UI Libraries Special Collections & Archives

Miniature Monday!

Don't fret about arsenic because this lace isn't very old! Created in 2010, Tie One On! A Miniature History of the Apron was designed to give a short history of aprons from the 1930s to the 1960s. The images of stylish ladies wearing aprons were taken from vintage patterns, and the edges of the pages have been stylized to look like the cotton lace that is attached to the backboard.

This mini measures in at 4.5 by 4.5 inches and includes 8 pages of information about aprons. It's an accordion style binding which means that it can fold out and often features information on both sides of the book. This particular mini doesn't have any extra words on the reverse side, but does feature some more of the ladies from vintage patterns!

-- Hailee M.

✨Happy Mini Monday!✨

It's a whimsical kind of day today, and what's more whimsical than a little circus? Viel Glück, when translated from German into English, means a very chipper, "Good luck!"

Miniature Monday!

It's not easy bein' green, but this miniature book makes it seem like it is. Woman's Wit by Howard Pyle was originally published in the 11th volume of Harper's Young People Magazine before it was made miniature by Frank Irwin in 1977. It is a telling of one of the many stories found in 1001 Arabian Nights which features a tailor who is in love with a princess, and a jinni. The illustrations used in this mini are from the original publication in 1890!

This mini measures in at 60mm x 50mm and is bound in green publisher's cloth with the title stamped in black ink on front cover and spine. The library's copy is numbered 173 of 250. The paper is handmade Maidstone, and the type is set in 6 pt. Bulmer Roman.

-- Hailee M.

Mini Monday Merriment!

Dancing is often considered a cultural universal. That means that it is an action which can be found in all known cultures across the world. There is so much beauty to be found in dancing.

Dance Circle by Carol Cunningham with illustrations by Jacqueline Phelan discusses specific dances and their significance to various Native cultures. She highlights Wolf, Fancy Shawl, Eagle, and Crown Dancers in this mini, and these dances can be seen at powwows across America.

This mini has a very unique binding. It's called a box binding, and the points of the cover overhang ever so slightly giving a very nice tactile experience. On the inside of the box, there's a figure holding a pretty blue feather as a fan. It measures in at 70 x 75 mm from spine to point.

-- Hailee M.

A Dada Moment

Perhaps the most elusive of the dadaists, Julien Torma supposedly lived from 1902 to 1933 and published four books during his purported lifetime. However, there is no firm documentation of his life, and it is widely assumed that he never in fact existed.

Around 1952 the College of Pataphysics, a tongue-in-cheek institution founded in 1948, issued a broadside offering all four of Torma’s books for sale in honor of the 50th anniversary of his “birth,” caling him “the greatest pataphysician of the XXth century.”

We have recently acquired the complete set of four, and the inclusion of the broadside in one of the books strongly suggests that our copies came from the “Collège de Pataphisique.”

🌙 Moony Mini Monday! 🌙

There can be such beauty in simplicity. This mini, which looks fairly unassuming on the outside with only a small blue moon pasted to the front, features this wonderful pop-up and a lovely little story.

Sturgeon Moon by John Cutrone tells the story of a town in need of rain. A very helpful person called Cordie suggested that sending the sheep into the air would help bring rain. The sheep began to fly and lo and behold, the rain came shortly afterward.

In the colophon, it's mentioned that the mini was printed at Chosen Land under the Beaver Moon. Well, the Beaver Moon is the name for the full moon in November! Sturgeon Moon is the name for the full moon in August. Every month's full moon has a name which you can find on the Farmer's Almanac website.

This book measures 73 x 68 mm and is bound in red cloth. We have copy no. 36. Another fun fact about this book: it was created in Sabbathday Lake, Maine, which is the last active Shaker community.

-- Hailee M.

It's #MiniatureMonday!

Tea anyone?

Today’s Mini Monday is Alisa Golden’s “Mrs. White Has Tea,” a charming little book (or very large tea bag?) about friendship, colors, and, of course, tea! Pictured here are the second and third editions, printed in 1994 and 1999 respectively.

Material from Smith Miniatures Collection N7433.4.G57 M78 1994 and N7433.4.G57 M78 1999

Multi-Mini Monday!

(Okay, posted on a Tuesday, but, whatever)

Let me just start this by saying that the absolute joy that I felt from holding an actual handful of miniature books is unparalleled.

These are dollhouse books! There are 26 books, and the coolest part is that they are all readable! Sometimes when miniature books are made for dollhouses, they are blank books with decorated covers. These books were created by a wide variety of people and publishers, and I think that it shows how wide ranging the world of miniature book creation is!

Each book is unique, and they range in size from 18 to 25 mm. Some of them are gilt, some are illustrated, and some are quite plain. The bookcase itself is 11 x 9 x 4 cm. It is a beautiful wooden case that is decorated with gilt embellishments, orange silk, and golden ribbon trim.

