A View From the Stacks - A Hairy Situation in the Archives

Sarah continues her work with the Myers Collection. Two interesting excerpts from her daily journal are below, but you can read full entries at http://saosorio.wordpress.com/ .


Day 9: Week 3
"I think I am making improvements from the folders where name abbreviations were used. It is difficult to look up someone named Thomas when the abbreviation is “Thos.” I think many researchers would know the abbreviation, but spelling out is probably useful during searching. There are several other names where abbreviations have been used, such as “Corn” for Cornelius. I made a fairly nice dent into getting the box list done at the folder level, but it will still take a few more days until completion. I am also using the newer way to express materials that are not dated (undated, rather than n.d.) because it follows DACS and I am a proponent of not using abbreviations and sticking to conformity so that searching will be easier on researchers and any future librarians/archivists. I am starting to think about how best to utilize my time with what time I have remaining. It is difficult to believe that I am almost halfway through this internship!"

Day 10: Week 3

"...One interesting tidbit from the end of yesterday was going through the letterbooks. I came across a clump of hair randomly stuck in a letterbook (I think the letterbook belonged to Samuel Myers). I told the librarian about it today, and she went with me to have another look. The librarian said that back in the day it was fairly normal to cut off hair, particularly of deceased persons in order to make jewelry… ??? Anyway, the hair will be kept, and after the location of the hair is properly documented, it will be stored separately. I thought it was gross, and really wild! I am sure that continuing in archival work, there will be stranger things I come across in the future."

Lock of hair found in the Myers Collection

Van Gogh Self-Portrait: Actually Theo?

Though more than a century has passed since Van Gogh’s death, his paintings are still a source of mystery in the art community.

In numerous Van Gogh self-portraits, we see a man with auburn colored hair, long pointy ears and a messy beard.

Now art researchers in Amsterdam believe a painting previously thought to be a self-portrait may in fact be a portrait of Van Gogh’s brother Theo. The Van Gogh museum researchers hypothesize that the circular shape of the subject’s ears and his light colored beard hint that they might belong to Theo.

For years, researchers have wondered why no portraits existed of Van Gogh’s younger brother, as they were very close. Theo served as Van Gogh’s lifelong confidant and supporter. Both an emotional and financial backer, Theo was often the only person Van Gogh felt he could turn to in times of need. The painting is believed to have been created in 1887, when the pair was living in Paris together.

Though we may never really know who the subject of the painting is, all signs point to Theo.
The Jean Outland Chrysler library contains several fascinating books about Van Gogh and his relationship with Theo. One contains some of the 800 letters the brothers traded after Van Gogh moved away from Paris.

Another fascinating item found on the JOCL shelves is the transcripts of the 1932 Van Gogh case. Translated from Dutch, the court proceedings detail the case against German art dealer Otto Wacker. Accused of forgery of documents and fraud, Wacker was ultimately sentenced to 19 months in jail and fined DM30.000.

The fake Van Gogh paintings are the subject of “Les Faux Van Gogh,” another book in our collection. It showcases the similarities between the original paintings and the fakes. As a layman, I would never have suspected that the fakes were not the real thing!

These fascinating books give just a glimpse into the fascinating life of Van Gogh. To find out more, come visit us here at the JOCL!

 - C.D.

"Spook" Student Film Shot in the JOCL

As a huge movie buff, I've always wanted to try my hand at writing and directing my own film. I got my chance this month when taking ODU's "Intro to Digital Filmmaking" class. After writing a script, drawing storyboards, and recruiting actors, I was ready to shoot my first short film.

Armed with an idea and some camera equipment, my friends and I took to the library last Saturday to bring it all to life.

I chose to shoot in the JOCL because of it's dramatic aisles, great lighting and sometimes spooky silence. In fact, it completely set the eerie mood for my attempt at a horror movie.

The library was also a great resource for props and tools for the shoot. For several of the shots, we place the camera on a book cart, creating a smooth way to capture footage as we traveled down the aisles.

As you'll see in the film, books seem to fall off of shelves on their own accord. I should note that no part of the JOCL collection was harmed in the making of this film.

