Books at the Guggenheim

In Case You Missed It...

Some books in a nook--a real nook--at the Guggenheim "library" and "reading room." These are tiny spaces toward the top of the incline helix of the main gallery. I went to a curiously fun exhibit a couple months back, which included several interesting culturally interesting characters and images in odd positions. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, has both a morbid sense of humor, and an artist's eye for the shocking and bizarre. The NYTimes Review can be viewed online. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the library and reading room at the Guggenheim is how many people were actually using the small and somewhat hidden space. The role of the art book is really still quite significant, and as these books are fairly costly to produce, there is much to be considered for their present and future value--whether we speak of cost value or cultural value. But people still lined up, and filled the seats of the micro-library and reading room, while Cattelan's waxy pope, JFK, and Hitler hung precariously high from the upper beams of Wright's cinnabon architecture.

A Midtown Stroll: The NYPL, the Morgan Library, and the Library Hotel

"So Someone Walks Into a Hotel..."

Okay, so I actually did NOT go into any hotel. But I walked by a hotel recently. It's not quite the joke you imagine. Just over a week ago, I attended a meeting-tour of the New York Theological Libraries Association (NYATLA), which met at the Pierpont Morgan Library in midtown Manhattan. On the way to the meeting, I happened to walk by the locally famous "Library Hotel," which I'll surely have to explore more in depth at another time, because it is clearly an interesting and curious operation, which bases its floors, rooms, and suites on the Dewey Decimal System. Of course, to many in academic libraries, Dewey is an outdated system, often supplanted by LC classification. To Dewey's credit, he did do a stint as University Librarian at Columbia back in the 1880s. So we'll keep him for now! The Library Hotel is located off of Madison Avenue and East 41st Street, not far from either the Pierpont Morgan Library or the New York Public Library.

The Pierpont Morgan Library, where we met and had our tour was a magnificent place, and indeed, a magnificent institution with an abundance of cultural treasures. Located around E. 37th and Madison Avenue, the library has recently been expanded and updated with a marvelous new social gathering space designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. The New York Times had a review of it back in 2006. It is really quite a remarkable space, full of light and glass and modern angles that make you feel like you're in a fantastically naturalistic outdoor cathedral. This space connects various parts of the museum and library, including the gift and book shop, the dining room, the cafe, the galleries (both up- and downstairs), as well as what I'd consider the focal attractions of J.P. Morgan's study and library. In these rooms, Morgan's study specifically, one can cast a glance at where the seat of American financial decision making and power took place more than a century ago--including the massive vault adjacent to Mr. Morgan's study. Oddly, the vault on the day of the visit was open, and visitors could see hundreds of rare books on the interior shelves, while a table stood in the middle of the vault with a charming couplet portraiture of Martin Luther and his wife Katharina Luther (nee von Bora)! I was assured that this was not Morgan's idea! In the private library nearby, separated from the study by a rotunda-style middle-room with pillars, there were displays of manuscripts of the great classic composers, including Mozart's manuscript of his Symphony No. 35, some Schumann chamber works, and a Cantata of Bach! It was astounding to see such handwriting of the greats, and hard to fathom that they'd touched the very pages that lay within inches of my nose, as I focused entranced on each object! They also had proofs of famous books and scribbles from their authors (Lewis Carol, for example), as well as an early Caxton edition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, dating from the 1400s. They also had a great exhibit on the history of diaries. So if you have time to see it before it ends, I recommend it.

I made my way back afterward, past the New York Public Library and snapped this photo of the famous lions (or at least one of those lions!) Inside, there is a wonderful exhibit of "The Three Faiths," which includes dozens of rare books from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The place was packed with visitors when I went in, so I didn't stay that long. But what I saw was remarkable. I think that another visit and photographic essay should be devoted to this whole library, because it is simply extraordinary. As one of the largest libraries in the world, the NYPL has much to offer. And it's a gorgeous architectural gem, right in the middle of the city. I think if I had more time, I would have stayed longer...and not just because it was warmer inside than the freezing temperatures outside! There is a bigger story to tell here about this library, but we'll wait till it warms up.

American Printing House for the Blind Museum and Library

"The Greatest Museum in Louisville!"

One of the great secrets of Louisville is that it is home to one of the most interesting and--in my opinion--extraordinary museums I've come across in years. The museum is rather new, but it showcases and educates visitors on a much older institution: the American Printing House for the Blind. The first photo here shows the sign outside of the building, which interestingly depicts the name of the company in Latin letters AND large-size Braille! Part of the delight of finding this place is that it really is a landmark, not simply in Louisville, but in the United States and world-wide. In the following photograph, you will see an historical marker which indicates its historical status. As it notes, the American Printing House for the Blind has been around since 1858 and is the oldest non-profit agency for the blind in the US and the largest publishing house for the blind in the world--quite a distinction!















As I mentioned, the museum is a new component and serves to educate people on the enterprise of blind typographic and cultural history, blind publishing, and blind pedagogy and education. There are interactive stations for younger visitors, as well as for adults. One of the staff members at the museum told me about various processes of producing Braille books and how you can get a book (or "your book") made into Braille.















