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.
For our science fiction lovers out there, this week we highlight Amazing Stories by Hugo Gernsback. According to Wikipedia, Amazing Stories is an American science fiction magazine that was first published in 1926. The magazine was the first of its kind in being solely devoted to science fiction, which helped launch a new genre of pulp fiction. Gernsback’s contributions to the genre as a publisher were so significant that he is sometimes called “The Father of Science Fiction.” Annual awards presented at the World Science Fiction Convention are named the “Hugos,” in his honor.
Here at Spencer, we have many copies of Amazing Storiesfrom throughout its long publishing history. This week we include just a small sample of early covers from the library’s large collection. The magazines offer a fun array of cover scenes that can be fun to flip through along with the contents of the magazines as well.
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The front covers of Amazing Stories, October 1926 (top) and February 1929 (bottom). You can see on the latter cover that Gernsback referred to the genre as “scientifiction” rather than “science fiction.” Call Number: ASF CURR D3. Click images to enlarge.
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The front covers of Amazing Stories, August (top) and November (bottom) 1958. Call Number: ASF CURR B23. Click images to enlarge.
Becoming the Ringle Conservation Intern has been an incredible learning experience both on its own and as an expansion of the work I have been fortunate enough to do during my two years as a student employee at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library Conservation Lab. Since September of 2022, I have assessed, lightly cleaned, and re-housed over 900 individual glass plate negatives, and at least 100 flexible negatives, taken by the George Cornish Studio (based in Arkansas City, Kansas) between 1890 and 1945. With the guidance of Marcella Huggard, Charissa Pincock, Whitney Baker, and Roberta Woodrick, I have contributed 833 entries to the ongoing finding aid that include the subject of the photo (if identifiable) and the condition of each plate. My hope is that, when the collection is complete with its partner collection (the Hannah Scott Collection), history and photo enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the wide range of portraiture, landscape, and urban life photography contained within the collection.
Creating a spreadsheet with information about the negatives in the Cornish Studio collection.
The Ringle project began with a massive shifting project. Roberta Woodrick, Grace Awbrey, Hannah Johnson, Rory Sweedler, Sarah Jane Dahms, and I moved the Cornish, Scott, and several other glass plate negative collections in advance of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) updates in the stacks. During this shifting, we saw how both age and the heat from the old furnace, located under the floor where the glass plates had been held, had affected the collections. There were clear indicators that re-housing these collections was necessary. On some glass plates there was flaking emulsion and discoloration, and some flexible negatives were experiencing “vinegar syndrome” (the strong smell of deteriorating acetate film) and leaving liquid residue on the shelves (from the chemical separation of the emulsion on the plastic).
Glass plate negatives from the Cornish Studio collection housed in boxes in the stacks.
Flaking emulsion on one glass plate negative in the Cornish Studio Collection.
The Cornish Studio was located in Arkansas City, Kansas, 8 miles north of Chilocco, Oklahoma, where the Chilocco Indian School operated, and about 200 miles southwest of Lawrence. The studio was opened by George Cornish in 1905 and was run jointly from 1912 onward by Cornish and his assistant Edith Berrouth (to whom he would leave the practice in 1946 after his death.) In 1993, attorney Otis Morrow, whose practice was in the building that had once been Cornish’s studio, donated the 8 boxes of glass plates, photo registrars, and even George Cornish’s autobiography of running the studio (called “My Life on Fifth Avenue”) to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library. (More about the history of the collection can be found at the Collections Overview.)
Many of the glass plates in the Cornish collection have some degree of damage – they’ve existed through a wide range of temperature and humidity fluctuations – but at over 100 years old for many of them, they generally look remarkably good. The subjects in the photos are almost all visible, and the excitement on their faces in these century old photographs endures. It’s clear that the people who went to the Cornish Studio for their portraits, or for the portraits of their young children (babies make up a significant portion of the plates from the 1910s-20s), were happy to have the opportunity to have their photos taken. They couldn’t have known that their likeness would be preserved for longer than them, but I like to think it would make them happy to know their investment in a photograph might provide returns to scholars today.
Negative and reversed positive image of Letha Thomas and baby, circa 1919, Cornish Studio Collection.
Before me, several Ringle interns worked on an impressive collection of projects over timespans of six weeks to three months. So far, I have been working with the Cornish Collection for nine months and will continue to do so for another two. Having almost a full year has been immensely valuable – each plate must be placed individually into a four-fold wrapper before being re-housed in boxes, and many plates between 1917 and 1930 have subjects that could be researched (which I did, especially when there might be the opportunity to identify the women in couples’ portraits who were usually identified as Mrs. (Man’s Name.)). Having now completed the 5 x 7 plates, I continue to work on the 8 x 10 plates which represent a shift from traditional studio portraiture and into street scenes in Ark City and the surrounding area. These images, and this collection, offer a valuable slice-of-life view of Southwest Kansas across a period of American history with rapid changes.
