More from “Out of the Woodwork”

The American Carriage Company, Cincinnati Ohio

The American Carriage Company, Cincinnati Ohio

When we last left retired WKU professor Don Slocum, he had found a century-old letter wedged behind the siding of his back porch and donated it to WKU’s Special Collections Library.  Now, his old house has disclosed more of the secrets of its past owners.  In addition to two more letters dating from 1904, he has found some material relating to the American Carriage Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dating from early in the 20th century, one of the leaflets promotes “Our New Wagonette,” perfect for use on pleasure trips or as a “general utility wagon for summer resorts.”  Painted black, with dark green leather cushions and a “first-class foot brake,” the carriage came with or without a canopy.  A second offering was the Hotel Coach, the ancestor of today’s airport shuttle.  Holding up to ten passengers and their luggage, and designed to be pulled by just one horse, the coach promised innkeepers an edge in attracting commercial travelers who had just arrived at the railroad depot and were in search of lodging.

Like today’s automobiles, the models of the American Carriage Company were available in multiple configurations.  A price sheet set out terms for open or closed buggies; A-, B- or C-grade leather; coil or elliptic springs; half or full platforms; quarter or extension tops (with lettering applied at “very reasonable charges”); and much more.

A finding aid for the American Carriage Company leaflets, and the rest of Dr. Slocum’s latest discoveries, can be downloaded here.

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KenCat Access to Scrapbooks at Kentucky Library

Imagine seeing your grandparent’s calling card for the first time, or finding an obituary of a long lost relative. Visualize a world event through the eyes of an adolescent. Over 280 scrapbooks in the Kentucky Library and Museum allow such opportunities. Sue Lynn McDaniel, Special Collections Librarian, with the assistance of volunteer Ekaterina Myakshina, are creating KenCat records for scrapbooks on school memories, travels, genealogy, and simple scraps. Just yesterday, researchers came to our Harrison-Baird Reading Room in search of a scrapbook that KenCat taught them about. Check out our scrapbooks via the University Libraries homepage by clicking on the KenCat navigation tab and searching the word “scrapbooks”.

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Alpha Phi Omega

APO Scrapbook

APO Scrapbook

Alpha Phi Omega was a service fraternity at WKU.  The University Archives has a number of scrapbooks from the organization and the third in the series which dates from 1990-1991 is now available online at:

http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_org/2/ 

If you recognize anyone in the images please let us know.  Also, if you were a member of this or another student organization, share your memories with us.

These and other records related to student organizations can be found in the University Archives.

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Far Away Places Presents Medellin, Colombia


Dr. John Dizgun is telling the story of Medellin, Columbia. Far left in the first row is Dr. Holli Drummond.Dr. John Dizgun from KIIS and Dr. Holli Drummond from the Department of Sociology, WKU shared their research discovery in youth and gang violence in Medellin, Columbia with a large audience at Barnes & Noble on the evening of Thursday, November 18. Their presentation was part of a Far Away Places talk series sponsored by WKU Libraries.

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We apologize that due to malfunction of our recorder, the podcast of this great event was unfortunately unavailable.

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“Show Them Such Courtesies”

Varina Howell Davis and John Cox Underwood

Varina Howell Davis and John Cox Underwood

Although he grew up in Bowling Green, John Cox Underwood (1840-1913) was born in Washington DC, where his father, serving in Congress, had married the daughter of Georgetown’s mayor.  Trained as an engineer, Underwood broke with the rest of his family and supported the South during the Civil War.

After the war, as a leader of the United Confederate Veterans, Underwood sought a favor on behalf of Jefferson Davis’s widow, Varina Howell Davis, and her daughter Winnie.  In 1891 Varina had moved to New York, where she showed more interest in pursuing a literary career than in fulfilling any symbolic role as matron of the Lost Cause.  Nevertheless, Underwood was concerned that Varina and her daughter be well treated at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition, which they planned to visit in 1892.  Writing to Bertha Honore Palmer, a Louisville native, president of the Exposition’s Board of Lady Managers and queen of Chicago society, he asked that she and a few other prominent women show Varina and Winnie “such courtesies as they would naturally receive in London or Paris or any other large city,” in order to demonstrate that the clouds of sectional bitterness had long lifted from the region.

A copy of Underwood’s letter to Mrs. Palmer is part of the collections of WKU’s Special Collections Library.  Click here for a finding aid.  To find other collections relating to the Underwood family, search TopScholar and KenCat.

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What is it?

What is it?
What is it?

Can you identify this photograph?  It was taken in Bowling Green April 16, 1998 during a flood . . . .

Check back next week for the answer!
This and other images can be found in the University Archives.
This is a photograph of Lost River Cave during a flood.  The Jenny Lind boat had been secured to the roof and you can see how high the water is.

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Kentucky Library’s Global Collections

Though the Kentucky Library and Museum’s major focus has followed our mission statement, “We Collect Kentucky,” our collections can now be characterized as both local and global. A sample of recently cataloged items illustrate this new focus: Institutes of Hindu Law and the History and Antiquities of Carborough, Viciniti: with Views and Plans, The Northern Campaigns and History of the War, from the Invasion of Russia, in 1812, and Memoirs and Recollections of Count Segur: Ambassador from France to the Courts of Russia and Prussia, and Important Engagements Which Took Place Between His Majesty’s Forces and the Rebels, During the Irish Rebellion, 1798., by John Jones. These primary source materials enable researchers to delve into what it was like to live during the earlier centuries by reading these types of first-hand accounts of everyday people, leaders, revolutionaries and their times. For the last title by John Jones, we are among a few libraries that hold this original book including the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg and the British Library. Additionally, our unique holdings are now more accessible through our “KenCat” catalog which uses the collection management program, PastPefect. The collection is searchable online at http://wku.pastperfect-online.com/35749cgi/mweb.exe?request=ks and covers a wide variety of materials in four areas: objects, archives, photographs and library materials. For more information about these unique collections contact klmref@wku.edu or 270-745-5083.
Irish Rebellion

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Activities this week at WKU Libraries

A big week of activities at WKU Libraries!

At Noon, Wednesday the 10th in Java City the Steven Baker Band performs.

Thursday the 11th, the KY Live Series features local food celebs Kenny and Beverly
Mattingly of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese at 7pm at Barnes and Noble.

Head over to the KY Museum on Friday, Nov. 12th from 5-8 for Harry Potter Night!

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BioOne

WKU Libraries now offers patron access to BioOne, an online database of bioresearch resources:

BioOne provides a unique aggregation of high-impact bioscience research journals, featuring timely content on a wide-array of today’s most pressing topics, including global warming, stem cell research, ecological and biodiversity conservation.  Complementing this content is an agile new platform launched in January 2009 that allows for easy navigation to content both within and outside the BioOne aggregation, as well as researcher-designed toolbars with valuable title, article, and reference-linking tools. ~BioOne

BioOne can be accessed on campus through this direct link or off campus from our Databases Page.

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Kentucky Live! It’s All About the Cheese!

Kenny and Beverly Mattingly told their story of cheese making as one of the WKU Libraries' Kentucky Live talk series.WKU Libraries’ Kentucky Live featured Kenny and Beverly Mattingly on the evening of November 11, 2010 at Barnes & Noble, Bowling Green, KY. Kenny, owner of the Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, told us the story of his family tradition and allowed us to sample some of the sumptuous cheeses he and his wife brought. If you missed the cheese, you can still listen to his talk and view the pictures of the event.

Photos of the Event | Podcast | Audio Files

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Filed under Events, General, Kentucky Live, Latest News, New Stuff, Past Events, People, Stuff, University Archives