{"id":4561,"date":"2024-03-01T11:07:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T16:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/thepreservationlab\/?p=4561"},"modified":"2024-03-04T09:35:22","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T14:35:22","slug":"nests-and-eggs-on-display-at-the-cincinnati-symphony-orchestra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libapps.libraries.uc.edu\/thepreservationlab\/2024\/03\/nests-and-eggs-on-display-at-the-cincinnati-symphony-orchestra","title":{"rendered":"Nests and Eggs on Display at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio<\/strong> are on display at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra March 1st<\/sup> and 2nd<\/sup> as part of a musical program honoring Oliver Messiaen who was both a major composer of the 20th<\/sup> century and an ornithologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synesthesia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oliver Messiaen is well known for studying bird songs and interpreting their notes into musical transcriptions. His works are also unique in that Messiaen experienced synesthesia which greatly influenced his creations. Synesthesia is when a person perceives more than one sense at a time, such as Messiaen who experienced colors when listening to music and was able to see sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Program<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The program at the CSO honors Messiaen by incorporating both music, color, and bird visuals to invite the audience to experience a unique multi-sensory experience. Messiaen\u2019s Des canyons aux \u00e9toiles (“From the Canyons to the Stars”) will be performed  by the conductor, Matthias Pintscher<\/a>, and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Click the image for a link to the digital program for the CSO Proof: From the Canyons to the Stars<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cInspired by his visits to Utah’s Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, Messiaen’s Des canyons aux \u00e9toiles (“From the Canyons to the Stars”) depicts the birdsong and red rock hues he experienced during his time in the desert\u2026 Accompanied by immersive video-art, Springer Auditorium will be transformed, allowing listeners to escape into the southwestern landscape and experience a synesthesia of their own.\u201d \u2013 As described by the <\/em>CSO website<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nests and Eggs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Complementing the musical performances, on display will be a page from Cincinnati and Hamilton County\u2019s Illustrations of the nests and eggs<\/strong>.  The page showcases a local Ohio native, the Wood Thrush, who lays bright blue colored eggs within a nest made of old leaves, dried grasses and moss (rarely sticks).  The nest of the Wood Thrush also contains \u201crootlets\u201d placed intentionally inside of the nest, resulting in a pinkish brown or black lining. The nest is \u201cplastered\u201d with a thin mud that is easily missed as it\u2019s thoroughly worked in and covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nests and Eggs<\/strong>, while lesser known than Audubon\u2019s Birds of America, is quite extraordinary in how it highlights the uniqueness of the construction of nests made by different bird species. Take for instance, the Baltimore Oriole\u2019s nest, which primarily consists of strings and flax fibers to create a soft and long pocket.  Compare that to the more traditional nest of the Wood Thrush whose home is bowl-shaped with a wide opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baltimore Oriole – Plate 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Wood Thrush – Plate II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s also extraordinary that the illustrations are detailed lithographic portraits created by Gabrielle Estelle Jones and her family, despite not having been formally trained.  Their work was intended to be used as a companion volume to John James Audubon’s Birds of America.  While not as large as the Birds of America double elephant folios, Eggs and Nests is still an impressively large-sized volume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gabrielle \u201cGennie\u201d Estelle Jones<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following excerpt was written by Sara Williams, Arts & Special Collections Reference Librarian:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio<\/em> was a project begun by Genevieve Estelle Jones, a native of Circleville, Ohio. Born May 13, 1847, Genevieve, or Gennie, spent much time as a young girl birdwatching in the woods and wetlands with her father, an amateur ornithologist. Just before the age of 30, Jones\u2019 father forbade her from marrying the man she loved, and in 1876, she visited the Centennial World\u2019s Fair in Philadelphia to take her mind off her broken heart. While there, she viewed hand-colored engravings from John James Audubon\u2019s vibrant The Birds of America<\/em>. Inspired by Audubon\u2019s example, Jones set out to illustrate the nests and eggs of birds, an aspect often missing from his work. Jones completed only five illustrations for her book before she died of typhoid at the age of 32. The work was eventually completed by Genevieve Jones\u2019 family. Only 90 copies of the book were published, of which only 34 are currently known to exist.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preservation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As part of the Preservation Lab’s role in displaying the object, a condition report book was created to accompany the item to ensure the object\u2019s condition is preserved. This helps those who are installing anticipate any possible challenges in supporting fragile pages or bindings. In this case, the upper endsheets are extremely brittle and have been previously repaired, but could break again if not carefully draped and held with polyester strapping in a safe manner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After determining a proper exhibit case to fit and secure the binding, a custom cradle was made. To protect weak points of the binding on display, a support was constructed out of 8 ply museum mat board to support the heavy and oversized pages from stress along the joint.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Solutions were tested to fit within an 18 inch deep case, however, the book was just too large!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A custom 8 ply mat board cradle was created to fit within a more appropriate 4 ft case. Pages are strapped with polyester strapping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Before an object travels, it\u2019s often reviewed to make sure it can handle transport and treated if necessary.  Luckily, in this case, the binding was treated in 2016<\/a> and is still in great condition for its age.  When it received treatment, at that time it received a lightweight yet strong enclosure that will also work well to safely protect the item for travel to the CSO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Corrugated banker’s box with a drop spine houses the Nests and Eggs book. Binding and exhibit labels are ready for packing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A 4-foot case was kindly loaned to the CSO from the Behringer-Crawford Museum and is ready for use! (Image credit: Amber Ostaszewski)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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