digitalnewberry

[digitalnewberry]

Baseball's sad lexicon

Chicago baseball cigarette cards, 1909-1910

These are the saddest of possible words: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds, Tinker and Evers and Chance. Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble, Making a Giant hit into a double – Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." -- Franklin Pierce Adams, Baseball's sad lexicon (1910)

These are three of the 46 cards collected by James T. Farrell (1904–1979), an avid Chicago White Sox fan, American realist writer, and Studs Lonigan author. Growing up on the city's South Side, Farrell was a high-school varsity baseball player who dreamed of a major-league career. He incorporated his encyclopedic knowledge of and passion for the sport into his writings, including two books and several short stories entirely about baseball. 

Included in the Farrell Collection are the cards of a number of players who participated in the 1906 cross-town World Series, in which the Sox defeated the heavily favored Cubs. Pitching two wins with the assistance of ace defensive catcher Billy Sullivan, the Sox's Ed Walsh led his team to a surprise four-game-to-two series victory. The 1906 contest was the first World Series for the Cubs' famous infield trio of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers (pictured on the home page), and Frank Chance, who were immortalized as the "Tinker to Evers to Chance" double-play combination in the wildly popular poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," by New York newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams...

Read the full post by former Lloyd Lewis Curator of Modern Manuscripts Martha Briggs

#newberry library #libraries #special collections #archives #baseball #baseball cards #chicago cubs #chicago white sox #collection stories

[digitalnewberry]

Earnestly romantic

The Metropolitan Tower on a Summer Evening, 1914

There's a wealth of humorous, bizarre, and slightly absurd postcards in the John I. Monroe collection (I spent a good while perusing a series featuring anthropomorphized pants). However, I couldn't resist singling out this earnestly romantic work by Rachael Robinson Elmer. One can almost feel the summer night air just by looking at it. -- Ben Weinstein, Project Archivist

To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection, we'll be featuring mini-posts of staff faves.

Browse the full collection: John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#new york city #vintage #postcards #architecture #newberry library #collection stories #newberry minis

[digitalnewberry]

Did you know that much of the Newberry's public programming is streamed for free on Zoom? Even if you can't join in person, you can sign up at newberry.org to watch upcoming live events on topics such as the craft of writing, 1950s Chicago nightlife, and one of the first interracial comedy duos. Or you can wait to watch the events on demand on YouTube, such as this recent sold-out conversation between award-winning poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib and Chicago writer, scholar, and community organizer Eve L. Ewing.

#chicago #writers on writing #newberry library #chicago history #comedy history #hanif #hanif abdurraqib #eve ewing #newberryq #Youtube

[digitalnewberry]

Absurd, airplane-themed hats

Antoinette Latham, early 20th century

This is part of a series of postcards featuring women in absurd, airplane-themed hats that I absolutely love. The artist, who signs their name as Plum, is not the only artist in the collection to depict women in cartoonishly ridiculous hats, but I love this series in particular because the visual gag goes beyond just “oh, funny hat.” These women are chic, not only because they dress in fashionable silhouettes and fabrics, but because their fashion ties in the hottest news of the day: humans figuring out how to fly. Sure, their hats are absurd, but they're definitely topical! -- Caroline Carter, Grant Writer

To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection, we'll be featuring mini-posts of staff faves.

Browse the full collection: John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#vintage #postcards #aviation #airplanes #newberry library #collection stories #newberry minis

[digitalnewberry]

Tasty, funky, mystifying, and essential to life itself

La Terre, 1898

Tasty, funky, mystifying, and essential to life itself - this postcard captures and celebrates mushrooms in all their glory! I was immediately drawn in by the use of earthy natural elements and a vibrant color palette, evoking memories of the nature walks and botanical explorations I'd go on with friends and loved ones during the peak of summertime here in Chicago. The mix of Japanese influences with traditional Art Nouveau elements is a style that I really enjoy and inspires me in my own art endeavors! -- Leo Godoy, Digitization Technician

To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection, we'll be featuring mini-posts of staff faves.

Browse the full collection: John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#mushrooms #fungi #vintage #postcards #collection stories #newberry library #newberry minis #earth day

[digitalnewberry]

Fictional Friday: Evelyn Carnahan

Welcome back to Fictional Friday, where I recommend items from Newberry Digital Collections to fictional characters. I'm currently focusing on iconic librarians, which brings me to the icon of my childhood: Evelyn Carnahan from The Mummy.

Evy may have accidentally resurrected a homicidal mummy, but she's also never done anything wrong, ever. I would share this 1565 map of northeastern Africa and part of the Middle East with her. I think she would enjoy analyzing the interpretative geography and appreciate the artistic approach taken to representing the setting.

Study the map for yourself here

Explore all of Newberry Digital Collections

#the mummy #evelyn carnahan #rachel weisz #maps #librarians #newberry library #fictional friday #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

Cream Friday

Laugh and grow fat, ca. 1930

In my household, we celebrate Cream Friday, which is where our cat, Alfie, gets a capful of half-and-half in his dish on Friday mornings when I'm making my coffee. This blue, smirking cat captures the joy of a little guy getting a little treat. -- Kristin Emery, Director of Governance and Strategic Initiatives

To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection, we'll be featuring mini-posts of staff faves. Browse the full collection: John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#vintage #postcards #newberry library #newberry minis #collection stories #cats

[digitalnewberry]

Vintage postcards have a lot to offer, including the most unnerving cats you've ever seen.

