Special Collections Blog Archive
Nineteenth-century Valentines
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Before superhero and princess Valentine's Day cards, we had Lord Byron.
Sarpi's History of the Council of Trent and Captain Nicholas Humfrys
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None of the books from the first library of William & Mary survived the1705 fire, except, that is, for this one, Paolo Sarpi's History of the Council of Trent , found in England during the Second World War.
A Window into Nineteenth-century Parlor Music
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Nineteenth-century bound sheet music offers a window into domestic music making. The accouterments of musical life—instruments and sheet music—were recognizable symbols of elite taste and education. Much nineteenth-century sheet music was bound together into volumes by owners, sometimes with ornate, personalized covers and marbled endpapers.
Sir Henry Chicheley after Bacon's Rebellion
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In Swem Library's Special Collections Bound Manuscript Collection, there is a handwritten transcription of some documents from the 1677-1686 Entry Warrant Book of Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Pressing On Into the Future
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In this digital age we often hear predictions about the end of the book, but the technology that transformed the world 560 years ago is holding on. Beyond the continued popularity of novels sold at airports and hardcovers at signings, however, is a continued interest in books as art objects, generally printed in small numbers by private presses.
Conservation of Alexander Galt Diary
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Alexander Galt was an American sculptor born in Norfolk, Va. in 1827. He spent time studying in Italy from 1849-1853. He received important commissions in the United States and returned to Italy in 1856, coming back to Virginia in 1860. The outbreak of the Civil War saw him working for the Confederate army and doing a few private commissions.
In Alphabetical Order
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At Homecoming this year, Special Collections opened a new exhibit showcasing selected items from our holdings arranged from A to Z. In Alphabetical Order: A Selection of Materials from Swem Library's Special Collections was developed through a team effort with several staff and student workers involved.
Spell-Bound – Setting the Stage for Magic!
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The semester, and with it class visits to Special Collections, are in full swing. One book that is a popular choice for a whole range of classes ever since it was purchased with support from the Vinyard Fund in 2012, is Portable Mayan altar : pocket books of Mayan spells.
Get to Know Cuban Artists' Books with Ediciones Vigía
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Last summer, as part of the growing Cuban book arts and poster collections, Special Collections acquired a number of handmade books from Ediciones Vigía, an artist collective and publishing house in Matanzas, Cuba. Cuban poet Alfredo Zaldívar and designer Rolando Estévez cofounded Ediciones Vigía in 1985.
Open House this Saturday - Come Visit Us!
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The Special Collections Research Center, located on the first floor of Swem Library, is hosting an Open House this Saturday, October 24, from 9am-11am. We will showcase select items from University Archives as well as our general manuscript and rare book collections, highlighting both examples of philanthropy and firsts at William & Mary.
Electronic Records Day!
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Tomorrow, October 10th, is Electronic Records Day. This is the fourth annual Electronic Records Day, which the Council of State Archivists started.
Web Archiving at W & M
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Have you ever found an old website with the Wayback Machine or played the 1990 version of Oregon Trail in your browser?
"gave out and rec'd books"
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This quote from the diary of Civil War chaplain William E. Wiatt documents an unusual aspect of the his duties. The chaplain carried a circulating library for the soldiers he was tending. Wiatt's diary has been published, but the original is still in private hands. (Alex L. Wiatt. Confederate Chaplain William Edward Wiatt: An Annotated Diary. Lynchburg, Va.: H. E. Howard, Inc., 1994.
Teamwork: Saving History the William & Mary Way
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In 1997, William & Mary purchased property on Ironbound Road from a prominent African American couple, Charles E. (d. 2001) and Zelda DeBerry Gary (d. 2010). He, the owner of the West End Valet Shop and a notary public, and she, a nurse who once worked for the James City County school system, were long-time residents of Williamsburg.
It's Tumblr Time
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The Special Collections Research Center has partnered with William & Mary Libraries to create a Tumblr blog to show some of the treasures we have here in Special Collections along with events, news, exhibits, and behind-the-scenes looks at our work in the archives.
Commonplace Book of Captain Walter P. Snow of Maryland
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Thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Laura K. Lawrence of Williamsburg, the commonplace book of Captain Walter Snow of Maryland, a prominent ship captain and lawyer during the nineteenth century, has found a permanent home in William & Mary's Special Collections Research Center, where it has been digitized and will be preserved for future generations of students and scholars to use and enjoy.
Scholarship on Display
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Each year, Swem Library displays W&M faculty scholarship from a selected department in its Bright Gallery. Previous exhibits have included scholarship from Psychology, Art and Art History, Geology, and Religious Studies, among others.
From Fact to Fiction: Using Primary Sources in Creative Writing Classes
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Libraries and archives may not be the first places that come to mind when creative writing students are thinking about composing their next assignment. Inspiration is often assumed to be all a writer needs, but there are actually several ways in which books, manuscripts and University Archives collections can be helpful.
"Send me word . . ."
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I recently arranged and described the papers of Cynthia Beverley Tucker Washington Coleman, a member of the prominent Tucker & Coleman families and co-founder of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (known today as Preservation Virginia).
The Missing Portrait
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Jane Gay Robertson, the sister of Governor Wyndham Robertson, married John Hipkins Bernard. He had inherited from his grandfather a home named "Rose Hill: in Caroline County, Va. Bernard renamed it "Gay Mont," in honor of his wife.