The museum is truly extraordinary. An perhaps it felt even more so with no other tourists milling around! The Printing House, its museum, and library are not in the center of town, but more toward the east side of Louisville, on a fairly quiet street. I rode a bike the morning I found it, parked the bike along a fence and walked in. It was quiet and air-conditioned and I asked the person at the front desk about the museum hours. They directed me up an elevator, which opened to this fine entrance above.















Throughout the museum you will find items such as these--books in Braille and other books for the blind. Apparently, in the 19th century, according to the history of blind typography, printing, and writing, there were typography wars or perhaps even "Braille wars." What this meant is that several individuals were vying for the best mode of tactile type for use in printing for the blind. Some systems or shapes looked like crescents, for example, while others were simply raised Latin letters!















Somewhere in the museum, there was a quote about the best systems of printing for the blind were those systems created by they blind, not by those created by someone with sight. Below is a display dedicated to the good Mr. Braille himself.





























Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about Braille is the story behind it. Or at least part of the story. Braille himself devised the system based on an earlier writing system called "Night Writing," created by Charles Barbier at the request of Napoleon. The French leader wanted a silent communication system that soldiers could use during the night--silent communication for military and warfare. The system, which was called sonography, was based on a 6x6 matrix of dots that soldiers could pass their hands across in the dark and execute orders or other military actions. Braille adapted this and the rest is history.















Various tools for blind printing can be seen above. And more books below.





























Above is an encyclopedia done completely in Braille--if I remember correctly it was World Book, and contained well over 140 volumes! Below are musical renderings into blind-friendly text. I'm not sure if they technically call this "Braille," but the notations are raised.





























Above and below we find the library portion of the APHB. The museum was on one floor and the library was just above it. Finding the library was a little hard, since it wasn't advertised. But I was convinced that it had to be in the building--you don't have such a remarkable organization with a museum and NOT have a library! I spoke with two wonderful individuals in the library area, one of whom was in the general library area, the other in an office down the hall from the library. In the latter, I was introduced to the librarian/archivivst, who was most welcoming and told me about some of the collections. She also showed me some remarkable archival materials including a document written in Japan in the late 1970s on reading for the blind on computers (this would have been a precursor to "reading online" for the blind)--simply amazing! Another document was from the 1920s and dealt with the history of blindness and fair treatment of the blind at that time--the document was revolutionary in that it is one of the first egalitarian writings regarding the blind: treating those with blindness as human beings rather than anomolies.

























































On my way out of the museum, I discovered this little interactive children's station. I bent down and found that it was actually a series of goggles with gradually worse obfuscation. They are meant to show various degrees of blindness. I thought that this was a fine pedagogical tool, and not just for children! I think many times adults fail to realize the full implications of not just blindness, but other physical impairments that make it difficult to live in our world. This was a wonderful museum, and surely under-utilized and under-visited. It's good to find a museum where you learn something, but even better to find a museum that makes you more aware of ourselves and those around us.

Books and Barbaro!...at Churchill Downs

A Hot Day at the Racetrack

Continuing on my little visit to Louisville last month, I took one afternoon to visit the track and facilities of Churchill Downs, the famed location of the Kentucky Derby. I didn't realize that it was actually in Louisville itself, and is fairly easy to access. It is situated in the southern portion of the city, near the Louisville airport. The day that I went on the tour it continued to be blazing hot in Louisville, and I attempted to find a place to hide from the relentless sun. A group from the ATLA conference took a bus (with air-condition!) to the track and headed in quickly to the inside of the Churchill Downs buildings, where the Kentucky Derby Museum was located. Unfortunately, we didn't spend much time indoors, instead we went out back to see the stables, but again most of us retreated for shade during the tour of the grounds.

There were a few books on premises, so I snapped some images for your viewing pleasure. Most of them were in the book shop, such as this one called "Gallopalooza!"

Some horses resting in the museum stable area.

And everyone had a designated "parking space," though it was unclear if this was for their car or their horse?

The area where bets are placed (above) and continuation of the massive complex (below).





























Above the view from the stands, as well as others viewing the track below (on the tour).





























The bibliotourist pauses to take shelter from the sun.















The track is really a remarkable piece of engineering, even though it is an old dirt/sand track. Here's an eye-level view.





























Again, pausing for photos. Below we discovered old-technology emissions. And I must announce that I was not the only one on this tour photographing these processed piles of equestrian product! It was as if the tour group had seen thoroughbred gold! Snap! Snap! Snap!





























We retreated back into the cool-air museum to rest and enjoy the history, before getting back on the bus. Below we find an exhibit of ladies' hats and jockey uniforms.











































Finally some books!--here was a book display of some Stephen Foster artifacts, which were quite interesting. Specifically "My Old Kentucky Home!"





























Of course, there were some more desirable biblio-items in the book and gift shop. And I figured these would bring us back to our biblio-earth. For those of you who enjoy the photos, I've kept the writing down today. I figured I wouldn't...pardon me..."horse around" with some extra verbiage. And I've got a whole lot more to write about this week. So stay tuned and enjoy!