Vellum is a material we no longer consider suitable for the transmission of text or image. It’s rare to handle a vellum manuscript mostly because it’s so difficult to make one. Traditional vellum is made from the skin of animals, typically a young cow, through an arduous and now medieval process. In fact, recent research has shown that the traditional large format folio size of … Continue reading Vellum Revolutions
Special Collections commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington by showcasing below a few items from our archives related to the Civil Rights Movement. “March on Washington” flyers were distributed to various African American communities in 1963. These flyers document the historic moment when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. … Continue reading Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington – August 28, 1963
Recently added to the Special Collections Zine Collection are a variety of science fiction fanzines. Zines are typically small and independently published booklets popular in different subcultures, such as the punk rock, riot grrrl and animal rights movements. They have a long history and association with the science fiction community, and some of the first publications that can be considered zines were in fact fanzines … Continue reading Sci-Fi Zines in our growing Zine Collection
We are always happy to hear about how our patrons use our collections in their endeavors. Felipe Fernandes Cruz, one such intrepid researcher, describes his recent visit to our Reading Room in his fascinating article “Amazonia 1952: Found”. Read his illustrative account here. Our Pan Am collection, comprising more than 1500 boxes of rich resource material related to the pioneering aviation company, is one of … Continue reading “Amazonia 1952: FOUND”- Discoveries in our Pan Am Collection
Some of the more unique items in Special Collections are the Spicer-Simson medallions, held as part of the Theodore Spicer-Simson collection. Spicer-Simson was a well-known sculptor who worked in the first half of the 20th century. He was also a part time resident of Coconut Grove, lured to the sunny south by his friend, the botanist David Fairchild. Spicer-Simson crafted many portrait medallions, and in … Continue reading Steve says…
This is Emily Gibson dispatching to you from the year 1938, the place Alaska, where Harold Gillam, a Pan Am pilot has rescued three polar bear cubs from the Arctic Ocean. Harold found the cubs floating on an ice cake when he was flying along the Arctic coast. The pups looked so plaintive and seemed so alone that he parked his flying boat in the … Continue reading Pan Am Dispatches!
“The history of one Pirate is nearly the history of all.” –Lucretia Parker In 1951, a respectable newspaperman from Wichita passed away and sold his collection of books to the Wichita Public Library for the sum of $10,000. His name was Charles B. Driscoll, and he was a popular Midwestern columnist, who later corresponded from New York, in the expansively syndicated column “New York By … Continue reading Real Treasure: Rare Books about Piracy
Please join us at 6PM, 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Richter Library, for an engaging round table featuring UM faculty and students, who will share their experiences using the rare, unique and fascinating materials held in the Special Collections Department in Richter Library. Find out about their discovery process, their new-found enthusiasm for primary source materials for their research, and how using special collections … Continue reading April 15, 2013 Event: Eureka! How Using Special Collections Can Enhance Your Writing, Publishing, and Research Skills
Please join us, Friday April 12th at 6pm, as we welcome Marleine Bastien, founder of the Haitian Women of Miami or Famn Ayisyen nan Miyami (FANM). She will talk about the history of her organization in the Haitian diaspora and her work in community building in South Florida. Continue reading April 12, 2013: Marleine Bastien of Haitian Women of Miami to speak at Special Collections
We are excited to announce the 4th annual Edible Books Festival at the University of Miami Libraries. This year’s festival takes place on April 1, 2013, in the front lobby of the Otto G. Richter Library at 12:00PM. This celebrated event was initiated by book artist Judith A. Hoffberg in 1999, and quickly became an international sensation. The rules for participating in the contest are … Continue reading 4th Annual Edible Books Festival : April 1st, 2013
Special Collections Mosaic 