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.

The exhibition “Portraits of a River City: Natchez in Photographs,” opens in Hill Memorial Library today and runs through February 18, 2012. This exhibition showcases selections from the Thomas H. and Joan W. Gandy Photograph Collection. The streets of Natchez and its diverse population are seen through the eyes of photographers at work in the area from 1851 – 1951. The display is free and open to the public.

Image from Leona Queyrouze Papers.

Exhibition on display in the Hill Memorial Library Lecture Hall through September 3, 2011

Though Louisiana is better known for its politics and laissez les bons temps rouler approach to life, the state also has a long and colorful literary history. The exhibition Louisiana for Bibliophiles: A History of Reading in the Bayou State explores little-known aspects of the history of reading in this corner of the South from the 18th century to the 1940s. Several books from colonial and antebellum Louisiana will be on display, highlighting the importance of books as artifacts. Also included are materials on women’s reading, libraries, and scientific knowledge. Four Louisiana Creole authors are profiled in the context of America’s “forgotten literature,” i.e., American literature written in languages other than English. Aspects of the history of Louisiana newspapers, perhaps the most common and accessible reading material, are also featured.

A new exhibition in the LSU Libraries Special Collections gives visitors a rare glimpse of some of the most treasured and sought-after books in existence. “Aves: A Survey of the Literature of Neotropical Ornithology” opens on May 23 at Hill Memorial Library. Four centuries of illustrated books on the birds of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South and Central America will be on display.

The exhibit focuses on telling the “untold” stories of scientific explorers. According to exhibition curator Tom Taylor, “their exploits and contributions are largely forgotten today. This exhibit attempts to bring them back into the spotlight, to assess and appreciate what they did.”

Taylor, an antiquarian book dealer, author and printer from Fredericksburg, Texas, is a specialist in bird books and an avid amateur birder. In addition to interpretive text for each of the books displayed, he has provided brief biographies of more than forty naturalists and bird collectors, ranging from giants such as Charles Darwin and Alexander von Humboldt to virtually unknown figures like Emilie Snethlage, one of the first women to pursue ornithology as a profession.

Leah Wood Jewett, Exhibitions Coordinator for the LSU Libraries Special Collections, points out that the exhibit is not just about birds. It is also about humans. “I was fascinated to learn about the hardships that people have gone through in the name of science,” Jewett said. “It is also amazing to realize how many people it took to produce just one of these books: patron, naturalist, native, ‘museum man’ and artist each made a significant contribution.”

In addition to books, the exhibit will feature photos from field expeditions of the LSU Museum of Natural Science, one of the world’s largest collections of research specimens of birds. Seven specimens have been borrowed from the museum and will be on display alongside early taxidermy manuals. Visitors will also be able to view two short videos on how bird specimens are preserved today.

A generous grant from the Coypu Foundation has made possible the publication of a beautifully illustrated 200-page exhibition catalog, written by Tom Taylor with contributions from Michael Taylor and Elaine Smyth of the LSU Libraries Special Collections. Copies will be distributed to selected libraries in the United States and South and Central America free of charge.

The exhibition runs until Sept. 10 and is free and open to the public.