Cornish Studio ledgers that record information about some of the subjects featured on the negatives in the collection.
The conservation lab at the University of Kansas Libraries is now home to a pair of Adjustable Conservation Book Supports, or ACBS’s. The ACBS is a hinged cradle that supports a book during conservation treatment; fiberglass rods gently hold the book open in almost any desired position, a feat that can be difficult or impossible to achieve with our usual system using weights and fixed cradles or foam wedges, or other rigged-up arrangements. The ACBS was designed and developed at Northwestern University by conservator Roger Williams in collaboration with students in Northwestern’s School of Engineering. Williams wrote about the process in this blog post: Collaborating with engineering students to create an open-design conservation tool – LIBRARIES | Blog (northwestern.edu). We learned about the ACBS when Williams presented a webinar about the project during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when many conservators were unable to work in their labs. We and our colleagues around the world spent much of our pandemic work-at-home time learning and sharing on online platforms, saving up the new knowledge to try out when we were back in our workspaces.
One of Williams’ goals when creating the ACBS was to make it freely available and customizable – an open-design tool that could be built with readily available supplies and that could be adapted and improved upon by the conservation community through use and experimentation. Conservators at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand took up this challenge and created an (also open access!) alternative design for the two clamps that sit at the top of the ACBS. The 3D-printed Auckland clamp design increases the range of motion of the fiberglass rods, adding even more functionality to the ACBS. (See their blog post: Newest Trick in the Book – Blog – Auckland War Memorial Museum (aucklandmuseum.com))
We wanted to build an ACBS for our lab, and we definitely wanted those clamps! We knew that KU Libraries had a 3D printer in our new Makerspace, so we reached out to Associate Librarian Tami Albin for her help. The Makerspace was in its early days, and Tami had been experimenting with the 3D printer, getting to know its capabilities and the properties of different filaments. We downloaded the files for the Auckland clamps and sent them to Tami. While Tami worked on the clamps, collections conservator Roberta Woodrick ordered the rest of the parts we needed for our ACBS’s (we had decided to build two), and she and I assembled them up to the point of adding the clamps. A few weeks later, Roberta and I visited the Makerspace to see the results of Tami’s first tests. Tami described how the 3D printer works, showed us the printed clamp parts, and explained how the type of filament affects the finished 3D print. She had printed an assortment of sample parts for us; we brought them back to the lab and examined each one to find those that had the look, feel, and weight that suited us, and to test the fit on the ACBS’s.
Reviewing test prints of the clamp parts with Tami Albin at the Makerspace. Click image to enlarge.
After we’d selected the samples that we liked best, we reported back to Tami and she set to work printing the final pieces. We were excited to get the email from her letting us know that the parts were ready! We gave Tami free rein to choose the filament colors, and she came through with a selection of bright, cheerful colors that add some fun and personality to our ACBS’s.
Detail of the clamps in their beautiful colors. Click image to enlarge.
With the clamp parts in hand, we had a few more steps to go before the ABCS’s would be ready to use. I put together the clamp assembly and found that our off-the-shelf bolts were about 1mm too long, preventing the clamps from being fully tightened. I found my set of jeweler’s rasps (saved from a metals elective I took back in art school – conservators love to appropriate tools of many trades!) and used one to file down the ends of the bolts until they fit correctly.
A too-long bolt, left, and a filed-down bolt, right. Click image to enlarge.
With the clamps assembled, the last step was to fill in the sides of the ACBS’s to bring the surfaces level with the thick hinges. Per Williams’ instructions, I filled the lower boards of the ACBS’s with scraps of binder’s board, a heavier material, and the upper board with corrugated plastic, a lighter material, to help balance the ACBS. I then covered each side with blotter and sealed the edges all around with Tyvek tape.
Filling in the lower board with scraps of binder’s board, left, and the upper board with corrugated plastic, right. Click image to enlarge.
Conservation is always a collaborative effort, and we are so grateful for Tami’s contribution to this project. We are looking forward to all the ways that we can put these new tools to use in our work caring for KU Libraries’ collections.
Our two new ACBS’s! Click image to enlarge.
The fiberglass rods are strong but gentle enough for delicate materials. Katsushika Hokusai, Denshin kaishu Hokusai manga. Call Number: C22291. Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas. Click image 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.
There will be no That’s Distinctive! post next Friday, May 19. Posts will resume on May 26.