Though the film is far from perfect, I had a lot of fun bringing what started as a story in my head to life. For my first short, I'm pretty happy with the results. It's truly a gratifying experience, one I recommend all movie buffs try at least once!

- Chelsea DeAngio

A View From the Stacks: Walter Chrysler Jr. Was Not the Only Collector in the Family…

After leafing through Jean Outland Chrysler’s records in our library last week, this week I turned to four heavy folders sitting next to her files. These folders were chalk-full of documentation on Edgar and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Bernice was Walter’s older sister, and like Walter, made a significant impact on the art world. She and her husband, Colonel Edgar Garbisch, compiled a very impressive naïve art collection, a personal collection which is still considered to be one of the most extensive in the United States.

As an inseparable duo, Ed and Bernice were known for doing everything as a team. They gained the reputation for being generous and friendly, taking an active interest in collecting art together. In one interview, Ed stated, “We pick our art as we do everything else – together” (Palm Beacher, 1975).

The couple became very passionate about collecting art, maintaining much of it in their beautiful Cambridge home, Pokety Farms. Although they had an impressive Impressionist collection, they were particular charmed by American naïve paintings.

As an art history major, I admit that before this week I did not have much knowledge of naïve art. But as I read more about it, I quickly began to understand why it greatly charmed Ed and Bernice. Colonel and Mrs. Garbisch were inspired by the paintings’ ability to capture early-American daily life in a genuine way. Thought to generally be done by self-taught artists, naïve art typically takes on the form of genre-painting, implementing a strong use of color and flat detail.

Regarding their introduction to American naïve paintings, Colonel Garbisch remembered, “we saw in these works of art those unique qualities of simplicity, forthright directness, and creative vitality in color and design which set them apart as being indigenous to our country” (Palm Beach Life, 3/1967). They found much pride in collecting this type of art, which they saw as a celebration of our past as a nation.

So, while Walter may have been the largest art collector in the Chrysler family, Bernice was not far behind. Currently at the Chrysler, over ten works from the Garbisch collection of naïve painting are on display. These include Edward Hicks’s famousWashington at the Delaware (oil on canvas, 1849) and Joshua Johnson’s Mrs. Abraham White & Daughter Rose (oil on canvas, c. 1808-09). Make sure you stop by to take a look at these charming examples of American folk painting!

 - Jamie Sawyer, 2011 Library Archives Intern






Washington at the Delaware (oil on canvas, 1849)











Mrs. Abraham White & Daughter Rose (oil on canvas, c. 1808-09





 

 

 

 

A View from the Stacks - Intern Journal Kersti's Week Two

Hi everybody!

Well, I've survived two weeks at the Chrysler, and it's been great! This past week's theme was preservation, which is something I've never gotten a chance to do, so I was really excited. I spent the first day making book enclosures, which are paper structures that completely cover and protect books from environmental damage (and each other). By measuring, cutting, and pasting, you can make an enclosure that fits the book like a glove. Although I've never been very good at arts-and-crafts, I managed to make a few passable enclosures for some of the Myers Collection books, and will continue to work on them throughout my internship. 

The next day I went to work cleaning some of the auction catalogs from the Knoedler Collection, a series of auction catalogs that the museum acquired in 1977. Some time in the 1940s (either during the London air-raids of WWII or in 1942- I'm still trying to find out exactly which), the library of M. Knoedler & Co. suffered a fire that left many of these auction catalogs in various states of disrepair. I took a shelf of these books and attempted to clean off at much soot as possible with the help of an eraser, a sponge, and a Ghostbusters-esque vacuum!

All of the preservation tools!

What I found most surprising was just how much soot there was! To my untrained eye, many parts of the books looked decent, although old, but after wiping down  a couple of pages and covers, the sponge was nearly black.

This is how dirty the sponge was at the halfway point.

Compare to how clean it was above!



A few pages that I thought were simply yellowed with age showed a visible difference after being treated with the eraser or sponge, which made me wonder just how many of the older books I own could look years younger after some skilled cleaning.