More often than not, the miniatures in our collection are housed individually. It was very cool to see these items in a context that they originally could've been in. You can imagine playing with and reading these books and putting them back on their shelf as one would a standard sized book. It is so fun!

-- Hailee M.

A Chilly Tiny Tuesday!

Have you ever heard the phrase "Jack Frost nipping at your nose" from the Nat King Cole Trio's "The Christmas Song"? I've definitely thought about it whenever I'm riding my bike to work in this chilly weather.

Not everyone is upset when Jack Frost comes around, though! Paddy the Beaver featured in this mini book collection is delighted when his friend Jack Frost comes around. He needs Jack Frost to harden the mud used for his house with his cold breath.

This collection of children's stories from 1914 was created by Thornton W. Burgess. He wrote bedtime stories which featured animal characters such as Paddy the Beaver, Peter Rabbit (yes, like Beatrix Potter's titular character, name copyright was laxer back then), Buster Bear, Jerry Muskrat, Old Mr. Toad, and many, many more.

On to the physical objects, the books are all 59 x 74 mm. The case they come in is measured out to 80 x 60 x 15 mm, and each book is 9 pages. The covers were all illustrated by Harrison Cady who would become well-known for his Peter Rabbit comic strip illustrations. The minis were published in New York by Winthrop Press.

I love when minis come in their own cases. We have a number of minis in their own special housing here at the University of Iowa Special Collections, so I feel very lucky to get to work with them! Banana for scale!

-- Hailee M.

Cool Item Alert!

The International Dada Archive recently acquired an important item by Tristan Tzara, the 1977 edition of his play Le coeur à gaz (The Gas Heart), with color illustrations of the costume designs created by Sonia Delaunay for the notorious 1923 Paris performance that is traditionally marked as the end of the Dada movement.

During the performance, a fistfight broke out between members of opposing Dada factions, resulting in police intervention. The anti-Tzara faction, led by André Breton, soon went on to found the surrealist movement. The 1977 edition was the first publication of Delaunay’s designs, and was signed by the artist.

Happy Mini Monday! Tiny Tuesday!

We're all big fans of Herky the Hawk here at the University of Iowa, but hopefully there can be some room in your heart for another super cool bird. The Thunderbird: Sacred Bearer of Happiness Unlimited by Herschel C. Logan tells us all about this folkloric being.

The Thunderbird is a creature from Native American folklore. It is large enough to pick up a whale with its talons, the flap of its wings sounded like thunder, and it can shoot lightning from its eyes. They bring rain and storms, and they sometimes act as protectors.

Bound in a light blue cloth, this short mini book includes 16 unnumbered pages about the history, artwork, and beliefs surrounding the Thunderbird. The book measures in at 56 x 70 mm. It uses this very nice brown ink throughout the book and on the cover, and the colophon says that it was created in California.

Watch out Herky, you've got competition for best bird!

-- Hailee M.

Mondays are for Miniatures!

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman has left an unmistakable mark on American poetry as an artform. Originally published in 1855, the book included 12 poems such as “Song of Myself” and “The Sleepers.” By 1892, Leaves of Grass would contain 383 poems.

Entitled ホイットマン詩集 or Hoittoman shishū, which means Whitman’s Poems, this mini was published by Bijou-book Hoshino in Tōkyō. Stylishly housed in a red leather case with a golden chain, this miniature features a blind-stamped (that means stamped with no foil or ink added) publisher’s mark on the back cover, marbled end papers, and a gilt stamped front cover. It measures at 22 x 22 x 10 mm. So this mini is quite small!

It is also tightly bound. You can see that it doesn’t open very far, and that it doesn’t want to remain open to one page. This can happen with books of any size, and the binding will loosen naturally with use. When it comes to tightly bound books, you don’t want to force it open because that can cause the binding to break. Nobody wants that!

-- Hailee M.

These images come from Catoptrum microcosmicum by Johann Remmelin, a copy of which can be found in the John Martin Rare Book Room at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.

Earlier works had incorporated flaps of various kinds to demonstrate layers of anatomy; however, Remmelin was interested in creating a complete anatomy using flaps. His Catoptrum microcosmicum was originally published in 1619 (also in the JMRBR collection) and included nearly 120 flaps (although a version of this book was initially published in 1613 by a printer friend of his, even though Remmelin did not think the book was ready). Interestingly, Catoptrum microcosmicum demonstrates a moral conflict with the presentation of bodies, adding modesty flaps, sometimes in multiple layers, over genitalia.

"Esther eating corn on edge of field, early 1900s." Noble Photograph collection IWA0031

It's corn sweat season here in the Midwest! As we curse the humidity caused by the corn, let's take a minute to also celebrate corn in all it's a-maize-ing glory. Here are a few of our favorite corn items in the collection!

A Treatise on Cobbett's Corn, Containing Instructions for Propagating and Cultivating the Plant, and for Harvesting and Preserving the Crop (1828), William Cobbett.

