The following is written by Museum Studies Intern Joy Curry If medieval scribes knew one thing, it was the importance of fancy letters. Surviving manuscripts are decorated with gold, filigree, intricate paintings, and more methods to make the words as beautiful as possible. One type of decoration was versals: letters that are drawn rather thanContinue reading “Versals from a 15th-century Book of Hours, in order of increasing fanciness”
Category Archives: Collection Connection
Beware of marginal monsters
The following is written by Museum Studies Intern Joy Curry. This 14th-century book of hours may be tiny, but it is jam-packed with beasts, ranging from fish to lions to feathered dragons. It’s a marvel that so much of the art has survived, especially since the book is missing 19 miniatures. Fortunately for us, theContinue reading “Beware of marginal monsters”
Voices from the stacks: Corita Kent
The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant, Kaylee Swinford. Corita Kent was an American artist, educator, activist, and former religious sister. With a rebellious spirit, Corita was a pioneering designer, who produced a body of work for over three decades combining themes of spirituality, hope, peace, and acceptance. Inspired by the popular PopContinue reading “Voices from the stacks: Corita Kent”
Language of flowers speaks volumes
The following is written by museum intern student Joy Curry. Valentine’s Day is, among other things, a common time to give and receive flowers. If you visited a florist this last holiday, you might have seen some explanations on what flowers mean. You may have heard of the symbolism attached to different colors of rosesContinue reading “Language of flowers speaks volumes”
Voices from the Stacks: Phillip G. Hubbard
The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant Anne Moore. Phillip G. Hubbard was an engineering professor, administrator, civil rights champion, and distinguished member of the University of Iowa community. He was the first Black professor at the university and spent more than 40 years advocating for students and providing counsel to sixContinue reading “Voices from the Stacks: Phillip G. Hubbard”
New acquisition, Neue Jugend, imparts Dada history
The following is written by curator Timothy Shipe Among the International Dada Archive’s latest acquisitions are several issues of the Berlin journal Neue Jugend, founded in early 1914 by two student poets, Heinz Barger and Friedrich Hollaender. Neue Jugend is a telling example of how the Berlin dadaists managed to elude wartime government censorship. TheContinue reading “New acquisition, Neue Jugend, imparts Dada history”
10 Weird Tales Covers to Haunt Your Halloween
The following is written by graduate student worker Theo Prineas Sometimes, when I’m hunched over a desk in the back of the Hevelin pulps’ windowless archive room, the lights – which are set to a motion-sensing timer – go out. As I jump up and wave my arms to reactivate them, I expect a chalky-dryContinue reading “10 Weird Tales Covers to Haunt Your Halloween”
Voices from the Stacks: Los Bailadores Zapatistas and the Latino Native American Cultural Center
The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant Anne Moore. Last week, the Latino-Native American Alumni Alliance (LANA3) gathered on campus to celebrate more than 50 years of the Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC) at the University of Iowa. In 1971, three students—Rusty Barceló, Ruth Pushetonequa, and Tony Zavala—founded the the Chicano IndianContinue reading “Voices from the Stacks: Los Bailadores Zapatistas and the Latino Native American Cultural Center”
Voices from the Stacks: Riot Grrrl and the Jen and Sarah Wolfe Zine Collection
The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant Kaylee Swinford and Instruction Graduate Assistant M Clark On their 1995 track, “Criminal Boy,” female pop punk band Bunnygrunt begs the question: ‘what is a girl to do?’ The song chronicles a tough sister’s plans to break her all bark and no bite brother out ofContinue reading “Voices from the Stacks: Riot Grrrl and the Jen and Sarah Wolfe Zine Collection”
The Special Collections and Archives’ fall 2024 reading room exhibition, Japanese Pocket Lanterns, brings a delicate art to life
In 1975, Tim Barrett, now emeritus director and paper specialist at the University of Iowa Center for the Book, traveled to Japan to begin Fulbright research on hand papermaking techniques. It was during his two-year fellowship that he found himself fascinated by small lanterns known as Odawara chochin, “the equivalent of a personal flashlight,” datingContinue reading “The Special Collections and Archives’ fall 2024 reading room exhibition, Japanese Pocket Lanterns, brings a delicate art to life”