The exhibition “State of Transition: Louisiana circa 1812″ has been extended through July 7, 2012. Come by and take a look!
Image: Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory.
Full steam ahead! Hill’s statehood exhibition has been extended through July 7th.
May 10th, 2012 by Leah Wood Jewett“Change(less): Photography and the Ephemeral Made Permanent”
April 30th, 2012 by Leah Wood Jewett
What gives a photograph historical value? Does the original intent of the photographer matter, or is it the passage of time that counts? Is there meaning in the “fixing” of a transient image?
These questions are the foundation of “Change(less): Photography and the Ephemeral Made Permanent,” an exhibition presented by LSU Libraries Special Collections.
Put on in conjunction with the LSU Museum of Art’s exhibition “A Tale of Two Cities: Eugene Atget’s Paris and Berenice Abbott’s New York,” “Change(less)” is on display from May 14 through July 21, 2012, in the Lecture Hall in Hill Memorial Library.
“Change(less)” examines images of people and events from a variety of photographers, both professional and amateur, who share a command of the photographic technology of their day and an eye for a “good shot.” Images are paired to illustrate two photographers’ perspectives on one subject. The intent of the photographers – to document changes in modes of transportation, public holidays, material culture, or simply to record a visually interesting subject – is unknown. The ephemeral nature of the subjects juxtaposed against the semi-permanent aspect of the photographic medium inspires contemplation of both the roles of photographer intent and the passage of time in the categorization of photographs as historically significant documents.
The work of professional photographers Andrew and Howard Lytle of Baton Rouge’s Lytle Studio; Fonville Winans, of Fonville Studio, also of Baton Rouge, and; Henry and Earl Norman of the Norman Studio, of Natchez, is on display. Amateur photographers, such as those whose images make up the New Orleans Negative Exposures Collection, are also included.
The LSU Museum of Art’s exhibition, “A Tale of Two Cities,” showcases two 20th century photographers – Atget and Abbott – who intentionally documented their respective cities, fully aware of the magnitude of the forces of change already underway during their lifetimes. This exhibition will be on display at the LSU Museum of Art from May 20 – July 22, 2012. It was organized by the Syracuse University Art Galleries.
IMAGE: Canal Street from Robertson Street during the streetcar motormen and conductors strike, New Orleans, LA., 1929. From New Orleans Negative Exposures and Prints, LLMVC.
Domestic Dwellings & Political Dealings: Building Louisiana
April 3rd, 2012 by Leah Wood Jewett
Two different angles on building Louisiana–architecture and politics– will be the focus of two free lectures presented by LSU Libraries’ Special Collections in conjunction with the exhibition “State of Transition: Louisiana circa 1812.” Both presentations will be held in the Lecture Hall at Hill Memorial Library, and are free and open to the public.
Jay D. Edwards will present “Louisiana Vernacular Architecture in Transition” on Thursday, April 26 at 12 noon. This is a “brown bag” talk; visitors are invited to bring their own lunch, and drinks and light refreshments will be provided. Professor Edwards is the Director of the Fred B. Kniffen Cultural Resources Laboratory, LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology.
On Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 pm, join Special Collections for birthday cake to mark the admission of Louisiana to the Union on April 30, 1812, and attend a lecture by Charles N. Elliott, “’Incorporated into the United States, and admitted as soon as possible to the Principles of the Federal Constitution’: Promises, Perceptions, and Problems of Louisiana Statehood in 1812.” Mr. Elliott teaches Louisiana history at Southeastern Louisiana University.
The exhibition “State of Transition” will be on display through June 2, 2012, at Hill Memorial Library. A variety of topics are examined, from daily life to politics, during Louisiana’s transformation from territory to state in the early 19th century.
Hill Memorial Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. When classes are in session, the library is open Tuesday evenings until 8 p.m. Paid parking is available at the Visitors’ Center, Memorial Tower, and Mike the Tiger’s Habitat. For more information, visit the Special Collections’ Web site at www.lib.lsu.edu/special.
