Penn State Special Collections Research Travel Awards

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library on the University Park campus of Penn State offers travel awards of $1,500 for researchers whose work would benefit from access to the collections held at Penn State. Currently, three travel grants are available:

• The Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Travel Award: Supports one award for researchers using any collection from the Special Collections Library.

• The Helen F. Faust Women Writers Research Travel Awards: Supports two awards for researchers working on a project including women writers that would benefit from use of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library’s collections

• The Albert M. Petska Eighth Air Force Archives Research Travel Award: supports one award for researchers working on a project pertaining to history of the Eighth Air Force during World War II.

Researchers receiving the awards would be expected to use the collections during the period of June to August of 2014. They will also be expected to participate in an informal public talk with library staff about their research project.

Who is eligible?

• Any faculty member, graduate student, or independent scholar with a research project requiring the use of materials held by the Special Collections Library is eligible to apply. All applicants must reside outside of a 100-mile radius of State College, Pennsylvania.
• Research topics should be strongly supported by the collections of the Special Collections Library. We encourage each prospective grant applicant to discuss his or her research project and the collections that might support it with Special Collections staff before submitting an application.
• For information about the collections, please visit our website.

What expenses does the award cover?

• There is no restriction on how the award may be used as long as the researcher visits Special Collections Library during the prescribed period. Please note that depending on how the award is used there may be tax implications for the recipients.

How do I apply?

• Complete an application 
• E-mail C.V. as an attachment (Word document or PDF) to LuAnn Shifter with “TRAVEL GRANT- (Enter Last Name)” in the subject line. We will send you an e-mail confirming that your application was received.

What dates do I need to remember?

• The deadline for applications is February 28, 2014 by 5:00 PM EST.
• Grant recipients will be announced by March 31, 2014.
• Grants must be used between June 1 and August 31, 2014.

For questions about the program, please contact:
Doris J. Malkmus djm51@psu.edu

Archive Adventures: I'm Dreaming...

We're getting festive this year as we gradually make our way out of the fall semester, into finals, and ultimately to winter break.Our lovely coworker Ali decorated her cubicle to the brim with holiday cheer, including a lovely REMSBY tree complete with tinsel and a dapper-looking skull (from Halloween).

Last year I explored the Allison-Shelley Christmas book collection, but completely walked by a shelf of delightful gifts. It really was like waking up to Christmas morning when I popped into the Allison-Shelley room earlier today and saw the boxes. How did I miss those?! I started unpacking boxes and was thrilled to find toys that any kid from the 1800's would have given their left leg to have under their own tree. (I also played with them for a little after taking pictures...very carefully...). Their connection to the Allison-Shelley Collection is through the Children's Literature section. These games and toys were all made in Germany, but were intended for export. Thus, why you'll see different languages on the boxes.

 

 The first one I pulled out, and possibly my favorite, was the Toy Soldier set. Even though my gifts were all plastic horse models and books, nostalgia of "'Twas the Night'" and "The Nutcracker" always have me fondly remembering tin soldiers and choo-choo trains. There were so many more of these little guys. I hope that people leave early today so I can go back in and stage a miniature war!

Speaking of that famous poem, I found a panorama of it close by. Like all children's illustrated books, it has the tendency to creep me out. You just turn the little wooden dowels and you can scroll through the entire poem in pictures.

Santa kind of looks like a total creeper. It also frightens me that he's walking through a LIT fireplace. This is not a man you want to mess with.

Eventually, my squeals of joy attracted the attention of the Head of Special Collections. He instantly got as excited as I did by the toys and invited me into our vault to browse our more precious collections. While I was in there, I found tiny packs of playing cards. Mostly today you see the standard decks in the club-spades-hearts-diamonds variety, maybe some novelty versions, and tarot decks (which were actually for card games long before they became an occult item). So it's a real treat to see original decks and their unique artistry. I love the attention to detail in the middle set, and the strange images of the first. I'm sure there's a reason for a giant eagle to be carrying off a sheep, right?

Note the upper left card.

And just because no blog is complete without at least one book...here's one that will get a laugh out of you! Can't have a holiday in PA without the Dutch!

From all of us in Special Collections, we wish you the happiest of holidays and the safest of travels. Make sure to cuddle up with a good book and your favorite hot drink, relax, and enjoy your vacation until we see you in 2014!

-ANB

James Mullen Christmas Card Collection on Display

For December only, Christmas cards designed by James Mullen are on display in the Special Collections exhibitions gallery. Mullen was a Professor of Art and Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, Emeritus at State University of New York College at Oneonta. Professor Mullen taught courses in drawing, printmaking, painting, design, and art appreciation as well as Honors Courses.

The Special Collections Library has a collection of original Christmas cards created by Mullen and by former Penn State faculty members, including Edwin Zoller and George Zoretich, as well as other artists. The cards in the collection were created between 1962 and 2004.

On display are several cards designed by Mullen:

Pine Cone, ca. 1966; pen and ink, offset lithograph

Gifts – Christmas 2003, four versions; color linoleum block print

Landscape (view at backyard 2 Brigham Road, Oneonta, NY. 1981; burin engraving

Pilgrim’s Way I, 1997; burin engraving

December Shelf, 2000; linoleum block print (image below)

Nightflower, ca. 1990; engraved zinc plate and proof impressions plus original burin engraving and aquatint prints

A finding aid is available for the entire collection: 

http://www.libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/9506.htm