One night in October of 1938, in Cincinnati’s General Hospital (now University Hospital), there was an unusual hustle and bustle as nurses, doctors, and interns searched throughout the building for a tiny piece of uranium which had disappeared. The radium, no larger than a sugar cube, was worth $1400 and hospital staff was intent on locating it. During the search, it was discovered that Dr. Isay Balinkin of UC’s College of Engineering had an electroscope that could be used to find uranium. The problem was that it was late at night, and Dr. Balinkin did not have a telephone. Instead, the hospital sent Postal and Western Union messengers to get Dr. Balinkin and his electroscope at his home on Auburn Avenue. (Yes it does seem like an odd way to fetch someone only a few miles away.) They did find Dr. Balinkin and Dr. Balinkin found the uranium in the trash. Dr. Isay Balinkin spent 40 years at the University of Cincinnati and did even more important things than locating uranium in the middle of the night. An enthusiastic teacher, he taught an estimated 8000 students demonstrating science with devices like bowling balls, rubber gloves, and mousetraps. He was also a great researcher and held 7 patents for devices he had invented. Some of his papers are held in UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library. Continue reading
Richardson's rocks: DAAP-designed Cincinnati memorial in Burnet Woods turns 40
UC Magazine recently published a story celebrating the Richardson Stones in Burnett Woods. Read the story below or to view the original story, go to magazine.uc.edu/favorites/web-only/richardsons_rocks.html You can also find a collection on the Richardson Stones at the Archives and Rare Books Library. The finding aid is available on the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository.
UC architecture faculty and students who integrated H.H. Richardson and his works into their ongoing studies completed this memorial in Burnet Woods Park in 1972. photo/Jay Yocis
Former UC architectural history professor Bill Rudd shares the story behind the student-led construction of the Burnet Woods memorial to famed architect H.H. Richardson’s Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Building. Henry Hobson Richardson is highly regarded, along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, as one of “the recognized trinity of American architecture.” The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque.
Among the last buildings Richardson designed was the one-time Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce building on 4th Street. That building, dedicated in 1889, would stand among the most significant public structures in the region — along with works like the Suspension Bridge, the Carew Tower, City Hall, Music Hall and Union Terminal — had it not been destroyed by fire a century ago, in 1911. The memorial was completed in 1972.
The Sleep Cycle Comes to an End
By Lauren Fink, ARB Intern, 2011-2012
As the school year comes to a close today so does my internship at the Archives & Rare Books Library. Throughout my internship I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and have truly come to appreciate the role the Archives & Rare Books Library plays in documenting Cincinnati’s history. Not originally from this town, through processing the Nelson and Florence Hoffman Cincinnati Post Card Collection and The Gaylord Oscar Shepherd Collection of Strobridge Lithography Company Calendar Cards, I was able learn about Cincinnati’s rich past and all of the events and people that gave rise to the present culture of the city.
SciVerse Hub: Search Across Scopus, ScienceDirect, and the Scientific Web
With one click, access content from 3 sources using SciVerse Hub.
Search across the content of SciVerse Scopus, SciVerse ScienceDirect full-text articles, and the scientific web. See results ranked by relevancy and with no duplication.
Content includes:
- Full-text journal content from 18 scholarly publishers
- Millions of theses, dissertations, and other documents from 246 repositories worldwide
- 376 million scientific web pages from global Scientific, Technical, and Medical publishers, university and government sites
- Over 24 million patent records from 5 major patent offices
View this video to learn more about how to search SciVerse Hub
So if you haven’t searched the SciVerse Hub yet, try it today.
Bookmark SciVerse Hub or access it via the Health Sciences Library home page at http://libraries.uc.edu/hsl/ under Express Links.
Works of Wearable Art on Display in the DAAP Library
Ever dream of wearing a piece of sculpture? You can imagine it now when you visit the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) . On display through July 31 are handsculpted, original jewelry designs in precious metals from Lynne Meyers Gordon, M.F.A. The strikingly beautiful pieces include necklaces, pendents, and belts in geometric forms in all shapes and sizes and different metals. Continue reading
Cincinnati Ballet at 50
In 2013, the Cincinnati Ballet will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. This renowned local ballet company has long and enduring ties to the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Cincinnati holds records of the Cincinnati Ballet and David McLain, one of its earliest directors. The Archives and Rare Books Library will be working with the Cincinnati Ballet over the next year as they celebrate this important milestone.
