Beyond the Reading Room

Anecdotes and other notes from the U-M Special Collections Research Center.
Detailed illustration from Audubon's Birds of North America of a nest in a tree with birds sitting around it.

Posts in Beyond the Reading Room

Showing 321 - 330 of 354 items
Picture of a double-crusted mock cherry pie
  • Jacqueline L Jacobson
Americans love pie any time of year, but in November pie is particularly in the spotlight. Apple, mince, pumpkin… every family seems to have its own traditional pie repertoire for Thanksgiving. But since we're heading into cranberry season anyway, here’s something a little different for your festive board: Mock Cherry Pie, made with cranberries and raisins -- a common recipe in our late 19th and early 20th century cookbooks.
  • Athena Jackson
Mark your calendars!
Join us December 2nd, 2014, for the launch and mini-exhibit of our online exhibit, "Intersections: Cultures, Identities, Narratives" showcasing
selections from U-M Special Collections Library’s Cuban Artists’ Books and featuring the work of artist, Rolando Estévez
  • Julie Herrada
A beautifully crafted, limited edition of essays and poems by Joseph Labadie was recently donated to us. Jo Labadie & His Little Books was created on a hand-operated printing press and bound by Michael Coughlin at his print shop in Cornucopia, Wisconsin.
Pot / jug motif in Isl. Ms. 483
  • Evyn Kropf
This Wednesday's watermarks feature: On pot or not?! Pot / jug motifs in an 18th century Turkish manuscript and a 17th century English manuscript.
Engraving depicting a Lynx (pag. 36), from our copy of Persio tradotto in verso sciolto e dichiarato da Francesco Stelluti. Roma: Giacomo Mascardi, 1630.
  • Pablo Alvarez
It seems odd that the first recorded images of tiny creatures as seen through the lenses of a microscope were engravings of a bee included in a bilingual edition (Latin and Italian) and commentary of the poetry of the first-century Roman satirist Aulus Persius. But here is the fascinating story explaining it all.
  • Julie Herrada
Jerry “Jai” Moore, the remaining officer from the Detroit Area Council of the Mattachine Society (1958-1960), shared memories of his involvement in gay life and activism in 1950s and 60s Detroit . UM Professor Gayle Rubin opened the event with a discussion about the importance of libraries, in particular the Labadie Collection, in her quest for affirmation.
Freddy emerges from desk
  • Rosemary Santos Pal
Part of the Special Collections Library's Film, Theatre and Television Archives, the Robert Shaye-New Line Cinema Papers contains material on Robert Shaye’s career as a founder of New Line Cinema, producer, director, distributor and actor in Hollywood. New Line Cinema’s famous productions include the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Austin Powers and the Lord of the Rings movies.


Opening lines of an 18th century poem about cider
  • Jacqueline L Jacobson
October is the month for apples, and for apple cider. This month's recipe is for a cider cake, a popular pastry found in many of our 19th century cookbooks.
Snapshot of three people
  • Kate Foster Hutchens
If you’re interested in the history of vaudeville, burlesque, or other 20th century stage performance, these papers might just give you some insight into “what’s happened to the the’tre”…
P. Mich. Inv. 6632: A Magical Notebook
  • Pablo Alvarez
We are very pleased to announce that the online exhibit, Puzzle Me This: Early binding fragments from the U of M Papyrology Collection, is now available to the public.