Category Archives: ARB Library

Posts related to the archives and rare books category.

Fair Housing in Cincinnati: The Records of Housing Opportunities Made Equal

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HOME Bus Advertisement, undated

In 1969, Mrs. Estelle Busch attempted to rent an apartment in Avondale, but was unable to secure an appointment to view the property.  A short time later Mrs. Ruth VanDerzee viewed the apartment and was assured her deposit would be accepted.  Mrs. Busch was black.  Mrs. Vanderzee was white.[1]

In 1990, Joanna Ahlers attempted to acquire an apartment for herself and her two children in Milford, Ohio.  An apartment manager told Ahlers that a 2 bedroom apartment would be available soon, and Ahlers offered to put a deposit on the apartment.  When the manager discovered that Ahlers had children, she told Ahlers that she was not renting to families with children and refused to rent the apartment to her.[2] Continue reading →

Libraries Awarded a LSTA Minigrant to Digitize The Cincinnatian Yearbook, 1951-2006, to Join First Set of Yearbooks Already Digitized

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1940 CincinnatianThe University of Cincinnati Libraries have been awarded a $15,900 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Minigrant from the State Library of Ohio to digitize copies of The Cincinnatian, UC’s yearbook, for the period of 1951-2006.

A previous LSTA grant provided for the digitization of The Cincinnatian from 1894-1950, viewable on the Web at http://digitalprojects.libraries.uc.edu/cincinnatian/.  This second project will complete access to all issues of the yearbook via the Web.

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Snapshots in Time

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A new exhibit, on display on the 5th floor of Langsam Library, features monthly calendars produced by the Strobridge Lithography Company.

Ranging from 1897 to 1917, the calendar cards are exquisite examples of Art Nouveau design in America, showing the artistry and printing skills of the company. The cards functioned as “home advertising” for the firm and were meant to be displayed on a kitchen or office wall. The color separations are remarkable, and the vivid beauty of the illustrations perfectly captures the collaboration between artist and craftsman.

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Center for Peace Education Records Available in ARB

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Peace Camp, 2003

Peace Camp, 2003

Listen to others. Communicate your feelings. Think before you act.  The Center for Peace Education taught these and other skills for conflict resolution, peer mediation, and effective communication.  The work of this organization with Greater Cincinnati schools and through their own programs helped children to learn to resolve their differences without fighting.  A collection of the records of the Center for Peace Education was recently acquired by the Archives and Rare Books Library and contains training materials, photographs of events, brochures, office files, and other documentation of the work of the Center for Peace Education. Continue reading →

Cincinnati General Hospital Architectural Specifications Added to the University Archives

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Cover of the specification book for the “Daniel Drake Pavilion,” later to be built as the “Mont Reid Pavilion.”

The University Archives recently processed a new collection of eight architectural specification books for new construction, additions, and renovations to buildings on the Cincinnati General Hospital Campus dating from 1935-1957. The specification books were found by staff members of University Hospital’s Plant Operations & Maintenance Department, and were transferred to the Archives for research and preservation. With the exception of the Mont Reid Pavilion (which was referred to as the Daniel Drake Pavilion at the time of specification) the buildings for which these specifications were written no longer exist. All of the specifications were drawn up by Samuel Hannaford & Sons Architects and include general contract conditions as well as details regarding carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, equipment, and other construction areas. Continue reading →

The Ray M. Culter Nature Conservancy Papers Finding Aids Available

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For the past sixty years, The Nature Conservancy has fought to protect natural habitats and clean up our waterways.  Founded in 1950 as the Ecologists Union by a group of scientists, The Nature Conservancy has preserved 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river throughout the world.  Today, this private, nonprofit organization is a leader in the field of conservation with more than one million members and offices in thirty countries.  The Archives and Rare Books Library holds the papers of Ray M. Culter, a former Vice President of the Nature Conservancy, which consists of 43 linear feet of material pertaining to his work with the Conservancy including correspondence, financial records, newsletters, brochures, and reports.  A new group of papers was recently added to this collection consisting of Culter’s papers from his work with both The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups including American Rivers, The Potomac Conservancy, and the Center for Watershed Protection. Continue reading →

Oh Paoletta!

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Mark Palkovic, Head of the CCM Library, with the bust of Pietro Floridia

Mark Palkovic, Head of the CCM Library, with the bust of Pietro Floridia

It’s a total bust!  Really.  A bronze sculpture of composer Pietro Floridia has been donated to the University of Cincinnati and has found a home in the Gorno Memorial Music Library in the Blegen Library Building.  The setting is entirely appropriate because back in 2004, the UC Libraries were about to add the 3,000,000th volume to its collections, with the desire that this addition be suitably rare and unusual, and, reflect the University’s historical ties to the City of Cincinnati.  Dean Victoria A. Montavon marked this noteworthy event by designating the purchase of a collection of music, costume drawings, and documents of the opera, Paoletta, composed by Floridia as the official “Three Millionth.”  The materials joined the collections in the UC Libraries’ Archives & Rare Books Library. Continue reading →

College of Business Publications and Photographs

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The Archives & Rare Books Library recently processed a collection of publications and photographs from the College of Business. Publications cover the years 2006-2008 and include postcards, brochures, advertisements, announcements, news releases, and other miscellaneous pieces. Photographs cover the years 1997-2001 and concentrate on Graduate/MBA activities such as graduation, international trips, and celebrations. The two-box collection has been accessioned as UA-10-07. A finding aid is available on the Archives & Rare Books Library website at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/collections/documents/UA-10-07CollegeofBusiness.pdf and on OhioLink’s Finding Aid Repository at http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/OhCiUAR0209.   Continue reading →

ARB Intern Project Near Completion

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The Archives & Rare Books Library’s 2009-2010 intern is headed toward the completion of her special project.  Lilia Walsh, a University of Cincinnati Honors student, has been working for the past nine months on compiling an annotated bibliography and web exhibit of ARB’s rare books on William Morris and the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Morris (1834-1896) was an artist, designer, writer, and socialist in England, and a giant presence in the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts & Crafts art worlds, particularly with his emphasis on a resurgence in craftsmanship.  Continue reading →

Former UC Prez Nancy Zimpher Joins ARB Staff

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Nancy Zimpher and Kathleen ForsteIn April, the Archives & Rare Books Library staff was bolstered by the addition of former University of Cincinnati president Nancy Zimpher.  Zimpher served as UC’s chief executive from 2003 to 2009 and was referred to ARB by the campus office of the president in University Pavilion.  Dr. Zimpher is currently welcoming students and researchers as they enter the archives reference area, so we encourage everyone to stop by and say hello.  She has been accessioned as UA-10-06 and will be a permanent member of the University Archives.  In this accompanying image, Dr. Zimpher has her picture taken with student worker Kathleen Forste.

– Kevin Grace