RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Indigenous Woman
Indigenous Woman marries the traditional to the contemporary, the native to the post-colonial, and the marginalized to the mainstream in the pursuit of genuine selfhood, revealing cultural inequities along the way. This is a quest for identity. Of my own specifically, yes, but by digging my pretty, painted nails deeply into the dirt of my own image I am also probing the depths for some understanding of identity as a social construction. From the press release:
Willem de Kooning Books
SCUA recently acquired two books featuring the art of Willem de Kooning, both signed by the artist. De Kooning was a 20th Century abstract expressionist artist, and the artist of the Weatherspoon Art Museum’s “crown jewel” painting, “Woman,” which was purchased in 1954.
Simple Simon and the Dragon (1929)
This book, with illustrations by Morris Cox, is a story about a lazy boy who is cast out of his house by his mother, then, with the help of a goose, a mouse, a bull, and a blacksmith, he subdues a dragon by tickling him, thereby freeing the blacksmith’s daughter and taking possession of the dragon’s treasure.
Lives of the Necromancers (1835)
Lives of the Necromancers was the final book written by English journalist, political philosopher, and novelist William Godwin. The book concerns paranormal legends from Western and Middle Eastern history. Godwin was married to the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, and their daughter was Mary Shelley, the author of Frankentein. In 1835 it was reviewed by Edgar Allen Poe of the Southern Literary Messenger.
The American Botonist and Family Physician (1824)
This work by John Monroe provides an alphabetical listing of American plants and animals with a short description of each one’s properties and medicinal uses, including cures and treatments for illnesses. In his preface, Monroe describes how he learned Indian methods of treating disorders from a native Indian who had been “bred a physician in the medical department of the Pennsylvania University.” It also includes a fascinating list of early American recipes and cures including the use of bear oil among pregnant Native Americans; dog oil for burns; earth worms dissolved in sugar for stiff joints; and ginseng for the stomach.
The Major Arcana of Leonora Carrington
The Major Arcana of Leonora Carrington. Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was a 20th century Surrealist artist. Fulgur Press has published her newly discovered tarot deck (major arcana only), modeled on the Tarot of Marseille and Waite-Smith tarot deck. This first edition is a limited printing of 1000 decks and was recently donated to Special Collections.
MANUSCRIPTS
ArtsGreensboro Collection
What’s new in the collection this week — the collection of ArtsGreensboro! ArtsGreensboro is a community-supported nonprofit organization and the largest public and private alliance dedicated to sustaining our local arts economy in Greensboro, NC. The collection contains scrapbooks featuring news clippings of the contributions to the community, photographs, and posters documenting a great history of the arts in our city.
Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker Items
SCUA acquired two photographs of Paul Robeson and a promotional magazine for ZOUZOU (1934), featuring Josephine Baker. The two Paul Robeson photos date to his performance in Showboat in 1936, the one on the right depicting the famous “Ol’ Man River” sequence. ZOUZOU is one of a handful of European films which starred the luminous African American Josephine Baker, this one was directed by Marc Allegret and costared Jean Gabin.
Vintage Barnum & Bailey Poster
Dr. Bob C. Hansen donated a vintage German Barnum & Bailey poster to the Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection. Founded in 1847 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Strobridge Lithographing Company was a maker of advertisement posters and lithographs.
Vintages Purses
Dr. James V. Carmichael, UNCG Library and Information Science professor, donated a collection of vintage women’s purses that will be added to Dr. Carmichael’s manuscript collection, which includes many vintage dresses, costume jewelry, and hats.
LGBTQ+ T-Shirts
These LGBTQ+ t-shirts, donated by David Gwynn, represent a slice of LGBTQ+ history locally and nationally, dating from 1988 onward. Photos of the shirts can be found in our digital collection, PRIDE! Of the Community: Documenting LGBTQ History in the Triad: go.uncg.edu/pride
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Portrait of William Whatley Pierson
SCUA acquired a portrait of William Whatley Pierson from relative Charlotte Versfeld. From June 1, 1956 to July 1, 1957, and again from September 15, 1960 to July 1, 1961, Pierson served as Acting Chancellor of the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina (now UNC Greensboro).
Nursing Uniforms and Artifacts from the School of Nursing
In preparation for the move to their new building, the School of Nursing transferred historical uniforms and artifacts.
