home Resources and Services, Special Collections and Archives Dogs, Jackals, Wolves and Foxes, and an Adopt a Book program update

Dogs, Jackals, Wolves and Foxes, and an Adopt a Book program update

St. George Jackson Mivart was a well-known nineteenth-century English biologist. He served as Vice-President of the Zoological Society twice (1869 and 1882)and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his work On the Appendicular skeleton of the Primates. This work on animals in the canine family is filled with woodcuts and 45 hand-colored plates drawn from nature by J.G. Keulemans.  Mivart examines the anatomy of canids from the Mexican lap dog to the common wolf, and just about every variety in between.  

This book recently received conservation treatment through the Adopt a Book Program.  Before conservation, the book and plates were so fragile that they could not be scanned without risking further deterioration.  Thanks to conservator Jim Downey and donor Robin Wenneker, the book is now available to all in our reading room.  I'll be updating the Adopt a Book record to reflect the conservation work in a day or two, but in the meantime, I couldn't wait to share this sampling of the book's beautiful plates.

Mivart, St. George Jackson, 1827-1900. Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes : a monograph of the Canidæ by St. George Mivart ; with woodcuts, and 45 coloured plates drawn from nature by J.G. Keulemans and hand-coloured. London : R.H. Porter : Dulau, 1890. MERLIN catalog record

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home Resources and Services, Special Collections and Archives Amazing Engraved Plates of a Huge Party in Strasbourg, 1744

Amazing Engraved Plates of a Huge Party in Strasbourg, 1744

Louis XV may not have been the most popular king, but when he fell ill and was near death in 1744, his subjects across France prayed dutifully for his recovery.  In October 1744, once he was well enough, the king visited Strasbourg, and the town threw what looks to have been a huge party to celebrate his visit and convalescence. There were processions through the streets, races, dances, and even fireworks.  These events were all faithfully chronicled by J. M. Weis, "graveur de la ville de Strasbourg," and produced in the nearly monumental format of a large folio with two-page spreads. This is a fete book – a royal souvenir for a royal celebration.

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The MU Libraries copy is still in the original binding, and if you follow our Adopt a Book program, you may recognize it.  William Heyde III recently donated funds to support conservation work, and Jim Downey at Legacy Bookbindery made the repairs the volume needed.  Once the book was in stable condition, we were able to send it to the MU Libraries Digital Services unit. So, thanks to a generous donor, a conservator, a couple of rare book librarians, and several digital imaging and metadata experts, this book is now available to the world.  We think that in itself is cause for celebration!  

Get a closer look at the plates or page through the text in the University of Missouri Digital Library.  Be sure to use the zoom feature to take in the details – the variety of tiny figures that populate these prints is really amazing.

Weis, Johann Martin, d. ca. 1795. Représentation des fêtes données par la ville de Strasbourg pour la convalescence du Roi; à l'arrivée et pendant le séjour de Sa Majesté en cette ville. Inventé, dessiné et dirigé par J. M. Weiss, graveur de la ville de Strasbourg. Paris: imprimë par Laurent Aubert [1745]. MERLIN catalog record

home Resources and Services, Special Collections and Archives Eighteenth-century artificial limbs, clockwork figurines, boat winches, and more!

Eighteenth-century artificial limbs, clockwork figurines, boat winches, and more!

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Machines et inventions approuvées par l’Académie royale des sciences, depuis son établissement jusqu’à présent; avec leur description. Dessinées & publiées du consentement de l’Académie, par M. Gallon.  Paris, G. Martin [etc.], 1735-77.

MERLIN catalog record.  Recently restored through the Adopt a Book Program.

Adopt a Book program update

We have a large batch of Adopt a Book materials to feature this time!  Thanks to the Friends of the Libraries, our generous donors, and conservator Jim Downey, the fragile, valuable and irreplaceable books in Special Collections can receive greatly-needed repairs and preservation treatment.  This program provides the main source of funding for rare book preservation and repair at the University of Missouri Libraries. Since the collections are heavily used, this is a vital service for MU researchers and students.  

The books featured below are just a few of the ones that have recently received conservation treatment through this program.  Take a look, and consider sponsoring a rare book through the Adopt a Book program website.


Adopt a Book Update

Thanks to our generous donors, the Friends of the Libraries, and conservator Jim Downey, we have been able to do much-needed repair work on many of the fragile, valuable, and irreplaceable books in our collections.  Below are just a few of the most recent examples of the amazing work the Adopt a Book Program accomplishes.  As always, there are new books available for adoption as well.  Click over to our Adopt a Book page and take a look!

Bible. Latin. - before

Bible. Latin. - after

History of St. Charles, Montgomery and Warren Counties, Missouri- before

History of St. Charles, Montgomery and Warren Counties, Missouri - after

Northanger Abbey; and Persuasion - before

 

Northanger Abbey; and Persuasion - after

A few of the books now available for adoption:

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Adopt a Book Program News

Featured below are a couple of the most recent Adopt a Book transformations, courtesy of donors to the Friends of the MU Libraries Adopt a Book Program and conservator Jim Downey.  And of course, there are new books available for adoption as well!

History of the Westminster election : containing every material occurrence, from its commecement [sic.] on the first of April, to the final close of the poll, on the 17th of May - before

       History of the Westminster election : containing every material occurrence, from its commecement [sic.] on the first of April, to the final close of the poll, on the 17th of May - after

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Le Czar Demetrius : histoire moscovite - before  Le Czar Demetrius : histoire moscovite - after

Newly available for adoption

Secrets worth knowing : a comedy, in five acts.Vida de Seraphica madre Santa Teresa de Jesus   Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson, LL.D. : during the last twenty years of his life    Breve instrucçam de ordinandos : compendio das cousas, que devem gruadar, e saber em suas Ordens… com hum appendis do exame dos confessores, e pregadores.        

 

 

   

 

 

Historia da fundaçaõ do real convento do S. Christo das religiosas capuchinhas francezas Qvattro comedie del divino Pietro Aretino

 

 

 

 

And many more

Adopt-A-Book News

Thanks to the generous support of donors to the Friends of the MU Libraries Adopt-A-Book program, conservator Jim Downey has been able to treat and repair a number of books from Special Collections.  Below is a sampling of before and after pictures from the latest batch of adoptees; click over to the Adopt-A-Book web site for more.  A sincere thanks to donors George Justice, H. & D. Moore, B. Winfield, M. Nagar, W. Oshinsky, P. Collins, J. Schweitzer, R. Drake and M. Correale.

A flora of North America by William P. C. Barton. Philadelphia: M. Carey & Sons, 1821-23.Ellinor: or, The world as it is: a novel by Mary Anne Hanway. London: Printed for William Lane, 1798M.T.C. Epistolae familiares accuratius recognitae. Venetiis : Apud Aldum et Andream Socerum, 1512