Charles Darwin had close to 1500 books in his library. Now, thanks to the Biodiversity Heritage Library, one can digitally peruse over 400 of the books contained therein, including over 300 of the most heavily annotated. The library of Charles Darwin. Courtesy of Cambridge University LibraryThe Charles Darwin’s Library project is "a digital edition and virtual reconstruction of the surviving books owned by Charles Darwin." "a miserable book - all words, words, words." Annotation in Volume 1 of Histoire naturelle générale des règnes organiques by Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Isidore, 1854."The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of 12 natural history and...
In the Stacks: Columbia University, From Homer to Howl
This installment of In the Stacks takes us to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Columbia University.From Homer:Fragment from Homer's Odysseyis dating from between the third century to the second century BCE. One 2000 papyrus fragments housed at Columbia.Original contract between Herman Melville and Harper & Brothers for "The Whale," or better known as Moby Dick. Columbia acquired the archive of the publisher in 1975.Alexander Anderson. Wood engraving of garden-house scene, (6.5 x 8 cm.) Anderson has been considered the father of wood engraving in America. Arthur Rackham. Self-portrait, 1924. The Rackham collection at Columbia contains 413 drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings, as...
In the Stacks: Los Angeles Public Library
For this installment of In the Stacks we visit the vast online archive of the Los Angeles Public Library. Enjoy!A couple of Bookmobiles: Decorated Los Angeles Public Library Bookmobile, 1974. Photo by Joe FriezerBookmobile at Stonehurst School, 1957. Photo by Milton Martinez A few for the political crowd: Books for freedom, 1964. Photo by George Brich American Nazi party pickets bookshop, 1962Books for a Strong America" a right leaning display in a Northridge Hughes Market. 1962Some general book treats: Caption for this one: "Wrapped in Thought. Four-year-old Philip Ross finds "ABC Easter Bunny" more interesting than his guns and spurs, 1960 Mark Twain Branch book march and rally, 1971 Books and...
Kaplan Boxing Archive: From Contender To Champ
Poster For An Exhibit of Materials From The Hank Kaplan Boxing Archive.(All Images Courtesy Of Hank Kaplan Boxing Archive At Brooklyn College.)The rags to riches story behind Brooklyn College's Hank Kaplan Boxing Archive just got a little richer: on April 16, 2010 the collection's chief archivist, Professor Anthony Cucchiara, became the winner of a $315,000 endowment from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) to organize the largest and most extensive boxing collection in the world. "This two-year grant will allow us to process and preserve this invaluable collection that spans two centuries of boxing history," says Prof. Cucchiara.Finding the...
The Google Books Settlement: The Monster and the Maze
This is Asaf Hanuka's amazing illustration of the Google Book Monster which appears on the cover of this month's issue of California Lawyer. It accompanies Tom McNichol's feature story on GBS, Saving the World from Google.click to enlargeThe Library Copyright Alliance has released this dizzying chart outlining all the legal possibilities that still remain. They have named this maze; “GBS March Madness: Paths Forward for the Google Books Settlement."Looks like there is still a long way to go before this one is settled.Thanks to Brave New World for the lead on the diagram.