Author Archives: Suzanne Reller

The Art Family Robinson, or, A Picture is Worth 1000 Words…Maybe That’s Why Books are Illustrated

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By:  Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

hermia-helena-1Our Shakespeare family is growing! This week, we received a copy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with illustrations by W. Heath Robinson! Sure, sure. We know you already know the play, but do you know this illustrator?

Heath Robinson (weird that he goes by his middle name, especially when it’s also the middle name of one of his brothers) was born to illustrate in May of the year 1872. Even if he hadn’t had any talent, some form of artistry was surely expected of him. His father and both of his brothers all worked as illustrators. Heath, himself, aspired to paint landscapes. Why, I will never understand. Fortunately for us book lovers, he found little success with that venture and thus was born another illustrator to the Robinson family. Continue reading →

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

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By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern, 2015-2016

I’m not one to frequent dinner parties, seeing as my peers are assuredly drowning in some form of debt and being strangled by the long, drawn out sentences that fill the pages of their textbooks. However, if I were to be seated at any table of twelve, these Shakespearean dinner place cards would turn a regular dinner into a fancy party. No Pinterest expert I, but if it had existed when these cards came out, I’m sure they would have made their way to social media in a heartbeat.

These particular cards are antiques, but no one is stopping you from typing them out and printing them on fancy paper so you too can have an Elizabethan inspired night. Make your guests feel welcomed and appreciated with sentiments strung together from six of Shakespeare’s plays.

Shakespeare Dinner CardIf thou wantest anything, and will not call, beshrew thy heart ­­Henry IV, Part 2; V:3. Continue reading →

Illustrating Shakespeare’s Plays, Part the Second – Edmund Dulac

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By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Tempest IllustrationNot too long ago, I posted a blog focused on Arthur Rackham and his illustrations. It’s time for Part 2, this time featuring Rackham’s most worthy competition, Edmund Dulac.

A year ago, when I was asked what I thought about Edmund Dulac’s artistic style, I said, “I think his illustrations are a little darker and less whimsical than the others [Arthur Rackham and Hugh Thomson]”. However, my tastes must have changed over time. Looking through Dulac’s illustrations in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, I find myself in love with his use of color and the way he blends it so beautifully. It’s interesting to see the different styles, as well as the histories which led each artist to his renown. Continue reading →

Illustrating Shakespeare’s Plays (Pt. 1)

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By:  Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Illustration from A Midsummer Night's DreamArthur Rackham was born to a legal clerk and the daughter of a draper on September 19, 1867 in Lambeth, London. And very nearly seventy-two years later, his life ceased on September 6, 1939 in Stilegate.  Cancer is what took him, but certainly not before he had lived a full life.

Before he became an illustrator, Rackham began employment as a clerk in 1885 at the age of eighteen, following in his father’s footsteps.  Ultimately, though, this brought him no joy so he took night classes at the Lambeth School of Art. By 1884, his art, a satirical political drawing, was published in Scraps magazine and by 1892, he resigned from the life of a clerk to become a full-time illustrator with the Pall Mall Budget, later continuing his career in two other publications, the Westminster Budget and the Westminster Gazette. Continue reading →

Wherefore ART Thou, Romeo?

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By:  Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Because he’s so given to romantic portraiture, and so is Juliet. Below, I have hand-selected fifteen images from six different editions of Romeo and Juliet. One of the great things about this collection is how many illustrated renditions there are of each play. For this blog, I chose to feature Romeo and Juliet because it’s a story with which everyone is familiar and there are a few different artistic styles captured within the works. I hope you enjoy as you peruse some images from our collection, and if there is another Shakespearian work from which you would like to see illustrations, please make an appointment to visit our library, or let me know by sending us a message on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ArchivesRareBooksLibraryUniversityOfCincinnati, calling 513.556.1959, visiting our website at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/arb.html or emailing us at archives@ucmail.uc.edu. Continue reading →

Shredding Event and Records Management Workshops

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By: Eira Tansey

A shredding event sponsored by the Office of Information Security will take place on October 29 from 9 am-1 pm on McMicken Commons. Employees may bring personal or professional records to shred. University records must be destroyed in compliance with the university’s records management policy. Information on proper destruction of university’s records may be found here or by contacting Eira Tansey, Records Manager.