This week on That’s Distinctive! we offer a glimpse into a day in the life of Maude Egbert (1878-1955). The library houses a diary of hers that documents an entry a day for five years. This five-year diary kept by Maude Egbert of Clyde, Cloud County, Kansas, provides a regular accounting of her life as a farm wife during World War II. Activities or events she noted include sewing, entertaining and visiting friends and family, cooking, house cleaning, canning, personal health, farm activities like threshing, acquiring a swarm of bees, creek and river flooding, and the weather. Throughout the diary she calls her husband “Dad.”
The diary Maude used is called Five-Year Horoscope Diary: Your Destiny Day by Day. It was written by Samuel Nisenson and published in 1936 by World Syndicate Publishing. Maude used her diary from 1943 to 1948, although there are some large gaps where she did not fill it out. There are also some pages where the years are written out of order.
The front cover of Maude Egbert’s diary, Five-Year Horoscope Diary: Your Destiny Day by Day, 1943-1948. Call Number: RH MS B77. Click image to enlarge.
The introduction of Maude Egbert’s diary, 1943-1948. Call Number: RH MS B77. Click image to enlarge.
The pages for April 7th and 8th in Maude Egbert’s diary, 1943-1948. Call Number: RH MS B77. Click image to enlarge.
April 7, 1943 got my chickens Thrashed the alfalfa & [kaiffer?]
19[44] Ruth Martha & Teddy [Maude’s daughter and granddaughters] came for Easter vacation
1948 Esther & Emma [Mayson?] Went to Mile Society I visited Mrs Crouse Orville [Maude’s son] made garden to day
19[47] Doris [Maude’s granddaughter] took my washing to do Dad was sick yesterday & to day Roy ate dinner with us
April 8, 1943 Mary [Maude’s granddaughter] & I went fishing cought a nice mess. Dad went to [illegible]. bought a disk had a light [rain?] the first since [illegible] second
19[44] Ruth Esther & Doris [Maude’s daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter] went to Concordia the little girls stayed with me Orville finished planting the oats Dad and Cliff fixed the wind mill. Planted some potatoes
19[45] Dad and I spent the day with Roy and Jessie Billy has the Penmonia [pneumonia] but is better Spent the evening with [illegible]
1948 Orville & Esther made garden & we went to spent the day croceting [crocheting]
1947 Cleaned the brooder house & Dad cleaned the big Chicken house
The pages for May 27th and 28th in Maude Egbert’s diary, 1943-1948. Call Number: RH MS B77. Click image to enlarge.
May 27, 1943 Washed to day. Dad planted corn. Marys [Maude’s granddaughter] birthday to day.
1944 Marys [Maude’s granddaughter] birthday to day rained all day Dad was sick all day
19[45] We all went to church. ate dinner with Mary [Maude’s granddaughter] as it is her. birthday Teddy [Maude’s granddaughter] stayed with Betty Lou at A [Hats]. for a few days
1946 Ruth Ted & Martha [Maude’s daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter] came for a few days
19[47] Dear Diary I am still sick
May 28, 19[43] Martha [Maude’s granddaughter] spent the day at Orvilles [Maude’s son]. Sewed on my dress Dad finished planting corn on. this place
19[44] Cleaned the brooder house & put in roost. Had our. first fried chicken. Roy Jessie and Billy Bob spent the afternoon with us.
19[45] Did general house work & put up my clean curtains
1946. Gene and Elizabeth came. Ruth Ted [Maude’s daughter and son-in-law] Doris [Maudes’ granddaughter] Cliff & I all went fishing. Esther and Genes came in the afternoon. Gene and Elizabeth stayed all [illegible] at [illegible]
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 highlight another collection belonging to John C. Tibbetts that is housed at the library. The collection consists of film stills and photographs for a variety of motion pictures; Tibbetts received the photographs as part of his work as a film reviewer. There are also various issues of the magazine American Classic Screen, of which Tibbetts was the editor. The movie stills in the collection range from 1895-1998. Movies included in the collection range from The Birds (1963) to Dracula (1979) to Saving Private Ryan (1998) and even Snow White (1937).
This time around we are sharing movie stills from the movies The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Return to Oz (1985). More information on the films and the trailers to The Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz can be found on IMDB.
Photo still from the Wizard of Oz (1939). Call number MS 297 Box 2. Click image to enlarge.
Photo still from the Wizard of Oz (1939). Call number MS 297 Box 2. Click image to enlarge.
Photo still from Return to Oz (1985). Call number MS 297 Box 3. Click image to enlarge.
Photo still from Return to Oz (1985). Call number MS 297 Box 3. Click image to enlarge.
More information on Dr. Tibbetts and a peek at another one of his collections can be found in the That’s Distinctive! blog on the animated film Dinosaur. The John C. Tibbetts collection, along with all items in the library, can be viewed in the Reading Room from 10am to 4pm Monday through Friday. The library is open to the public and welcomes researchers of all types.
