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

Item of the Week: Picasso Guitars 1912-1914

New to the Chrysler library this week is "Picasso Guitars 1912-1914." Published in conjunction with the exhibition by the same name at the MoMA, the book features photographs of the sculpture along with essays detailing the historical and technical background of the series.

"Sometime between October and December 1912, Pablo Picasso made a guitat," curator Anne Umland writes in the preface. "Cobbled together from cardboard, paper, string and wire, materials he cut, folded threaded and glued, Picasso's purely visual instrument resembled no structure ever seen before."

So unlike sculptures of the past, Picasso's guitars would not look out of place amongst children's art work, cobbled together together with recycled newspaper and cardboard. But, as the book reminds us, Picasso's work was evolutionary. The exhibit traces the history of Picasso's guitars - from their turn as human figure to musical staff to art tool kit.

Some theorize that Picasso's guitars were stand-ins for his own body. Others believe their curvaceous figures were more reminiscent of Picasso's love interests at the time.

By echoing the shape of a music staff, a guitar's strings provide both a literal and figurative space for music to be created. Picasso frequently confuses the two ideas in his art.

Straight lines, curves, circles and a variety of textures make guitars the perfect pre-loaded art tool kit for any cubist. Picasso could easily pull these pieces apart, playing with their shape and function.

Umland summarizes best: "As humble in its subject as in its materials and mode of realization, it irrevocably changed the way we think - not only about what might constitute sculpture but about what can be defined as art."

Picture from our past: Famous visitors to the Chrysler

Recognize this famous face?  It's Friday the 13th, and whether or not you suffer from Triskaidekaphobia you're likely to know this famous actor and art collector from one of his films.  In 1979,  Vincent Price visited the Chrysler Museum and posed with Bernini's Bust of the Savior (71.2043 ).  

Price is perhaps best known for his roles in horror films such as House of Wax (1953)  and  House on Haunted Hill (1959). He also starred in numerous radio shows including The Saint (1944-1951) on NBC radio.  You might also know him from  Edward Scissorhands (1990), or from voice work on Micheal Jackson's Thriller (1982).

What you may not know, however, is that he was also an avid art collector.  From 1962 to 1971, Sears Roebuck  offered the "Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art", to the general public. Around 50,000 works of art were eventually sold through the collection. Price's personal art collection, along with works collected by his wife Mary, became the core of the Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College in California. 

Price's visit to the Chrysler Museum was purely for pleasure. You too can enjoy  Bernini's Bust of the Savior - it's currently on view in our Renaissance and Baroque Galleries (Gallery 218).  Happy Friday the 13th!

Item of the Week: "British Textiles: 1700 to the Present"

New at the Jean Outland Art Library this week is the book “British Textiles: 1700 to the Present.” A collection of textile prints from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the book details the evolution of the textile in England, discussing both technological and artistic innovation through the centuries. The book contains fascinating essays about each period in textile history, with interesting facts you probably never knew about textiles. Here’s a sampling of fun facts I’ve learned so far:




From 1805, a sample from a silk weaver’s pattern book. As technology advanced, artisans utilized new materials, including metallics.



1787. By William Kilburn, designer and calico printer. Flowers on ground covered with leaves.

We often judge a piece of art on how lifelike it is in comparison to the real thing, but in the 1830s, how real something looked was not necessarily a good thing. Henry Cole, the head of London’s first School of Design, “railed against the fashion for ultra-realism in floral patterns, singling out in particular a number of printed furnishing cottons that he criticized for their ‘Direct Imitation of Nature.”

1893, “Crocus” printed fabric.

Textile 5: 1941, ‘Victory V’ dress fabric, produced by the Calico Printers’ Association, Manchester. The border of the design, illustrating three dots and a dash, represents the Morse code for ‘victory.’

 ‘Clandon’ furnishing fabric, roller-printed cotton. 1977.

Like the patronage system of the Italian Renaissance, the “Old Masters” of the textile world had close relationships with the drapers who sold their good. Financial dependence upon these drapers created a symbiotic relationship necessary for the busy industry.

Textile 6: ‘Jupiter’ furnishing fabric, 1967.

Though the textiles are true works of art, few can be attributed to one specific artisan. Few pattern drawers had their names printed on the textiles they designed, so it’s difficult to give credit to particular artists.

1977, ‘Soup Can,’ dress fabric.

‘Shrine’ hanging, painted spun silk. 1997.

Like the modern fashion world, the French were known world-wide for their trends. Designers drew inspiration from the French. “The French lead the taste and we follow them,” said Joseph Lockett, a textile engraver. “I go to Paris three or four times a year for no other purpose than to buy designs and see what the French are doing.”

Our own Moses Myers collection contains several textile samples, believed to be from Jamaica.

 - C.D.

Happy Children's Book Week!

This week is National Children's Book Week, and in honor of the holiday, we've gone through our collection, grabbed our favorites and created a cool timeline! Run your mouse over each entry for more information on the books. Check it out....