August 8, 2012, Filed Under: Books + ManuscriptsFreedom of the City certificates: Passports for 1776 In America, children are raised to believe that all men are created equal. This accepted equality spurs unalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, Americans have wanted and have been willing to fight for their freedom.… read more
August 2, 2012, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Research + TeachingPostcards from France: Paul Fussell and the Field Service “Form-letter” May 23, 2012, marked the passing of literary scholar and public intellectual Paul Fussell, whose monumental 1975 study of World War I, The Great War and Modern Memory, brought widespread attention to how the experience of trench warfare helped foster a modern, ironic sensibility that still influences art and culture… read more
July 31, 2012, Filed Under: Conservation, FilmExhibition services team builds custom storage hanger for "Men of Honor" dive suit from Robert De Niro’s collection There are many factors to consider when housing very large collection objects. This was particularly true in the case of the deep sea diving suit worn by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie Men of Honor, which came into the care of the Ransom Center when Robert De Niro donated… read more
July 26, 2012, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Research + TeachingArchivist seeks help in identifying manuscript waste material Because manuscript waste is particularly difficult to identify due to its fragmentary nature, I started early on to think of ways to harness the knowledge of other rare book and manuscript enthusiasts to help describe these objects. Inspired by individuals who had made extraordinary discoveries about historical photographs by sharing… read more
July 24, 2012, Filed Under: Art, Books + Manuscripts, Research + TeachingArtists’ books bring text to life through art The definition of what constitutes an artist’s book varies significantly depending on the social or critical circle observing the book. Is it an artist’s book, a livre d’artiste, an artist’s illustrated book, bookart, pop art, or a fine press book? If one were to look up the term and read… read more
July 17, 2012, Filed Under: Research + TeachingResearch at the Ransom Center: “Modernism and Christianity” Dr. Erik Tonning is Research Director of the “Modernism and Christianity” project at the University of Bergen, Norway. He visited the Ransom Center in June 2011 to view a range of its modernism holdings and to gather information on behalf of his research team from several of the Ransom Center’s… read more