 Before...

...and after!



The rest of the week was spent doing a variety of tasks, each which showed me a different aspect of working in a library: I attended the museum's popular after-hours book club, where we discussed Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass and its relation to the current Civil War exhibit in the museum; Laura let me sit in on an exhibition meeting, where the various departments of the museum discussed plans for an upcoming spring exhibit; I went through some meeting books, many of which were over a century old, from a local group of Civil War veterans; and I worked on some extra projects, like my book trailer, which highlights a work in the library's collection (more on this soon!). 

Next week's post will focus on something else I've never done before: cataloging!

-Kersti Francis, Summer 2011 Library Services Intern

Summer 2011 Library Interns

The Library is proud to welcome three excellent interns for the summer. They began their internships on June 7, and have been hard at work ever since. You may have already read about some of their exploits during their first week below. We look forward to all of the wonderful work they will be accomplishing. As in past summers, the Library is sure to be busy this summer! Keep an eye on the Blog to see more about their projects, or stop by the Library and say hello. Also, mark your calendars for the annual Library Book Cart Decorating contest. Judging will begin on July 5!
This year's interns are:



Jamie Sawyer, Archives Intern
Jamie is a student at William Smith College



Kersti Francis, Library Services Intern
Kersti is a student at Bryn Mawr College

 

Sarah Osorio, Archives Intern

Sarah is a graduate student at the University of North Carolina -  Chapel Hill

A View from the Stacks: Getting Started with the Myers Papers

The Myers Papers

This summer, Library Archives intern Sarah Osorio,  a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Chaple Hill, is doing some in-depth work with the Myers collection. Over the course of the summer, Sarah will be working to compile a overall finding aid for the collection, creating box lists and topical guides, and incorporating recent additions.  Her work will make the more accessible and will help researchers use the amazing historical documents in the collection.  Sarah is keeping a detailed journal of her work. Below you will find a few excerpts from her first week in the Library. If you'd like to keep up with her daily archival adventures, however, you can read a more in-depth journal of her experiences here:  http://saosorio.wordpress.com/



"Day 1: Week 1

Today was my first day interning at the Chrysler Museum of Art! I will be working there for the next seven weeks from 10am-4pm Tuesdays through Fridays. I left early from my home because I didn’t know how traffic was going to be in the morning, and before today I had never physically visited the museum. I gave myself over an hour to get to the museum, but it only took 25 minutes, so I sat in my car for awhile re-reading the syllabus that my site supervisor wrote for me several weeks ago .
...
After touring the museum and eating some lunch, the interns met with their supervisors. My supervisor gave the three interns a tour of the library, and I got a small glimpse of what I will be working on for the next several weeks. I am looking forward to tomorrow, when hopefully I will be delving more into the manuscripts and conversing with my supervisor on ways to enhance accessibility to the collection."

"Day 2: Week 1



Most of today was dedicated to reading a transcript about Moses Myers. The transcription that I read is given to docents training to give tours for the Myers House, which is located about half a mile from the Chrysler Museum. I thought the reading was very informative and insightful, and I really enjoyed reading about the city of Norfolk from the 1790s through the 1820s; it gives me a very different perspective from what I have seen of Norfolk in the past few years. For example, I have been down Church Street several times before, but I never knew that the origins of Church Street began during the years of the early American republic. In addition, I came across Bank Street in the reading, which as the name suggests, is home to a number of banks. I feel that I have a better background about the time period in which Moses Myers lived, and I think this background is an important basis for future decision-making about the collection that I will be making."
 
