Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we are sharing some items from our Kansas Sheet Music Collection. The collection houses a “wide variety of sheet music relating to Kansas, written by Kansans, or otherwise of significance to the state of Kansas and themes of possible interest to Kansans.” The collection consists of eight boxes with the contents organized in alphabetical order.
The pieces shown today are “The Jayhawk Song”by Arch P. Naramore (1947); “KU Forever, ‘Varsity Song” published by Frank W. Ryan (1912); and “I am Going Back to Kansas: ‘Mid the Green Fields of Alfalfa Far Away” by Jesse J. Hamilton (1908).
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The front cover and first two pages of “The Jayhawk Song” by Arch P. Naramore, 1947. Kansas Sheet Music Collection. Call Number: RH MS Q455. Click images to enlarge.
The front cover of “KU Forever, ‘Varsity Song” published by Frank W. Ryan, 1912. Kansas Sheet Music Collection. Call Number: RH MS Q455. Click image to enlarge.
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The front cover and first two pages of “I am Going Back to Kansas: ‘Mid the Green Fields of Alfalfa Far Away” by Jesse J. Hamilton, 1908. Kansas Sheet Music Collection. Call Number: RH MS Q455. Click images to enlarge.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing the tastiest collection I have ever found. It houses 62 recipes from central and southern Mexico dating to the early nineteenth century. Most of the recipes are undated, though one is dated 1817. The recipes are written in Spanish and Castilian with no authors indicated, though a few – like the recipe for “marmones” – include a name that appears to be a recipient (in this case Doña Maria Rafaela Vazquez). The recipes (both loose leaf and bound) were housed in a leather wrapper when they arrived at the library. For their preservation, the recipes have been re-housed in folders, and the leather wrapper kept with the collection. Just a little fun fact: the collection was processed by our former Spanish and Portuguese Preservation and Processing student, Indira Garcia Varela, back in 2019.
The original leather wrapper in which Spencer Research Library received the recipes. Call Number: MS 346. Click image to enlarge.
A conservation document showing the condition of the recipes before treatment. Call Number: MS 346. Click image to enlarge.
Examples of recipes within the collection include directions for making “enpanadas” (as it is spelled in the manuscript), tamales, tortas, and buñuelos. I am sharing three recipes below with a translation for bodin provided by Whitney Baker, Head of Conversation Services at KU Libraries, and Dr. Milton Machuca-Galvez, Assistant Librarian for Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. The recipes shown below are titled Bodin, Reseta de las Enpanadas, and Leche de Piña.
So why this collection? Having Mexican heritage myself, stumbling upon this collection in the finding aid really tugged at my heartstrings. The more I learned about the collection, the more fascinated I became. Sifting through the recipes, there were many items and words I recognized, and it can be interesting to see how the spelling of words has changed with time. The recipes are handwritten, which helps call to mind the person who wrote down the recipe roughly two hundred years ago. I was hesitant to share items in a language other than English given much of our audience is English speaking, but the collection is too fun to not to highlight.
The recipe for reseta de las enpanadas. Call Number: MS 346. Click images to enlarge.
The recipe for leche de piña, undated. Call Number: MS 346. Click image to enlarge.
The recipe for bodin, undated. Call Number: MS 346. Click image to enlarge.
Bodin = a 1 taza de leche 2/1 de pan frances, 6 huebos, una mantequilla, pasas y almendras. Todo esto se revuelbe muy bien, y se unta el sartén con mantequilla para que no se pegue hasta que esté de punto de Xericaya
Pudding = Add to 1 cup of milk, (half a?) French bread, six eggs, butter, raisins and almonds. Mix all of this well, and rub a frying pan with butter so that it doesn’t stick until it’s at the point of [consistency of] a jericalla [a Mexican custard dessert].
The gist of the last sentence, better worded, might be, “rub a frying pan with butter so it doesn’t stick, and mix all of this well until it’s at the consistency of a jericalla [Mexican custard dessert].”
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
As summer begins to fade into the sunset and fall quickly approaches, harvest time will soon be in full swing. Agricultural practices were developed about 12,000 years ago with the domestication of crops and animals as humans shifted away from hunting and gathering practices to sedentary lifestyles. Agriculture in Kansas predates the state’s inception. Today, family-owned farms are the backbone of Kansas agriculture, making up about 64% of total farms. Kansas is a leading state in wheat, grain sorghum, and beef production. In addition to those crops, corn and soybeans are some of the most abundant crops grown in the state. Douglas County alone holds over 230,000 acres of farmland. Need more information on Kansas agriculture? The Kansas Department of Agriculture provides many statistics on the state’s involvement. There is even an interactive map to learn about each county’s agricultural contribution to the economy. Not quite sure what harvest time entails? The Iowa Farm Bureau offers great information on the great lengths farmers go to in order to ensure their crops are well cared for.
