This essay by Kären Mason, Curator of the Iowa Women’s Archives, was originally written for Akashic Books. Chautauqua was an eagerly anticipated event in towns across the United States in the early 20th century. Huge tents were erected and a variety of speakers, performances, and children’s activities took place over the week the Chautauqua wasContinue reading “Women on the Chautauqua Circuit: Winsome Lasses and Ardent Advocates”
Author Archives: Hannah Scates Kettler
Upstairs and downstairs in historic cookbooks
While “Downton Abbey” fans tune in to season 4 in record numbers and our Special Collections department celebrates with an exhibition of period cookbooks, volunteers at the Libraries’ DIY History crowdsourcing site continue to transcribe historic recipes handwritten by real-life Mrs. Patmores. Notes on how to “send up” a dish — a final step in some ofContinue reading “Upstairs and downstairs in historic cookbooks”
Wishing you an animated holiday
The big story at the Libraries this year has been our Special Collections department’s ascendancy to social media superstardom. Here in Digital Research & Publishing, we’re happy to hook our wagon to that stardom for promoting the Libraries’ digital initiatives to the 18,000 (and counting!) followers at the UISpecColl Tumblr, and to loan our multimediaContinue reading “Wishing you an animated holiday”
Exploring pioneer lives: UI Libraries and Rhetoric students partner on new digital collection and crowdsourcing project
This November, as Thanksgiving brings thoughts of pilgrims, the University of Iowa Libraries is exploring a later period of American history with a new digital collection, crowdsourcing initiative, and curriculum project based on pioneer-era documents. Featuring more than 2,500 pages of letters, diaries, and photographs dating from the mid-to-late 19th century, the Pioneer Lives collectionContinue reading “Exploring pioneer lives: UI Libraries and Rhetoric students partner on new digital collection and crowdsourcing project”
Historic photos: JFK at the UI, 1959
As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s death, we’re celebrating the 54th anniversary of his 1959 visit to the University of Iowa campus. Not yet an official presidential candidate (coverage of his trip only made page 6 of The Daily Iowan, which instead led with some student workers’ two-day strike forContinue reading “Historic photos: JFK at the UI, 1959”
Great mustaches of the Iowa Digital Library
The libraries and archives that feature historic mustache images — from NYPL to the Smithsonian to our own Special Collections — are kicking into high gear in honor of Movember, so we thought we’d join in. Stealing from In tribute to the Library of Congress’ collection, we present some of the great mustaches of theContinue reading “Great mustaches of the Iowa Digital Library”
Crowdsourcing continues!
Things might seem a little quiet at DIY History, the Libraries’ transcription crowdsourcing site, but behind the scenes we’ve been working on several new initiatives that should be launching over the next few months. First up is a long-overdue redesign of the DIYH home pages that we hope will make for a less cluttered and easier toContinue reading “Crowdsourcing continues!”
Move over, fried twinkies: Iowa State Fair historic recipe contest
This August, traditional Fair fare such as deep-fried Twinkies, Snickers, and sticks of butter will be making room for even more old-school treats featured in the UI-sponsored Szathmary Historic Recipes cooking contest. Up for recreating 18th- and 19th-century desserts like Almond Cheese Cakes, Summer Mince Pies, and Mrs. Matson’s Marlborough Pies? Unintimidated by units ofContinue reading “Move over, fried twinkies: Iowa State Fair historic recipe contest”
Reading & greeting
Reach out to your book-loving friends by sharing a reading-themed eCard, featuring images from Iowa Digital Library.
Springtime in Iowa
Remembering Iowa City’s tornado of 2006 and floods of 2008, via Iowa Digital Library. Here’s hoping for a less extreme 2013…