Your source for what's new at Mizzou Libraries
We hope you all enjoyed your summer break and are ready to start the new semester!
Remember you can always stop by the Engineering Library for research help or to find a comfortable place to study. Also be sure to check out our Lego Lafferre display.
Working in a Special Collections Departments has its perks. One such perk is being able to browse the closed stacks and treasure hunt for unique items. I ran across this little gem a few weeks ago.
A Stereoscopic Atlas of the Chick by Joseph Long
Published 1937
In honor of Shark Week, we thought you would enjoy a few colored plates from A History of the Fishes of the British Isles by Jonathan Couch, 1877.
Presented by the Special Collections Department of Ellis Library
August 1-29, 2014
Ellis Library Colonnade
University of Missouri
“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage though time”
-Carl Sagan
The books on display, from the Special Collections Department of Ellis Library, all carry traces of their former owners. Some contain notes in the margins; others hold mementos between their pages. In either case, these traces tell stories not only about the books’ reception but about the lives of those who read them.
At Special Collections, we believe a part of our job to be informing patrons on subject matters they may be unfamiliar with. Whether those subjects are found in books from the Middle Ages, newspapers dating back to the American Revolution, or underground comics, we’re always here to give you the scoop on things you didn’t know you didn’t know. But chances are an upcoming summer blockbuster might have you wondering, “Who are the Guardians of the Galaxy and why should I see the movie?” Special Collections is here for you, dear reader!
Opening in theaters this weekend is Marvel’s newest superhero flick, “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Staring Chris Pratt of “Parks and Recreation” fame, along with a handful of other well-known actors (Glenn Close, John C. Reilly and Bradley Cooper, just to name a few), “Guardians” promises to be a comic book movie unlike any we’ve seen before. And just like any good superhero movie, it never hurts to have a little backstory. Though Special Collections doesn’t have any stand-alone Guardians comics, we do have several Marvel Comics encyclopedias and compendiums, along with several issues of “Avengers” comics (like the ones you see in this post), which take place in the same universe as the Guardians. If you want the full, detailed history of the Guardians of the Galaxy, stop on by and request a book. If you just want the Cliffs Notes version, read on!
The original incarnation of the space-travelling team debuted in January, 1969. This group of Guardians never found much of a fan following, and the team was relegated to appearing alongside other heroes, like Thor and the Fantastic Four. This team shouldn’t factor in all that much with the “Guardians” film.
However, in 2008, an entirely new team of Guardians was introduced. Made up of a human named Peter Quill, two aliens – Drax and Gamora – and two personified creatures – Rocket, a talking raccoon and Groot, a living tree – these Guardians found instant commercial success. A feature film set within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe was fast-tracked into production.
This weekend, that movie is released. It will tie in with events that happened in “The Avengers”, and set up future events for “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Avengers 3 and beyond. Either before or after you check out the movie, stop on by and see us too!
Inventory of the General Library-Jesse Hall-University of Missouri, 1897
Before online catalogs and barcodes, librarians had to manage library collections and inventory by hand. This 1897 inventory of the General University of Missouri Library contains records of the books, magazines, and journals that belonged to the University. And, as many would suspect, librarians in the 19th century were just as detail oriented as those in the 21st century. The inventory even includes the contents of the “Dark Room” which, among many other things, contained one hatchet, a spittoon, and 40 old Savitars.
This volume also holds a letter written by Walter K. Stone, the University Librarian, which was tucked inside the text block. This letter, written in 1899 to the Executive Board of Curators, notes some library issues and the need for a “competent person” to be employed to help manage the collection.
This week's post is by Shelby Wolfe, a Special Collections undergraduate assistant.
While Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might not be the first person who comes to mind when pondering the classical humanities, his portrayal of Hercules in the most recent film version about the mythological demi-god might spark your desire to delve far back into classical mythology. If so, check out these Hercules-related materials at Special Collections.
Hercules has entertained generations of adventure-loving readers and listeners for centuries. From pottery and poetry to compendium and comic book, illustrated depictions of the mythological hero are typically easy to identify – a large, muscular man often wielding a bulky club and donning a characteristic lionskin.
This plate in Andrew Tooke’s 1806 edition of The Pantheon details the hero’s attributes. Covered in a lionskin, the main image features Hercules resting his club on the ground. Two roundels above provide a closer inspection of the club and lionskin.
Likewise, this illustration from Tooke’s 1844 Pantheon shows Hercules outfitted with his attributes. In addition, two roundel inserts depict Hercules in the midst of his Twelve Labors – slaying the Nemean Lion (the source of his lionskin attire) on the far left and his battle with the Lernaean Hydra on the far right.
For a more modern depiction of the famed hero, take a closer look at this comic book from 1984. Hercules: Prince of Power features a monstrously muscular title character intent on saving the Marvel universe from rebel military forces in the year 2385.
Whether it’s the 8th century BCE or 2385 CE, Hercules is sure to be flexing his muscles somewhere.
Homer Croy
Our Will Rogers, c. 1953
Homer Croy, the author of “Our Will Rogers”, was an MU student from 1903-1907, where he was heavily involved in the publication of the school yearbook, the Savitar. Although Croy did not graduate from the University, he achieved great success as a playwright and novelist. In 1956, Elmer Ellis, the University of Missouri President, bestowed Croy with an honorary degree. Elmer Ellis donated this copy of “Our Will Rogers” to the University library. This volume gives us a wonderful peek into the friendship between Croy and Ellis. Throughout the book there are many notes and clippings from Croy to Ellis, which seem to be a gathering of inside jokes and friendly jabs. One can imagine what witty response Croy received in return.
In 2002, the Columbia Missourian suffered a server crash. Their backups were hold in an obsolete version of a CMS.
Read more at the Reynolds Journalism Institute blog: Saving the news: When your server crashes, you could lose decades of digital news content – forever
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain
Leaves from the journal of our life in the Highlands, from 1848 to 1861…
This published journal contains excerpts from the personal accounts of Queen Victoria in the mid-19th century. Perhaps one of the most interesting details about this particular volume is the signature on flyleaf. It reads, “To Robert Downie from Victoria Queen. Sandringham Jan. 2 1872”. Scottish-born Robert Downie was a “footman” or “equerry” to Victoria’s son, Prince of Wales. Downie’s duty was to support the Prince in official duties and private life and may have also been responsible for the Royal horses. Downie, 47 years old at the time, must also have held a high rank in the military as it was a requirement of employment.
In the signature, Queen Victoria notes, Sandringham, a privately owned Royal residence located in Norfolk, England. The property was purchased in 1862, however, the Queen made her first visit to Sandringham in 1871, only a year before the book was signed.
