The University of Kansas

Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

Books on a shelf

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.

That’s Distinctive!: Lewis Lindsay Dyche’s Panorama

June 2nd, 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! we share some photos from the KU Natural History Museum’s collection within University Archives. In the library we house many photographs from the museum from throughout their years as well as some of their records. The photos we share this week show early displays of the museum’s panorama from 1893. From the museum’s website:

“The Panorama is an American cultural treasure, a 360-degree-view exhibit that embodies a historic first in the representation of nature for the public. As part of the official Kansas Pavilion in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, it was unique and revolutionary in depicting, for the first time, mounted groups of North American mammals in their natural surroundings. Lewis Lindsay Dyche created this exhibit on the cusp of growing scientific awareness of ecological systems and the need to conserve natural resources for the better good…the exhibit has grown over the years to include more different environs and species. The Panorama represents the university’s early efforts to document and understand the life of the planet — research that continues today through the KU Biodiversity Institute.”

Sepia-toned photographs of two large animals, probably moose, locking antlers.
Sepia-toned photograph of two large animals (probably moose) locking antlers with a variety of smaller animals in the background.
Sepia-toned photograph of many animals, large and small, in a lightly-wooded environment with a tall rock feature in the background.
Sepia-toned photograph of the entire diorama, taken from across a hallway.
Views of the panorama created by Lewis Lindsay Dyche, 1893. University Archives Photos. Call Number: RG 33/0 1893: Museum of Natural History (Photos). Click images to enlarge.

More on the history of the panorama and other exhibits can be found on the Natural History Museum’s website. Spencer Research Library also houses material on Lewis Lindsay Dyche, including his personal papers.

What made me choose the museum for this week? Well, I am a science lover by nature being an Anthropology major. But, the museum is also a great community resource. Not only for learning cool things, but for bonding and making memories.

The KU Natural History Museum offers four floors of exhibits for visitors of all kinds. The museum is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday-Sunday for the summer, with suggested donations upon entrance. The museum also offers “Museum from Home” options for those who are unable to visit.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: Amazing Stories

May 26th, 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.

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 Stories from 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.

Color illustration of a man being confronted by two insects that are larger than him.
Color illustration of two large insects shooting lasers at a dinosaur.
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.
Color illustration of a man in a space suit tangled in and fighting vines.
Color illustration of a woman running from a giant insect standing over a mid-century car.
The front covers of Amazing Stories, August (top) and November (bottom) 1958. Call Number: ASF CURR B23. Click images to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: Diary of a Kansas Farm Wife

May 12th, 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.

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.

Title in faded gold letters against a black background, with a key lock.
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.
Black text against a tan background.
The introduction of Maude Egbert’s diary, 1943-1948. Call Number: RH MS B77. Click image to enlarge.
Two-page spread with rows of handwritten text on each. Typed quotations at the top and bottom of each page.
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

19[45] Went to Concordia

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

Two-page spread with rows of handwritten text on each. Typed quotations at the top and bottom of each page.
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]

19[47] Dear, Diary
no change

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: World of Oz

May 5th, 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! 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.

A young girl in a dress helping up a scarecrow from falling on the yellow brick road amongst corn fields.
Photo still from the Wizard of Oz (1939). Call number MS 297 Box 2. Click image to enlarge.
A young girl in a dress replacing the straw stuffing of the scarecrow.
Photo still from the Wizard of Oz (1939). Call number MS 297 Box 2. Click image to enlarge.
A young girl with two braids looking worriedly off into the distance.
Photo still from Return to Oz (1985). Call number MS 297 Box 3. Click image to enlarge.
A young girl holding a canister and riding a makeshift sleigh with a moose head attached to the front.
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.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

That’s Distinctive!: Arbor Day

April 28th, 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.

Happy Arbor Day! Today, April 28, is Arbor Day. According to Almanac, Arbor Day is largely celebrated on the last Friday of April, although some states celebrate on days that better coincide with tree planting times. Much like Earth Day, Arbor Day is a holiday that celebrates nature. Its purpose is to encourage people to plant trees, and many communities traditionally take the opportunity to organize tree-planting and litter-collecting events on or around the holiday.

The first Arbor Day occurred on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It’s estimated that nearly one million trees were planted on this day. Within twenty years of its creation, the holiday was celebrated in every American state except Delaware, who eventually joined in participation. Many other countries also observe the holiday but often on a different day and under a different name.

This week we share selected pages from the Hand-Book of Tree-Planting by N.H. Egleston. Published in 1884, the book covers “why to plant, where to plant, what to plant, and how to plant.”

Title and author of book in yellow or gold against a green background.
The cover of the Hand-Book of Tree-Planting by N.H. Egleston (1884). Call Number: B6479. Click image to enlarge.
Black text on a light tan background.
Selected pages in the Hand-Book of Tree-Planting by N.H. Egleston (1884). Call Number: B6479. Click image to enlarge.
Black text on a light tan background.
Two pages of advertisements in the Hand-Book of Tree-Planting by N.H. Egleston (1884). Call Number: B6479. Click image to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services