UC Records Management will be offering two “Records Management 101” workshops before the end of the year. The workshops will be held on Tuesday, November 17 at 2 pm and Tuesday, November 24 at 10 am. Both workshops will take place in Blegen Library. During this workshop we will discuss the benefits from efficiently managing records, UC’s records program, public records, the definition of a “record,” the development of records retention schedules and proper means of records disposal.

To RSVP for a workshop, please email Eira Tansey, Records Manager indicating your date preferences.

Records Management workshops are regularly held each semester. For information on future workshops, please subscribe to the Records Management listserv.

 

O’Hamlet: What Your Teacher Didn’t Tell You

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By:   Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Hamlet AnimationSure, and you’ve wondered about your heritage? Where did you come from? Where did it all start? And surely, you’ve wondered these same questions about the books you read?

Much of Cincinnati has Irish heritage, and you probably know that. But did you know that the story of Hamlet also has Irish roots? It’s true.  It has often been said that Shakespeare probably stole the idea for his play from the works of the Scandinavian poet, Snow Bear. However, Dr. Lisa Collinson of the University of Aberdeen has researched the origin of the Dane’s story for years and reaches the conclusion that Hamlet’s roots go back even further than Snow Bear. Continue reading →

You’re Probably More Like a Groundling Than You Think

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By:  Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Globe TheatreI’m pretty sure that during a quiz my freshman year of high school I couldn’t remember the term for the people who stood in the pit of the Globe Theatre to save my life. I sat in my honors English course feeling very stupid, and eventually turning in my quiz knowing I had failed to comprehend even the simplest term surrounding Shakespeare.

Now I’m aware, as I’m sure you are as well, that those smelly folks who couldn’t afford more than a penny to see a show were called groundlings. A penny may seem like nothing to us now, but back then it was the equivalent to 10% of one day’s wage (Globe Theatre Groundlings, n.d.). The majority of groundlings were London apprentices who were shirking their trades to see a show. This led to disgruntled employers as well as some rowdy activity in the crowds, due to the age of most groundlings. The players were not entirely happy either. As Shakespeare’s Hamlet speaks of the groundlings in Act 3, Scene 2:

“O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise.”

Continue reading →

More Shakespeare! 11 Recipes Sure to Surprise Your Friends

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By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Are you a college student looking for something to serve at your party this weekend? Are you a young professional looking to impress? Are you married and have no idea what to make for that couple you hate but you’re obligated to invite to your house every now and then? Keep reading.

For you, and only you, I have found a book of Shakespearean recipes in our collection of ephemera from UC’s 1916 celebration. I’m almost positive none of your guests have ever tried any of these before!

A few parting words:

  • Always try recipes once before making for others
  • Feel free to let the people at ARB be the guinea pigs you make sample your first attempts!

Good luck! Make sure to take pictures of your creations and share your experience with us on Facebook.

Recipe Book Cover Continue reading →

What’s For Lunch?

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Could you imagine being on campus today and not having a place to go for lunch or even more shocking – not being a short walk from a Starbucks?   From burgers to burritos to caramel Frappuccinos, there are plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a quick coffee break on or near UC’s West (Main) campus. With all of us so used to so many food options, we were stumped when the University’s Architect’s office asked us “Where was the university’s first dining hall and when did it open?”

We do not always have the answers in our heads, but we can always come up places to start looking. The Cincinnatian (UC’s yearbook) is a great place to start especially for questions that have anything to do with UC’s students. What makes this resource even better is that UC’s yearbooks have been digitized and are freely available online through the Libraries’ website: http://digitalprojects.libraries.uc.edu/cincinnatian/ Lucky for us, the 1914 Cincinnatian provided the clue that we needed. An announcement in this yearbook stated, “Varsity’s New Lunch-Room, opened February 9th 1914.” The article also included a menu with interesting options like pineapple and lettuce salad with egg dressing and cold ham and a pickle. The most expensive item on the menu was only 12 cents. Continue reading →