Image: Plan of the City and Suburbs of New Orleans from an actual survey made in 1815 by J. Tanesse City Surveyor
27 Newspapers Selected for Digitization by the Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project
March 29th, 2012 by Laura Charney
The Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project (DLNP) is pleased to announce the 27 historical newspapers selected for digitization and inclusion in the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America. These selected titles will supplement the 55 Louisiana newspapers already available on Chronicling America — a free, text-searchable database featuring historical newspapers from 29 states and the District of Columbia.
All Louisiana newspapers were selected by an advisory board comprised of genealogists, historians, educators, journalists and archivists with the intention of capturing the greatest wealth of Louisiana history from across the state. The 27 newspapers currently being processed for digitization were published between 1836-1922 and 17 of these newspapers feature French and Spanish language content.
The Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project has been actively engaged in efforts to develop online access to historical Louisiana newspapers since receiving its initial grant for 2009-2011 as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) , a partnership sponsored by the Library of Congress and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Following the successful conclusion of the two-year grant, DLNP was awarded a second grant in August 2011, allowing for further participation in this long-term effort to create a comprehensive database of U.S. newspapers.
In addition to the endeavors involved in preparing these newspapers for digitization, Project Manager Laura Charney will be promoting use of the Chronicling America site and the DLNP titles at a number of outreach events over the next 18 months. Recent outreach events include presentations given at the Natchitoches Parish Library, Louisiana Library Association’s Annual Conference, and at LSU-Shreveport’s Noel Memorial Library. More speaking events are forthcoming.
For more information on the Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project or DLNP outreach events, visit www.lib.lsu.edu/special/cc/dlnp, or email Laura Charney lcharn1@lsu.edu.
2011-2013 Newspaper Titles:
Baton Rouge Gazette† (Baton Rouge), 1837-1853
The Caucasian (Shreveport), 1900-1922
The Donaldsonville Chief (Donaldsonville), 1871-1922
The Feliciana Democrat (Clinton), 1855-1859
Houma Ceres† (Houma), 1855-1858
The Houma Courier† (Houma), 1879-1922
The Lafayette Advertiser† (Lafayette), 1869-1914
The Louisiana Cotton-Boll† (Lafayette), 1873-1879
Le Louisianais† (Convent), 1865-1881
Louisianian (New Orleans), 1870-1871
The Meridional† (Abbeville), 1877-1906
Le Meschacébé† (Lucy), 1854-1922
Le Messager† (Bringier), 1851-1855
New Orleans Daily Crescent (New Orleans), 1851-1866
The New Orleans Daily Democrat (New Orleans), 1877-1880
The Opelousas Courier† (Opelousas), 1852-1910
El Pelayo‡ (New Orleans), 1851
Pioneer of Assumption† (Napoleonville), 1877-1895
Le Pioneer de l’Assomption† (Napoleonville), 1850-1855
The Planters’ Banner† (Franklin), 1849-1871
Pointe Coupee Democrat† (New Roads), 1858-1862
Semi-weekly Louisianian (New Orleans), 1871-1872
The Southern Sentinel (Winnfield), 1884-1909
The South-western (Shreveport), 1854-1870
St. Landry Clarion† (Opelousas), 1890-1921
St. Tammany Farmer (Covington), 1878-1922
Sugar Planter (Port Allen), 1856-1919
True American (New Orleans), 1835-1839
The Weekly Louisianian † (New Orleans), 1872-1882
† Features French language content
‡ Features Spanish language content
Special Collections tells statehood story in new exhibition
March 15th, 2012 by Michael Taylor
In honor of the bicentennial of Louisiana’s admission to the Union as the 18th state, the LSU Libraries Special Collections presents “State of Transition: Louisiana Circa 1812,” a new exhibition on display from March 12 through June 2, 2012, at LSU’s Hill Memorial Library.
