#agslibrary

Science Saturday: Dictionnaire universel d'histoire naturelle

Today we present insect illustrations from our American Geographical Society Library’s set of French natural history books Dictionnaire universel d'histoire naturelle. The books were produced under the direction of Charles d'Orbigny and published in Paris by Renard, Martinet et Cie from 1847-1849 in 13 volumes and 3 illustrated atlases. The set is a compilation of scientific knowledge about the various branches of natural sciences. Our post today features colorful insects, including the common birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera priamus), chief goliath beetle (Goliathus cacicus), atlas moth (Attacus atlas), Death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia), and several butterflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and planthoppers (including my favorite family Fulgoridae)!  

The 173-year-old, hand-colored steel engravings are still stunningly vibrant! The drawings were created by many different artists, including Delarue, Vaillant, and Blanchard.

It’s great to highlight a treasure from one of our sibling departments, the American Geographical Society Library, a premier geography research library at UW–Milwaukee. Dictionnaire universel d'histoire naturelle’s atlases are heavily illustrated, so keep a look out for future posts examining other areas of natural history!

View other Science Saturday posts.

Pop-Up Days meets The Dance of Death, and other scary things!

Why are we displaying the 1946 Library of Congress facsimile of Lessing J. Rosenwald’s copy of The Dance of Death a week before Halloween?  

Because October is the Scariest month and for 3 days only (October 23-25), each of the UWM Libraries Distinctive Collections has a Hands-on, Pop-Up Exhibition based on that theme! 

The Dance of Death is just one of many items available for viewers to explore in our exhibit. Want to learn more about the history of this publication and other editions? Check out our previous posts on The Dance of Death.

What else can you expect to find in the pop-up exhibit?

The UWM Archives and Area Research Center (2nd floor, West Wing) will be combining two of their favorite things about October: Spookiness and American Archives Month!

Special Collections (4th floor) will focus on traditional horror, with stories and images of the macabre, from comics and pop-up books to artists' books and fine press publications.

The American Geographical Society Library (located on the third floor, east wing) will feature several maps with sea monsters (like the one pictured above) and haunted cemeteries, rare books that discuss witches and the occult, and atlases on a variety of topics guaranteed to spook you!

Click HERE for more information!

Monstruos

It’s day 2 of 3 for the UWM Libraries Distinctive Collections Hands-on, Pop-Up Exhibition based on the themes of spookiness, horror, fright! 

Monstrous is just one of many items available for viewers to explore in our exhibit. Artist Joshua Goode compels viewers to engage with the monsters in our own lives as he presents 12 of his etchings in a visual narrative.  Goode has said about the work, “"It is copied from Goya's The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, it is the way it is written in the print. I [the author] feel it appropriate for the little book of monsters, the monsters are more real to me, dealing with issues with my sister, in the beginning of the book then I mutate them into less threatening imaginary ones as the book continues." 

The book is bound in a gold leaf painted wrapper and sewn with sinew. It was produced as a limited edition of just 10, of which our copy is #2.

What else can you expect to find in the pop-up exhibit?

The UWM Archives and Area Research Center (2nd floor, West Wing) will be combining two of their favorite things about October: Spookiness and American Archives Month!

Special Collections (4th floor) will focus on traditional horror, with stories and images of the macabre, from comics and pop-up books to artists’ books and fine press publications.

The American Geographical Society Library (located on the third floor, east wing) will feature several maps with sea monsters (like the one pictured above) and haunted cemeteries, rare books that discuss witches and the occult, and atlases on a variety of topics guaranteed to spook you!

 Click HERE for more information!