Discover more postcards & help make them accessible at Newberry Postcard Tag

#vintage #postcards #cats #postcard tag #roller skating #crowdsourcing #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

Revenge at last

Map of "Your America"... postcard, mid-1940s

In Western Massachusetts where I grew up, we are often an afterthought for the folks in Boston. So I appreciate that this map cuts off Cape Cod and most of Boston from the map! Revenge at last! -- Dave Weimer, Curator of Maps & Director, Smith Center for the History of Cartography

To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection, we'll be featuring mini-posts of staff faves. Browse the full collection: John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#newberry library #libraries #special collections #archives #vintage postcards #collection stories #vintage maps #newberry minis

[digitalnewberry]

Still thinking about the eclipse? Explore the stars, fifteenth-century style, with this 1425 cosmography textbook--full of illustrations of the cosmos and maps of Earth.

Done with this manuscript? Explore the cosmography tag at Newberry Digital Collections

#cosmography #astrology #astronomy #stars #maps #textbook #antique #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

In search of women artists

The Newberry recently launched the John I. Monroe Collection of Artist-Signed Postcards, which contains more than 8,000 vintage postcard images. Out of 8456 postcards in the collection, 6650 have women as a subject. This means that nearly 80% of the collection depict women. Were any of these women painted by, well, women?

Based on scanning through the artists that I could identify, my rough estimate is that the collection includes the work of 35 female artists who created about 690 postcards. This means that roughly 8% of the collection was created by women—not great by any means, but not as bad as it could have been for the early 20th century.

So who are these women worked as postcard artists? Many of them were better known for illustrating books and advertisements.

Woman holding baby, Rie Cramer

Rie Cramer was an iconic Dutch children's book illustrator. Her postcards are full of mothers and children.

Wednesday's Child is a child of woe, Grace Drayton (Wiederseim)

Grace Drayton was an American artist who is best known for her creation of the "Campbell's Kids" in 1904, which became instantly popular and are still used to advertise Campbell's today. The Newberry holds a nursery rhyme postcard series from Drayton.

Woman writing, Suzanne Meunier

There was some variation in career, however. A popular subtype of artist-signed postcard was the pin-up postcard. This niche was largely a boys club. One notable exception was Suzanne Meunier, the only woman known to work at La Vie Parisienne.

No matter what genre of postcard you prefer, you can share them with your friends at Newberry Postcard Sender or explore the entire collection at Newberry Digital Collections.

– Quinn Sluzenski, Digital Initiatives Assistant

Thank you to the members of the Facebook group Artist-Signed Postcards (1890-1950), who helped me identify and learn more about the women who created artist-signed postcards.

#postcards #vintage #artist-signed #newberry library #collection stories #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

A Night at Mister Kelly’s

The Newberry's latest exhibit, A Night at Mister Kelly's, explores the iconic Chicago nightclub where patrons could see rising stars in jazz and comedy like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mort Sahl, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, and Richard Pryor. For those who can't visit the Newberry in person, you can learn more about Mister Kelly's and see some of the archival images used in the exhibit with this video from curator Alison Hinderliter.

#mister kelly's #newberry library #exhibits #chicago #nightclub #newberryq #Youtube

[digitalnewberry]

Happy National Library Workers Day!

Edizioni Artistiche della "Continental" (us glamorously doing our library work)

Wishing all our library colleagues some well organized collections today 📚

P.S. if you're a library worker (current or aspiring) in Chicago, you can apply now to join our fabulous Digital Newberry team! Learn more and apply here to this brand new digital asset management position.

#newberry library #libraries #postcards #vintage #newberryq #library jobs

[digitalnewberry]

Call to arms! Is reading cursive your superpower? 📜🔍 The National Archives and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe the #RevolutionaryWar veteran pension files. Join in today and help tell the story of America's first veterans! https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/revolutionary-war-pension-files

[digitalnewberry]

Total Eclipse, James Francis Driscoll collection of American sheet music

Whether you're dancing the waltz, galop, mazurka, or polka today, have an excellent total eclipse ☀️🌑

#eclipse #sheet music #newberry library #libraries #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

Fictional Friday: Henry DeTamble

Welcome to the first edition of Fictional Friday, where I recommend items from Newberry Digital Collections to fictional characters. In honor of National Library Workers Day on April 9, I'm starting this series with some iconic librarians. I had to start with the most famous Newberry librarian: Henry DeTamble from The Time Traveler's Wife.

The subject of a novel and multiple screen and stage adaptations (including the recent HBO Max series starring Theo James, which was filmed partially at the Newberry), Henry has chrono-impairment and involuntarily travels through time. As much as I'd like to recommend a collection item that can help his condition, I think the best I can offer him is a slice of home. The Time Traveler's Wife mentions several items that the Newberry really holds, including The Game and Playe of the Chesse from 1482. Henry thinks of this item when he dreams about giving a collection presentation to some local college students.

Luckily you don't have to travel through time, or even travel to Chicago, to see one of the earliest books printed in English.

View The Game and Playe of the Chesse

Explore all of Newberry Digital Collections

#the time traveler's wife #henry detamble #fictional friday #book history #incunabula #newberry library #chicago #libraries #archives #special collections #newberryq

[digitalnewberry]

Color & share your own vintage postcards with the latest Digital Newberry coloring book, featuring artist-signed postcards full of flowers (and cats) 🌷

Download your copy for free here!

Explore all of the John Monroe collection of artist-signed postcards

#coloring pages #coloring book #vintage #postcards #artist-signed #newberry library #libraries #special collections #newberryq