The exhibit details topics of daily life during Louisiana’s transformation from territory to state in the early 19th century and answers such questions as–What did people eat and wear? How did they make a living? What did they do for fun?
In addition to these topics, the exhibit examines the at times rancorous political process through which Louisiana attained statehood, established its government and became “American”; the War of 1812 and the unique role Louisiana played in the conflict, and institutions such as slavery and religion that made up the fabric of Louisianans’ daily experiences.
Prominent statesmen like William C.C. Claiborne and Julien Poydras are profiled, as are “everyday” residents found in the historical record. All contemporary inhabitants are represented in some way, reflecting the diverse ethnic, linguistic, religious, and socio-economic landscape of Louisiana in the era of early statehood.
The display draws mainly from the extensive print and manuscript holdings housed in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections of the LSU Libraries Special Collections. Notable items shown include selections from Governor William Claiborne’s correspondence, the state’s first constitution, original newspapers of the period (as well as a multi-page facsimile for exhibit-goers to peruse), important early maps, accounts of New Orleans recreation and entertainment, a retrospective on the legend of Jean Lafitte, a letter from Andrew Jackson to his wife while en route to the Battle of New Orleans, material related to early steamboat travel, and documents about the 1811 slave revolt.
The exhibition also features models of homes typical of the era, on loan from the LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology’s Fred Kniffen Lab, in addition to artifacts from the LSU Textile and Costume Museum. Watercolors of the Baton Rouge riverfront are featured, courtesy of the Friends of Magnolia Mound.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Hill Memorial Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. When classes are in session, the library is open Tuesday evenings until 8 p.m. Paid parking is available at the Visitors’ Center, Memorial Tower, and Mike the Tiger’s Habitat. For more information, visit the Special Collections’ Web site at www.lib.lsu.edu/special.
Mardi Gras Mambo Collection
February 17th, 2012 by Gina Costello
Third annual mid-winter vacation : New Orleans Mardi Gras, 1916.
Reflecting the industry that grew from the cultural event, there is a pamphlet issued by the Illinois Central Railroad company inviting passengers to take the “Third-Annual Mid-Winter Vacation” in 1916, a trip starting in Chicago and ending in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
Reading Room Resumes Opening at 9:00 a.m.
February 6th, 2012 by Tara Laver
The work in the reading room of Hill Memorial Library has been completed. We will resume our regular opening time of 9:00 a.m on Tuesday, February 7.
Archives and Public Policy: Coastal Louisiana, Energy and the Environment Topic of Jan. 30 Talk
January 20th, 2012 by Tara Laver
Environmental historian Jason Theriot will present “Building America’s Energy Corridor: Pipelines, Wetlands, and the Breaux Act” on Monday, January 30, at 4:00 in the Holliday Forum of the Journalism Building.
Theriot, a native of Louisiana, is a graduate of LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School for Government. He will speak on the history of oil & gas development and wetland policy in coastal Louisiana, his research in the John Breaux Papers in the LSU Libraries Special Collections and the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Macondo oil spill on recent policy developments in the Gulf. The latter is the current direction of his research as a Kennedy School fellow.
With an emphasis on the value of historical research for providing context for public policy-making, he offers a unique and valuable perspective on the ongoing discussion of Louisiana’s efforts to balance economics, energy exploration and extraction, and coastal preservation and restoration. Former U.S. Senator John Breaux’s efforts to secure a steady revenue source for coastal projects through revenue sharing are a central part of Theriot’s narrative and analysis, and the John Breaux Papers provided an important resource for his research.
His dissertation and current book project Building America’s Energy Corridor: Oil and Gas Development and Louisiana Wetlands, explores the history of pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico, the environmental implications of oil and gas development for coastal Louisiana, and coastal restoration policy and funding.
A reception will follow in Hill Memorial Library, located just across Field House Drive from the Journalism Building.
