Houghton Library Blog

Finding aids for six newly cataloged collections have added to the OASIS database this month, among them a number of Edward Lear collections, including the illustrations for his beloved “Nonsense” books.

Researching the publication history of music scores can be a difficult venture. Materials documenting the business end of contracting, engraving or lithographing, proof-reading, and finally printing an edition are often lost to history, but occasionally, a shining gem of documentation will appear out of nowhere. Recently, I had the good fortune to dine with Michael [...]

Finding aids for seven newly cataloged collections have been added to the OASIS database this month, including the Marian Hannah Winter and Rose Winter Memorial Collection of Prints, a rich collection of images documenting the history of all kinds of theatrical performance from the 17th to 20th centuries.

A new finding aid makes available for the first time over a thousand songsters in the Harvard Theatre Collection. These little books, cheaply produced and modestly priced, mixed traditional pieces of music with popular favorites in a handy pocket-sized format, throwing in recipes, magic tricks and jokes for good measure.

Finding aids for 11 newly cataloged collections have been added to the OASIS database this month, including a collection of photos of the dancer and choreographer known as La Meri.     Processed by Michael W. Austin: Series X. James family photograph albums in the collection: Correspondence and Journals of Henry James Jr. (MS Am [...]

Library Lab, a Harvard grant program for funding innovative ideas in libraries, has posted videos about a number of recent projects to YouTube. Three of those projects involve contributions from Houghton staff members: Connecting the Dots is a pilot project using the new archival cataloging standard EAC-CPF to create records for the members of Samuel [...]

Finding aids for nine newly cataloged collections, and a preliminary box list for four recent acquisitions, have been added to the OASIS database this month, including a rare collection of tinsel prints, portraits of actors in character, decorated with bright metal foil costume pieces.

André Meyer (1884-1974) began buying music and music-related materials at an early age, and at his death left a spectacular collection, a portion of which was recently sold at Sotheby’s. Houghton Library was lucky enough to acquire ten lots. Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689-1755). Les voyages de l’Amour : ballet en quatre actes. This Boismortier [...]

Finding aids for four newly cataloged collections, and a preliminary box list for one recent acquisition, were added to the OASIS database this month, including movie and television scripts and theatrical portraits. Processed by Ashley M. Nary: Theatrical Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured Portraits, 1812-1848 (MS Thr 933) For more on this collection, see this [...]

Finding aids for six newly cataloged collections, and a preliminary box list for one recent acquisition, were added to the OASIS database this month, including papers of Timothy Leary, theatrical ephemera, and the records of two 19th-century volunteer fire departments.