Printed in 1828, this book by William Cobbett discusses the cultivation of American corn, while also taking a look at American agriculture and customs of the time. What makes this book extra cool is that the first two leaves of the book are printed on corn paper. (Szathmary Collection SB191.M2 C62)

"Wholesome-nutritious foods from corn" (ca. 1918), Lloyd Harrison.

During World War I, the U.S. Food Administration encouraged Americans on the home front to replace wheat products with corn, in order to conserve the more expensive grain for troops abroad.

Szathmary Recipe Pamphlets

“Corn Products Cook Book,” ca. 1910, Emma Churchman Hewitt for Corn Products Refining Company (left). “Clinton Corn Starch Recipes,” 1934, Clinton Corn Processing Company (right).

“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sweet Corn,” Purity Supreme, Inc.

These are just a few of many recipe pamphlets in our collections promoting corn and corn products. Take a look at the finding aid here to see more! (MsC1018)

"Iowa Corn Folk, at the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia" (1926).

These Corn Folk were created by Bertha Shambaugh for the Iowa Federation of Women’s Clubs and were chosen to represent Iowa in a doll exhibit at the 1926 World’s Fair. We LOVE these photos of a whole run of corn dolls (Shambaugh Family Papers, RG99.0152)

Henry Agard Wallace Papers

Henry A. Wallace with Ears of Corn at Clyde Herring's Garage, Des Moines, Iowa (1920s)

Henry A. Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States, and an important Secretary of Agriculture in U.S. history. Serving under Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was a proponent of the New Deal and progressive agricultural policies aimed at alleviating the farm crisis and rural poverty. He was also a writer, farmer, and businessman, and developed several varieties of hybrid corn. View the finding aid for the Henry Agard Wallace papers online. (MsC0177)

Corn Flyer V. 1 No.1 (1943).

Corn Flyer was a publication of the U.S Naval Air Station in Ottumwa, Iowa, which served as a pilot training base during World War II. Future President Richard M. Nixon was stationed there for nine months, before being shipped out to the South Pacific in May of 1943. Over 4,600 cadets completed flight school at the station, surrounded by Iowa corn fields. (x-Collection VG94.5. O66 C6)

Greetings: the State of Iowa Welcomes You (1945).

In this Iowa tourism pamphlet from 1945, potential visitors can marvel at the tallest corn stalk in Iowa recorded at that time. (x-Collection F619.3.S73 1945)

Homecoming Corn Monuments, Frederick W. Kent Photograph Collection, RG30.0001.001

1925

1932

Corn monuments are a long-standing Hawkeye tradition dating back to the early 20th century. Every year, Engineering students design and construct monuments made of corn to be displayed for homecoming.

Check out more by visiting us in person or online at the Iowa Digital Library, InfoHawk+ and ArchiveSpace. Happy rest of your summer!

Happy Mini Monday!

Does anyone else remember making prints in high school art class? If so, this one's for you!

This miniature art history book from 1979, Early Woodcuts and Engravings by Frank Irwin, contains beautifully intricate illustrations of 15th and 16th century pieces. With its tan cloth binding and stamped illustration on the front, the simple yet elegant cover invites you to explore the art within.

Irwin's history of European wood engravings begins in 1423, taking you on a textual and visual journey as you see artistic techniques developing through the decades. With the final illustration dated at 1538, you are left with a concise and satisfying view of woodcuts and engravings through the course of over a century.

Now it's time to make your own prints again! The woodblock is waiting:)

Smith Miniatures Collection NE1050.I72 1979

🤖 Happy Mini Monday! 🤖

I, Robot: Three Laws of Robotics has completely enthralled me! It goes to show that mini books can truly be anything, and that the only limit to what you can create is your own imagination. Don't tell the other minis, but I think that I have a new favorite.

It's actually a lot lighter than you would expect. That's because it's made out of an epoxy material rather than metal! This book sculpture is handmade, and I love that you can see all of the little imperfections which come from it. The little guy measures in at 73 x 68 x 32 mm. The accordion style paper measures about 48 cm! That's over a foot of text all housed in a cute little robot!

The creators of this robot are Jan and Jarmila Sobota from the Czech Republic. There are only thirty copies of this mini book, and it was created in 2007. It includes Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics, and this mini gets its name from the book which expanded upon them. There is also a short history of robotics including the word and its usage!

Smith Miniatures Collection N7433.4 .S64 I7 2007

-- Hailee M.

Happy Mini Monday!

This week we have a "key ring book" from 1970 that is small enough to fit on a keychain, but extends to show beautiful photos of London sights!

With a 33mm x 30mm case and 21mm x 26mm pages, this mini reaches to 227mm when fully extended. After your trip to London, you could carry this home and simply unsnap it to show your friends some of London's most famous attractions. Plus, the bright red leather binding and beautiful gilt stamp and borders make this mini stand out despite its small size.

See the photo of the woman in red riding a horse? If you check the description on the back of the picture, you'll find that this is actually Queen Elizabeth! Much better than sending a postcard:)

Smith Miniatures Collection DA677.L86 1970z