In honor of harvest time and our hard-working farmers, this week I am sharing a Kansas farmer’s diary. The 160-page diary tracks the anonymous farmer’s daily activities around their property in Winfield, Kansas, and offers insight into the complex processes of owning a farmstead between 1884 and 1899. A transcription of the pages shown here is provided below the photos. The numbers at the beginning of each line are dates; the quotation marks stand for “ditto,” or a repeat of the line above.
The library houses many personal libraries from everyday individuals in all stages of life. Items like this are irreplaceable and offer just a peak into what life was like in the past. You can find a previous That’s Distinctive! post covering the diary of Maude Egbert.
The front cover of the diary. Call Number: RH MS P885. Click image to enlarge.
Two pages from the diary, September and October 1896. Call Number: RH MS P885. Click image to enlarge.
Sept 1896
5. Bred Blood red Heifer 6. Alen Williams came 7. “ “ went home 7. Homer [Started] to school 7. Began cutting clover
15. Went to K.C. got 60 Barls 23. cts. 6 for Hauling (29.) 15 R.R. 3 cars & Engine Recked 16. Johns 15th Birthday “ working at reck 17. “ “ “ 18. “ “ “ 19. “ “ “ 20. “ “ “
23. Barled 24 Barls of Aples
30. Dehorned 3. red Heifers 30. White Sow crop in Ear Bred 31. Bred white Sow 31. Hauled 72. B. Coal
(1) The September 17, 1896, issue of the Olathe News reported extensively on this event under the headline “A Rousing Rip-Roaring Republican Rally! All of Johnson County Out on Parade Arrayed in the Royal Color of the Sunflower and the Goldenrod!”
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we share The Pooh Cook Book from Special Collections. Released in 1969, ThePooh Cook Book was written by Virginia H. Ellison after she became inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. Offering a variety of recipes, most of which include honey, the book offers a fun interactive activity surrounding Winnie-the-Pooh. After being updated and redesigned, the book was re-released in 2010 as The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook.
The front cover of The Pooh Cook Book by Virginia H Ellison, 1969. Call Number: C8160. Click image to enlarge.
According to Wikipedia, Winnie-the-Pooh “first appeared by name on 24 December 1925, in a Christmas story commissioned and published by the London newspaper Evening News.” In October of 1926, the first collection of Pooh stories appeared in A. A. Milne’s book titled Winnie-the-Pooh. The book was an immediate success and was followed by The House at Pooh Corner in 1928. Since 1966, Pooh and his friends have appeared in many animated films and a television series produced by Walt Disney Productions along with other adaptations throughout the years. Pooh and his friends have been loved by millions from the moment of their creation, and they continue to be enjoyed today.
A description of the updated The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook states that “the famously rotund bear is happiest when in possession of a brimming pot of honey, but when it comes time for meals and smackerels, the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood need something a little more substantial. This delightful collection contains over fifty tried-and-true recipes for readers of all ages to make and enjoy, starting with Poohanpiglet pancakes and ending with a recipe for getting thin-with honey sauces, holiday treats, and dishes for every mealtime in between.”
A section of the table of contents in The Pooh Cook Book. Call Number: C8160. Click image to enlarge.
The first page of the section of “Provisions for Picnics and Expotitions” in The Pooh Cook Book. Call Number: C8160. Click image to enlarge.
The copy of The Pooh Cook Book in Spencer’s collections was a gift of Elizabeth M. Snyder. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she is the founder of KU Libraries’ long-running Snyder Book Collecting Contest.
A recipe for “homemade snow and honey” in The Pooh Cook Book. Call Number: C8160. Click image to enlarge.
Why this book? Well, first, why not? And second, who doesn’t love Winnie-the-Pooh? The cookbook offers a great opportunity to combine (or create) childhood memories with quality time. As author Virginia H. Ellison writes, “The Pooh Cook Book is particularly useful for special occasions, real or invented, and meant to make what might be an ordinary day into a festive one – almost as good as a birthday or a holiday” (14). This volume also shows that the library houses materials for people of all ages. Additionally, the library doesn’t just offer informational materials; it also offers things that are just fun to look at.
Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we are focusing on folklore, “the traditional legends, beliefs, culture, etc., shared by a group of people” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary). Spencer Research Library’s Culture and Folklore Studies Collection consists of 37 document boxes and one oversize box. The material dates from 1959 to 1992 and contains information a range of topics from folklore, to customs, to culture. Robert J. Smith, KU professor emeritus in cultural anthropology, created the collection and gifted it to Spencer in 2007. Smith’s research interests included folklore theories, material culture, foraging societies, and more. The part of the collection we share today is from Box 7 and covers the superstitions and beliefs of children, documented by Sally Jenkins in 1973.
First page of Sally Jenkins’s statement about collecting folklore and superstition examples, 1973. Culture and Folklore Studies Collection. Call Number: RH MS 966. Click image to enlarge.
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Superstition memories and stories recorded by Sally Jenkins, 1973. Culture and Folklore Studies Collection. Call Number: RH MS 966. Click images to enlarge.