Theriot will also be featured on the “Jim Engster Show” on Baton Rouge public radio station WRKF 98.3 at 9:00 on Jan. 30.
The event is co-sponsored by the following LSU departments: the Coastal Ecology Institute, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Department of History, Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, LSU Libraries Special Collections, Center for Energy Studies, and the Craft and Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering.
For additional information contact Tara Z. Laver, Interim Head of Special Collections, at 578-6546 or tzachar@lsu.edu.
Special Collections Featured on C-SPAN Book TV
January 19th, 2012 by Tara LaverC-SPAN’s Local Content Vehicles stopped in at LSU Libraries Special Collections in early December to film segments for C-SPAN2 BookTV with Interim Assistant Dean of Libraries Elaine Smyth and Interim Head of Special Collections Tara Laver. The pieces aired December 31st and January 1st and are now available online.
Smyth highlighted the book Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l’Amerique, a two volume description of the people, animals, and plants of the Caribbean written by Dominican friar Jean Baptiste Labat in the 1790s. What makes our copy noteworthy is its characterization as “The Bloody Book,” a moniker that comes from rust-colored stains on some of the pages that are purported to be the blood of French revolutionary Jean Paul Marat. The book is alleged to have been in Marat’s room when he was stabbed to death by Charlotte Corday, a member of an opposing faction. Hear the full story in the video.
Laver chose to feature the William C. C. Claiborne letter book. President Thomas Jefferson appointed Claiborne to receive Louisiana from France at the formal transfer of power in New Orleans, after the Louisiana Purchase. Claiborne subsequently served as governor of the territory (1803-1812) and state (1812-1816). The volume contains his outgoing correspondence to Jefferson, Secretary of State James Madison, and officials in New Orleans and around Louisiana, from 1804 to 1805. His letters detail and illustrate the challenges he faced as he tried to establish American authority among a population with political and cultural loyalties divided among France, Spain, and the U.S.
C-SPAN filmed several other features on Louisiana history and culture during their stay in Baton Rouge. Check them out!
“Charles Dickens at 200″ Exhibit
January 12th, 2012 by Michael Taylor
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, one of English literature’s most beloved authors. No other writer has had so great an impact on our perception of Victorian England, and few can claim to have created so many characters (by one count, Dickens created 989). Several of these characters are now better known than many of the real-life celebrities of their day. Who, for example, has never heard of Oliver Twist, Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future?
A small exhibition celebrating Dickens’ 200th birthday will be on display in the Hill Memorial Library Lecture Hall from January 23 to April 28, 2012. Visitors will learn about the author’s tragic life and lasting legacy by exploring materials drawn from the library’s collection of rare books and manuscripts.
First editions of several Dickens novels, including Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Little Dorrit, will be among the items featured. A focus of the exhibit is Dickens’ method of writing and publishing. The library is fortunate to own examples of all the forms in which his stories first appeared. “When most people think of Dickens, they think of fancy leather-bound, gold-tooled books,” said exhibition curator Michael Taylor. “What they don’t realize is that his stories were usually first published in cheap monthly magazines or parts so that working-class readers (the subject of so many of his novels) could afford to buy them.”
It has always been popular to adapt Dickens’ novels for the stage and screen. Selected items from the library’s extensive collection of Dickensian ephemera reveal how Dickens’ characters have enjoyed a second life in the theater. Also displayed in this section of the exhibit are programs from charity performances of Dickens’ works. Dickens Bazaars, for example, were often held to raise funds for schools and churches, and in 1914, London’s Royal Court Theatre hosted a reading of A Christmas Carol to raise money for World War I relief funds.
The exhibit is being produced in conjunction with Baton Rouge’s “One Book One Community” program, which has chosen Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist for its 2012 “Big Read.” For more information on the exhibit, contact Michael Taylor, Assistant Curator of Books, at (225) 578-6547.