"Day 3: Week 1

I have lots of information about the collection to go through still in order to try to piece together how the collection has been processed, arranged, and described over the years. It seems that several individuals have gone through the collection to create order, but altogether there is not a one, central finding aid that can help individuals coming in to look at the collection find what they need. Right now I believe my task is very large, but I think when I sit down and work on it more closely, it will become easier and less daunting. "
 
"Day 4: Week 1
Today I continued to go through some of the administrative documents for the collection, trying to figure out the context of the Myers papers from the 1950s to the present. I looked at an itemized list in bound volumes created by ODU, and I determined that the list was not in any particular order. The list did not correspond with any of the other notebooks, so I am interested to see how the logic behind how the items were arranged in those books. I think it will be quite a challenge compiling a finding aid that includes the papers, music collection (approximately 900 pieces), and library of about 1,000 books. Still, I think going through the documentation has been helpful, and I will still need to go through more things when I get back on Monday. I know that I will need to look at the Access database, some administrative history from the library’s network drive, and perhaps other final documentation.


One thing that I thought was particularly interesting about the documentation I found is that there was a transcript of a master’s paper written by a UNC-Chapel Hill student in library science. The paper was submitted in April 1970, and the paper was about the Myers’ collection of books. The library science student created an inventory of books, creating an arrangement system where she organized the books in alphabetical order (I think it was organized by author’s last name). As the books are today, they are actually arranged by publication date. Still, it was interesting to see that a library science student from 40 years ago was able to make use of the collection for her master’s paper."

 - Sarah Osorio, 2011 Summer Libary Archives Intern

Sarah's doing great work, and we look forward to seeing how her project unfolds throughout the summer!

Item of the Week: “The Blue Gold of Samarkand”

We frequently associate certain places in the world with a particular color. From the blue and sparkling white houses of Santorini, Greece to the rolling green hills of Ireland, it’s hard not to fall in love with the palette of travel.

When we think of the middle east, however, the landscape in our mind’s eye seems much less rich. Endless yellow sand can be quite beautiful, but

With those images in mind, Frederique Beaupertuis-Bressand’s “The Blue Gold of Samarkand” took me by surprise. A new addition to the Jean Outland Chrysler library collection, the book showcases the breathtakingly beautiful architecture and painstakingly detailed ceramic tile work.

Much of the city’s architecture was built by the great Asian conquerer Timur, known as the “Iron Lord” who, in the 1370s, defeated some of the most formidable warriors of his time: the Mongols, Mamelukes, Indians and Janissaries. Both a destroyer and builder, Timur believed the city around him should be just as magnificent as his victories at war. He sought to surpass the beauty in all the cities he had conquered.

With this goal in mind, artists and builders from all over pooled their techniques and resources to produce a melting pot of creativity. The architects relied on applied mathematics, already popular in the east. They constructed detailed plans with precise calculations. The complex geometric figures are the result of countless hours of planning.

Construction of Timur’s palace took nearly 20 years. When Castillan ambassador Clavijo visited in 1404, he was blown away by its beauty.

“We were lead upstairs, everything in the palace was golden. We were shown many rooms and apartments sumptuously decorarted in gold, blue and many other colors…We saw rooms and apartments that the lord Timur has made to occupy with his wives whose ceilings, walls and floors were admirably decorated…”

Gone are my assumptions that the city is dry and barren. The gold featured throughout the architecture reflects the golden landscape surrounding the city, and the range of blues, turquoises, and navys conjure an image of water – something highly desired in the middle of the desert. Timur would probably be happy knowing that hundreds of years later, his vision for a beautiful city rivaling all others is alive today.

 - CD

A View From the Stacks: Jean Outland Chrysler- The Woman Behind the Man?

 During my first week in the Jean Outland Chrysler Library, I have been sorting through old newspaper clippings, letters, photographs, pamphlets and magazine articles relating to the Chrysler family. As an archival intern this summer, I am working to improve and enable better access to records relating to Walter P. Chrysler’s Life and Collections.



So, when faced with boxes of material, where did I choose to start? Wondering why this library was dedicated to Jean, I set forth immersing myself in archival materials pertaining to her. After reading numerous thank-you letters addressed to Jean, along with articles praising her for her active role in the museum world, I began to understand just how important Jean was to the Chrysler Museum. In fact, if it wasn’t for Jean, Walter P. Chrysler Jr. may have never come to Norfolk.

