WKU Libraries blog

On Friday, September 28 at the Kentucky Library & Museum, internationally known food historian, author and “seed saver” of heirloom vegetables, William Woys Weaver, presented “An American Appetite: The Material Culture of Food.”

Weaver has authored fourteen books, on topics such as heirloom vegetables, herbal remedies, gardening and cooking. He currently serves as Contributing Editor to Gourmet, and Contributing Editor to Mother Earth News. “An American Appetite” explores the trends and ideas in the development of American cuisine over the past three centuries using archival material, old menus, and culinary ephemera to illustrate ways we can better understand where we have come from and where we are headed.

If you missed out the presentation, you may listen to the audio file here or get this Podcast RSS to listen on the go.

To learn more about William Woys Weaver visit: http://www.americanprofile.com/article/2028.html and http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/earth/earth_int_garden.html.

Have you spent time underground exploring an unknown world and finding water-sculpted stone, crystalline formations and unusual wildlife? Do you enjoy taking photographs under unusual or challenging conditions? Come check out the “Caves: A Fragile Wilderness” at the Kentucky Library & Museum.

In addition to 39 photographs taken in caves from Alaska to Malaysia, the exhibit also includes historic caving items and mineral and plant specimens loaned by Mammoth Cave National Park as well as images from the collection of the Kentucky Library & Museum.

The exhibit runs through November 24.

The Works of Charley, Noah & Hazel Kinney, is on exhibit at the Kentucky Library & Museum now through November 17.

This exhibit was organized by the Kentucky Folk Art Center and presents more than 80 works. It is said that the “Kinney family’s creative expressions epitomized the traditional arts of East Kentucky….” The family’s works include paintings, three dimensional works and carvings.

For more information visit http://www.wku.edu/Library/kylm.

Made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius, the Judith Rothschild Foundation and the Kentucky Arts Council.

Do you love art but find the old masters a bit too high brow for you? Come experience the joy and mystery of the more than 80 paintings, sculptures and drawings in the“Slow Times: The Art of Charley, Noah and Hazel Kinney” exhibit. The exhibit at the Kentucky Library & Museum runs through February 10, 2008.

Make your own sculpture or get a special take on the exhibit from artist-in-residence Lynne Ferguson.

David Keeling, Head of Geography and Geology, talked about the Sahara in this week’s Far Away Places Series on Thursday, September 20th at Barnes & Noble.

Keeling traveled to the Sahara last October and November as Expedition Lecturer for the American Geographical Society’s educational expedition programs.

You may revisit the event by viewing a Flickr photo album and a YouTube movie clip, or by listening to/synching to a podcast of Dr. Keeling’s speech.

Today, the WKU Libraries presented Dementia Cookie Boxed at Java City in Helm Library. The duo band performed “The Cookie Crunch of Grunge.” You may find out more about the event by visiting a photo album on Flickr.

To learn more about the band, visit its My Space, web site, and YouTube.

On Saturday, August 18 area collectors participated in Antique Appraisal Day. The theme of this year’s event was “Kitchen Kitsch” with “Treasurers in your Attic” personality Joe Rosson returning as the featured appraiser.

Earlier this year Sarah Richardson of Atlanta, Georgia, donated a handmade report card for S.H. Orr dated March 5, 1875. The card reports on Mr. Orr’s attendance, number of words missed, number of head marks, and number of idle marks. After research, we are still unable to determine what “head marks” are. The card pronounces Orr’s behavior as “good” and his advancement as “good.” The report is signed by his teacher J.O. Edwards, who was running the Pilot Grove school in Grayson County, Texas. Mr. Orr was related to the Orr family of Adair County, Kentucky. In the top right hand corner, you will notice that a later individual has sent this to Sara Nell [Orr] “to put in the Bible–when she gets it.”

The salient feature of this otherwise utilitarian document is the illustrative material. The leaves surrounding the report were most likely drawn by the student; each is filled with a quotation. Two of the leaves are filled with a passage from Psalm 23; another is filled with a classical homily; another contains a quotation from J.O. Edwards, the teacher.

The Manuscripts section of the Kentucky Library & Museum is always interested in adding new items to our collection with Kentucky ties. If you have letters, diaries, journals or travel accounts, business records, club minutes or records that you would like for us to review for possible donation, please contact Jonathan Jeffrey at 270-745-5265 or e-mail him at jonathan.jeffrey@wku.edu

Jonathan Jeffrey launched the Fall 2007 Morning at the Museum series with a tour of the “Recommended by Duncan Hines” exhibit.

Joanne Seiff helps a member of the Sunday Spinners learn how to use a drop spindle.

The Sunday Spinners is open to both experienced and beginning spinners. Come join the group at their October 14 meeting.