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Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

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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.

Happy Birthday!

January 2nd, 2024

I’ve recently hit 40 and so birthdays have been on my mind, and what is New Year’s other than another sort of birthday celebration? Birthdays have been a cause for partying and remembrance for a long, long time. They’ve been a way families can reinforce bonds, a way to celebrate public figures, and certainly a way to mark the time. As such, we’ve gathered a number of birthday related materials in our collections and in celebrating my own birthday, I’ll share a few with all of you! 

Black and white photograph of people in "hillbilly" costumes holding animals. Captioned "Birthday party for "Mr Jack" March 1931  Wolfe".
Birthday Party for “Mr Jack”, photograph by Topeka Photographer Wolfe, in the Leonard Hollman Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH 536(f). Click images to enlarge.

I can’t help but hope that the “Mr Jack” in question is the chicken in the center of the photo, but I suppose we’ll never know.

We also have some heavy hitters, literarily speaking: An invitation sent to William Allen White, at the behest of George Harvey, to attend the 70th birthday celebration of Mark Twain!

Black and white printed script invitation to the 70th birthday of Mark Twain to a written in William Allen White.
George Harvey to WAW, Correspondence in our William Lindsay White collection. Call Number: RH MS 608. Click images to enlarge.

Continuing a trend of journalistic birthday items, we have a lovely collection of letters from Albert T. Reid, known for political cartoons among other things, to his grandson Leonard. This letter shows the sharing of gifts and building of birthday memories, even with those not able to be present. 

Handwritten letter on Albert T. Reid stationary including a sketch of a toy tank pulling a toy dachshund by a leash.
Letter to Lenno from G.R. in New York, August 13, 1931. Illustrated Letters to Grandgoy Leonard. Call Number: RH MS 1358. Click images to enlarge.

Strengthening the family aspect, we have a poem from the poet William Sotheby (1757-1833) on how gifts (flowers) are lovely, but that “Duty, Gratitude, and Love” are even more precious offerings for a parent’s birthday given that they grew from the parent’s own influence.

Handwritten poem on elaborately decorated paper with embossed scrollwork edges and image of angels and flowers at the top.
The Birthday Offering, from the Personal Papers of William the Poet Sotheby in the Sotheby Family Papers. Call Number: MS 4. Click images to enlarge.

I love the physical detail of the document as well as the reflection present in the poem itself. Here’s a transcript I put together as I know the script is none too clear.

The Birthday Offering

Lov’d Parent! While these flowr’s we wreathe
To grace thy natal day,
And oer their transient blossoms breathe
Pure nature’s simple lay;
Oh view, unlike frail bloom of flow’r
The heart that greets this blissful hour!

The blossom fades, the flowret falls.
There cherished duties grow,
Fond memore there the past recalls,
And thoughts that grateful glow:
And kind affections planted there
Spring up beneath a mother’s care.

These purer offerings deign approve
Lo! Duty, Gratitude, and Love.

– W.L. Sotheby

We have many more things as well: cake photos, party programs, letters, and more. We would absolutely love to be the inspiration for your next celebration! And Happy Birthday to me. 🎉

Shelby Schellenger
Reference Coordinator

That’s Distinctive!: New Year’s Eve Poetry

December 29th, 2023

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.

In honor of the upcoming new year, this week on That’s Distinctive! I am sharing An Ode to the Sun, For the New Year by Elijah Fenton, published in 1707. The poem comes from Spencer’s Horn Collection, a collection of poems and pamphlets (satirical and panegyrical) concerning John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722). A transcription of the poem can be found via the All Poetry website, and a digitized copy of the entire document can be found via the Internet Archive.

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The front cover and first three pages of An Ode to the Sun, For the New Year by Elijah Fenton, 1707. Call Number: Horn E44. Click images to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens

December 22nd, 2023

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.

In honor of the upcoming Christmas holiday, this week on That’s Distinctive! I share the book Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens (1812-1870), with illustrations by A. E. Abbey. Published in 1876, this particular printing was a part of a posthumous series, The Works of Charles Dickens: Household Edition. The volume includes 14 stories.

The first story in the book, A Christmas Carol, was first published 180 years ago in 1843. It’s a story of an elderly miser (Ebenezer Scrooge) transformed into a kinder man after he is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Beloved by many, the story has had many adaptations including theatrical productions, movies, animations, and operas. The book is available online through the Library of Congress. Spencer Research Library also houses a first edition copy of the book.

Other stories in the book include The Cricket on the Hearth, The Holly-tree, and The Haunted Man. Published in 1848, The Haunted Man is similar to A Christmas Carol. As described by the Charles Dickens Museum, it is “a story of ghosts and redemption. The protagonist and chemist, Professor Redlaw, is a haunted man. He is followed by a spectre who looks exactly like him. But what if he could get rid of all his sadness and despair? Redlaw strikes a ghostly bargain and suffers the consequences; is living without sorrow really worth it?” A copy of the book can be read via Gutenberg.org.

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This image has text. The facing page has a black-and-white sketch of Scrooge sitting in front of a fireplace and talking with the ghost of Jacob Marley.
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The front cover (top), title page (middle), and table of contents (bottom) of Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens, 1876. Call Number: D7635. Click images to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

Happy Holidays from Spencer Research Library!

December 20th, 2023

Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday season!

Black-and-white photograph of three children pulling a pine tree on a sled. There is snow on the ground and a row of houses in the background.
William E. Culver’s children “bringing in the Christmas tree,” Topeka, Kansas, 1903. From left to right are Louise (born circa 1892), Elizabeth (born 1895), and Wellington (“Duke,” born 1898). William E. Culver Photographic Collection. Call Number: RH PH 75. Click image to enlarge.

Spencer Research Library will be closed from December 23rd through January 1st and will reopen on January 2nd. We look forward to seeing you in 2024 and sharing more stories about our collections, staff, and services.

Visit the KU Libraries website for more information on winter recess across the libraries, including hours and options for accessing to online resources services available when buildings are closed.

Caitlin Klepper
Head of Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: Bowersock Opera House

December 15th, 2023

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 highlighting a Lawrence staple: the Bowersock Opera House program collection. Known today as Liberty Hall, the building on the corner of 7th and Massachusetts streets used to be known as the Bowersock Opera House and, later, the Bowersock Theatre. Purchased and renovated in 1882 by Justin DeWitt (J. D.) Bowersock, it was a well-known entertainment destination. Bowersock (1842-1922) moved to Lawrence in 1877 and held multiple jobs, mostly in banks. According to the Kansas Historical Society’s Kansapedia, he also “built and maintained the dam across the Kansas River, which powered many of the city’s manufacturers.” Spencer Research Library houses a few collections involving J. D. Bowersock, including his business papers.

The Opera House burned down in 1911 due to a fire started by poor electrical wiring. The building was completely rebuilt the following year. It became the Jayhawker Theater in the 1930s, and during the 1960s and 1970s it transformed into a night club and disco. In 1986, the building was renovated and renamed Liberty Hall. Today Liberty Hall continues to show movies and host live events. It also houses a video library and just recently opened a candy shop called Squishingtons.

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This image has text, primarily advertisements but also a cast list for the play "Robin Hood."
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This image has text, primarily a cast list for the play "So This is London."
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This image has text against a green background and a black-and-white sketch of the theatre building.
Front covers and pages from selected Bowersock Theatre programs: from top to bottom are 1912, 1922, 1924, and 1924-1925. Bowersock Opera House Collection. Call Number: RH MS P475. Click images to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services