René Descartes (1596-1650) and Marin Mersenne (1588-1648), two of the greatest 17th century French minds, carried on a regular correspondence. In this lengthy 1640 letter to Mersenne, Descartes ranges widely, discussing a dispute with Pierre Bourdin, a Jesuit who had advanced a number of objections to Descartes’ Meditationes de Prima Philosophia, then circulating in manuscript Read More
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New on OASIS in February
Finding aids for 16 newly cataloged collections have been added to the OASIS database this month, including buttons, seals, and other theatrical realia, as well as trade cards, portraits and more.
You’ve Got Mail: A Curious Discovery in Electricity
The curious discovery was related by Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) to Jan Ingenhousz (1730-1799) in this week’s letter, which is from Houghton’s Autograph File. Ingenhousz was physician to the court of Austria at the time, and a fellow of the Royal Society who later settled in England. Franklin was in London for his extended second trip Read More
Want to wash away your sins???
These “heavenly scented” towelettes are just one example of recently cataloged objects found in the Fredric Woodbridge Wilson Collection of Theater, Dance, and Music in the Harvard Theatre Collection. In addition to hot pepper candy and a rubber pencil other examples include
Let’s Go to the Hop
[Thanks to Ward Project Music Cataloger Andrea Cawelti for contributing this post] You know your Friday afternoon is looking up when you open a 19th century dance treatise and stumble across the phrase “first, give all the ladies a vegetable….” An early donation by the late John Milton Ward, Charles Périn’s wonderful guide to the Read More