Jean grew up in Norfolk, later serving there as a physical education teacher. In 1944 she met Walter, who at the time was in the navy. The couple married in 1945. As Walter’s art collection grew, Jean and Walter threw their energy into maintaining a small but impressive museum in Provincetown, MA. They remained there until the late ‘60s, when Walter began looking to move his large collection to a different location.



Jean Outland Chrysler unpacking library books



With just under 150 cities interested in Walter’s collection, Jean asked about moving it to her hometown, Norfolk. When Walter told her that he hadn’t heard from that city yet, Jean was immediately on the phone with Roy Martin, a former classmate of hers. After talking with Martin, who stood as the current mayor of Norfolk, Jean pulled Walter onto the line in order for Martin to formally invite Chrysler down for a visit. And in 1971 a large portion of Walter’s collection was moved to Norfolk, laying down the foundations for the Chrysler Museum we know so well today.

So, just from week one, I have begun to understand the magnitude of Jean’s role in her husband’s success as an art collector. In weeks to come, I will continue to look through the archives, hoping to find more Chrysler family treasures, much like the story of Jean Outland Chrysler. Stay tuned!

 - Jamie Sawyer, 2011 Summer Archives Intern

A View from the Stacks - Intern Journal Kersti's Week One

Greetings from the Jean Outland Chrysler Library! I'm Kersti, the Summer 2011 Library Services intern, and I- along with my fellow library interns- will be blogging my experiences here every week! When I'm not spending time here in the stacks, I'm a rising junior at Bryn Mawr College, where I double-major in English and Medieval/Renaissance Studies and work in Bryn Mawr Special Collections.

I didn't know what to expect coming into this internship; although I grew up in the area, my last visit to the Chrysler was on a high school field trip over five years ago, and I'd never visited the library before! So far, it's been great- even though it's only been a week, I've learned so much about the special challenges and opportunities faced by a library centered around a museum. There are a ton of unique collections housed here, from the Myers Collection (on which Sarah, one of the library archive interns, will share more soon) to the seemingly endless assortment of auction catalogues-detailing sales of everything from major Old Masters works to civil war photography to surprisingly expensive paperweights- that spans centuries. 

The fun part about my internship is that each week focuses on a different aspect of librarianship, like preservation or outreach. This first week served as a general overview of the JOC Library and its functions. I spent the first few days getting my bearings (although I still get lost almost daily), observing the reference desk and cross-checking library donations with the online catalogue to check for any duplicates (Laura outlined the library's acquisition policy for me- the library only houses books that are relevant to objects owned by the museum-for example, because there are illuminated manuscripts either on display or in the archives, the library has shelves of books about manuscripts and illumination in general as well as any texts about the manuscripts owned by the Chrysler), shelving the books we had on display about the objects in the Tiffany Lamps and Life of Christ exhibits that just finished their run, and began working on a summer-long research project of my choice, which I'll write more about as I figure it out (I think I'll work on some aspect of illumination). Thursday introduced me to some of the most important traits required for a librarian- patience and organization. Organization because I spent the day sorting auction catalogues, some of which were a hundred years old; patience because even after several hours of categorizing and shelving, the job is still a work-in-progress.

Friday was, I think, my favorite experience so far. The library hosts its own exhibit in the reading room, and on Friday we changed it from the existing Civil War exhibit to Chelsea's planned rare children's books display. I got to work with documents that included a letter by Robert E. Lee, a flag fragment from the USS Cumberland, which sank in battle with the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack), personal letters from both Union and Confederate soldiers, and government documents.  

That afternoon, Chelsea and I began work on the new exhibit, themed "The Golden Age of Illustration: 1880-1914", which includes one of the first pop-up books published in America, several books by prominent children's illustrator Edmund Dulac, and the first book in the popular "Brownies" series, the popularity of which was so wide-spread that the Kodak "Brownie" camera took inspiration from it.

Here we're in the process of preparing the books,

creating book supports and securing them with mylar. 

The exhibit will be up for the rest of the month, so be sure to stop by!

The final exhibit!

The upcoming week's theme: preservation (I promise this week's blog post won't be so long, haha)! 

 - Kersti Francis, 2011 Summer Library Intern