As part of the celebration, the ballet is looking to collect more material related to its history including items that might be held by former dancers, former staff, long-time ballet fans and sponsors, and any members of the public. The ballet will be hosting an Ice Cream Social on Sunday July 29th from 2:00-4:00 at their location at 1555 Central Parkway as a way for individuals to share any treasures they hold related to the ballet and their memories of the ballet. Click on the announcement to the right for more information on this event. Continue reading
The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: Armed Forces Epidemiological Board
1963 - Letter from Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of the Army, to Dr. Albert Sabin, confirming his appointment to the AFEB
The past couple of days I have been looking at administrative documents from Dr. Sabin’s time as a member of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board (AFEB) during the 1960’s, to make sure there are no classified documents in this part of the collection. I thought I would share some things that I have encountered.
In 1963, Dr. Sabin was appointed a member of the AFEB based on a joint nomination by the Surgeons General of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force for a four year term (see letter to the right). As a member of the AFEB, Dr. Sabin was required to vote on contracts and commission appointments, as well as other issues applicable to military medicine. The memos and letters included in this part of the collection give insight into the issues addressed by the AFEB. They also provide researchers with information about Dr. Sabin’s opinions about these issues, through his own letters to other AFEB members and the notes he scribbled on the various memos he received. Topics included disease prevention and vaccination of troops. Here is just one example of Dr. Sabin’s involvement as a member of the AFEB.
Continue reading
Dreams of Biblical Proportions
By Lauren Fink, ARB Intern, 2011-2012
Bible in ARB
Though no longer a large part of our socio-political life, in years passed, dreams influenced both religion and government. In fact, in their foundation, most major religions involve some sort of divine vision and/or dream experience revealed to man from a higher being. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all document dream and visionary experiences in their holy books. For example, in the Old Testament of the Bible (in Chapter 41 of Genesis) the Pharaoh has a dream which Joseph, son of Jacob (dreamer of the ladder to heaven in Gen., ch. 28), is able to interpret. Because of his interpretation, Joseph is made a secondary ruler of Egypt, is able to prepare Egypt for the seven years of famine to come, and is ultimately able to save his kin that all move to Egypt under the Pharaoh’s blessing. If not for Joseph’s interpretation, the 12 tribes of Israel might not have existed – Joseph’s fathers and brothers most likely would have perished in Canaan. Continue reading
SERVICE NOTE: Emergency UC Internet Maintenance Occurring Overnight
The CERF optical ring, which provides Internet connectivity to the university, is experiencing a hardware-related issue affecting UC connectivity only. Therefore, emergency maintenance will occur overnight and is expected to last from midnight to 2 am. The university’s Internet access will be down while the maintenance is performed and the unit is rebooted. Continue reading
Falling Asleep Reading in The Archives and Rare Books Library
By: Lauren Fink, ARB Intern, 2011-2012
Falling asleep reading is common problem that can result from a number of factors. Firstly, reading typically involves the photoreception of dark text against a light background, or vice versa, which can tire out the muscles of the eye due to their repeated adjustment to contrast. Secondly, reading may become habitual with falling asleep, i.e. if you always read before bed you will associate reading with time to fall asleep. The following are some important considerations when trying to read and comprehend effectively:
- Make a habit of reading during a time of day when you are most awake.
- Do not read in the sun
- Avoid bare light bulbs
- Avoid light windows
- Avoid glare on your book page
- Reduce screen glare
- Reduce contrast in your room and on computer screen
- Avoid hypnotism from highlighting
- Improve sitting posture
- Get up and move around. In general, take breaks about every 45 minutes
- Stay hydrated; take water breaks (dehydration makes you tired). Having to get up to go to the bathroom will also wake you up and get your blood flowing!
- Snack – not on something that will induce a sugar crash though! Try fruit or nuts.
- Sit up while studying; change positions regularly; do not lay in bed or in a comfy chair
And if you’re looking for something to read, try these books about reading in the Archives and Rare Books Library: Continue reading