connie Vinita Dowell and Richard B. (Dick) Yale.
Pictured Right/Above: Dard Hunter II: The Life Work of Dard Hunter. Mountain House Press, 1981.

Calling all Zinesters!

2002-10-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

We are building a Zine Archive in the Special Collections and University Archives at SDSU, a repository for fine, unique, and unusual books, periodicals, manuscripts, oral histories, and other documents. The Archive's aim is to provide a protected space for D.I.Y. collections while advancing public access to these important works. Please have a look at our call for the zines in the here.

Additions to the Norland Collection

2002-08-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Clarissa Salter, sister of Calvert E. Norland, professor of zoology at SDSU from 1947 to 1976, has donated additional materials to her uncle's collection. Professor Norland's collection, which consists of his and his wife Elisabeth's personal library of scientific works, as well as letters, manuscripts, prints, and artifacts, has been housed in Special Collections and University Archives since 1974. The collection contains rich sources of information on the history of biology and the sciences. Salter's recent contribution to the collection includes research papers on such topics as entomology prepared by Norland for students in his history of biology course during the 1960s and 1970s. Yet it also features a paper on the philosophy of conservation--partly written in his own hand--and an outline of the history of the world through the Renaissance. Additionally, several reprints of articles that Norland consulted for his research and teaching are part of the new accession, covering such topics as coastal sand dune plants of California and eighteenth-century scientists in New Spain.

A Generous Gift from the Friends of the Library

2002-06-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a generous gift from the Friends of the Library, three rare and significant 16th- and 17th-century works have been purchased to enhance our early astronomy collection. Mauro Fiorentino (ca. 1490-1556) published a 1550 edition of Annotationi sopra la lettione della Spera del Sacro Bosco by Joannes de Sacro Bosco (John Holywood, d. 1256), a monk of English origin who was also a professor of astronomy in Paris. A diagram and four pages of contemporary Florentine astronomical manuscript, dated May 29, 1564 and entitled "Del'anno solare et altre sorte et altre sorte di anni. et del anno bisestile" ("Concerning the solar year and types of years. And concerning the leap year") follow the manuscript text. See a more detailed image of the book here.	Annotationi sopra la lettione della Spera del Sacro Bosco by Joannes de Sacro Bosco
The 1574 edition of another work by Sacro Bosco, La Sfera Di M. Giovanni Sacrobosco Tradotta Da Pier-Vincentio Dante de Rinaldi, is the second in this trio of recent acquisitions. Sacro Bosco's reputation is based largely on this brief work, a compendium of spherical astronomy that was originally published in approximately 1220 and was used as a text book, resulting in nearly one hundred scholarly editions in print before the mid-17th century. See a more detailed image of the book here.	La Sfera Di M. Giovanni Sacrobosco Tradotta Da Pier-Vincentio Dante de Rinaldi by Sacro Bosco
Originally printed in French in 1642, the 1655 edition of Gviliemi Blaev Institvtio Astronomica De usu Globorum & Sphaerarum Caelestium ac Terrestrium: Dvabvs Partibvs Adornata by Guiliemi Blaeu (1571-1638) addresses both the Ptolemaic and Copernican astronomical systems. Blaeu, a celebrated Dutch geographer and typographer, was a friend and disciple of noted Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. He worked with Brahe at Brahe's observatory on the island of Hven, Denmark, before settling in Amsterdam where he established himself as a merchant of maps and globes. Interest in navigation and cartography had greatly increased in Holland at that time because the country was actively sending its fleets to Africa, America, Asia, and the Arctic. In 1633, Blaeu became the official cartographer of the East India Company. See a more detailed image of the book here.	Gviliemi Blaev Institvtio Astronomica De usu Globorum & Sphaerarum Caelestium ac Terrestrium: Dvabvs Partibvs Adornata by Guiliemi Blaeu