#pennlibaries

An outdoors scene decorates the lining paper of *Elam Storm, The Wolfer” (1895) by Harry Castlemon. He was of the belief that boys didn’t care for fine literature, and instead “what they want is adventure, and the more of it you can get in two-hundred-fifty pages of manuscript, the better fellow you are”. This formulaic approach to writing for young adults is limited and may be seen as sexist under modern scrutiny, but adventure stories struck a chord with this audience. Castlemon was the most popular author of the juvenile adventure genre in the post Civil War-era. Call number: PZ7.F786 Ela 1895 http://ow.ly/c2J930jENNj * * * #kislakcenter #pennlibaries #harrycastlemon #juvenileliterature #adventure #chapterbook #19thcentury #rarebooks #firstedition #writerwednesday #iglibraries #specialcollections

This letter was written exactly 148 years ago! From 1869 to 1870, humorist and folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland wrote a series of letters to his childhood friend, George Henry Boker, a poet and playwright. Nearly every letter is illustrated with illuminated letters and sketches. They are a delight to behold and must have been wonderful to receive. For more treasures like this, visit the Special Collections Processing Center’s blog: https://pennrare.wordpress.com/ From the Charles Godfrey Leland letters to George Henry Boker, 1861-1937 (bulk: 1869-1870) Call number: Ms. Coll. 1070, Box 1, Folder 2 http://ow.ly/Y72r30hm1Vp * * * #KislakCenter #Pennlibaries #librariesofinstagram #awesomeletterhead #letterhead #decoration #illuminated #letter #sketch #penpals #specialcollections #SCPC

This is a collage made from various illustrations that have been cut out of several Medieval Breviaries. It seems like a shame so many books were damaged and disassociated from their original context to create this sort of artwork. Nevertheless, this collage is now an artifact in itself and Penn’s catalogers have successfully dated and identified many of the original images. Call number: Ms. Coll. 713 *** Breviary collages, 15th century http://ow.ly/C2dt30ft5yB Schoenberg Collection *** #KislakCenter #Pennlibaries #librariesofinstagram #Breviary #15thcentury #Bible #collage #artoftheday #Renaissance #vellum #illumination #specialcollections