Queequeg's Harpoon

An illustration of a wearied author celebrating the completion of his book, from the final page of  Henry Bristow’s A glossary of mineralogy (1861).

For the fiscal year 2020-21, Houghton Library is focusing its digitization efforts on a project called “Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation, and Freedom,”  making accessible rare books and manuscripts from our collection on Black American history. Now that we’re several months in to the project,  we’ll be sharing some items have been fully digitized.

Steward, Austin, 1794-1860. Twenty-two years a slave, and forty years a freeman; embracing a correspondence of several years, while president of Wilberforce Colony, London, Canada West. Rochester, N.Y., W. Alling, 1857.

US 5274.106

Screencaps from A Man Called Adam (1966). Starring Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Ossie Davis, Cicely Tyson, Frank Sinatra Jr., Peter Lawford, Mel Torme and Lola Falana. Leo Penn, dir. 

A jazz trumpeter deals with bigotry in society and his personal demons. So very moving. 

Pierre de Hangest, Les Omelies Saint Grégoire pape, Bruges c. 1470

snailfight

book of hours, Metz c. 1295

Some notable works by John Singer Sargent - from top:

El Jaleo (1882);

Fumee d'Ambre Gris (Smoke of Ambergris), (1880);

Nonchaloir (Repose), (1911);

The procession of the months: the verses by Beatrice Crane; the designs by Walter Crane, [1889].

Typ 8302.89.10

What is whiteness? Naima Lowe uses simple text to pose complex questions about race. How do we understand whiteness and how is whiteness framed?

This artists’ book entitled “Thirty-nine [39] questions for white people” examines the construct of racial identity and perception by shifting the perspective from the minority to the majority.

Thirty-nine [39] questions for white people Author / Creator: Lowe, Naima N. [1st edition]: Published: Olympia, WA: Danger Dot Publishing : Printed at Community Print, 2013. 40 index cards ; 13 x 20 cm. + in portfolio Summary “[A]rt piece and rare book that insists that readers reflect on the complexity of race, and the privilege to not have to notice it”–Danger Dot Publishing website, viewed on October 20, 2014. English

holiday shopping at oroboro wmsburg ny! starting sunday dec 20 ! x paula

Hey all y'all Americans out there please keep this in mind, make sure your votes count and oust the cheeto from the White House