Showing posts with label Archives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Archives. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Photochrom Prints of Northfield Seminary and Mount Hermon School, Massachusetts

Pastoral scenes frozen in Photochrom like the images below are just one of the many offerings that can be found online in the voluminous digitized collections of the Library of Congress (LOC). On the LOC website, vintage audio, moving pictures, documents, images and other historical ephemera tell the story of our nation and beyond.

Here is the link to the LOC website: http://www.loc.gov/index.html

And to the Photochrom Prints Collecton: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/pgz/


"Northfield Seminary, East Northfield, Massachusetts" (c1901)
The Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies was founded in 1879 by evangelist and publisher Dwight L. Moody. By 1889, 855 students had attended the seminary, including 18 Native American girls.


"Mount Hermon School, Mount Hermon, Massachusetts" (c1901)
The Mount Hermon School for Young Men in Gill, Mass., opened its doors on the opposite (west) side of the Connecticut River from the Northfield Seminary in 1881. Also founded by Dwight L. Moody, the two campuses merged into the current Northfield Mount Hermon School in 1971. The Northfield campus is presently for sale.


"Round top, East Northfield, Massachusetts" (c1902)
Dwight L. Moody is buried on Round Top with his wife, Emma, resting eternally beside him. Round Top is located behind the house at 32 Moody Street in Northfield, where the evangelist was born.

For a handy list of online archives offering a variety of digitized materials, visit EWM's, 'Digitized History: Online Archives': http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2007/02/digital-archives.html

Here is the link to Northfield Mount Hermon School's website: http://www.nmhschool.org/

As always, thanks for stopping by and take care.


Image sources: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print; (Top) http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008679577; (Middle) http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008679578; (Bottom) http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008679579; Photo captions from LOC image pages.



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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Westfield's Grant & Besse Clothiers Tradecards

One New Year's resolution here at EWM is to cull through the clutter scattered in ever-multiplying folders and sort the scribbled notes on scraps that sometimes don't make it, found in a pocket of just-washed jeans or tossed in a drawer with an old grocery list. The reason being, of course, is to find forgotten treasure, tucked away for a future post and still gathering dust.

The scans below are just such a find. Generously shared by historian Barbara Shaffer, these images were clipped paper-doll fashion from advertisements for Westfield clothiers, Grant & Besse, located at 94 Elm Street in the Gowdy Block.





















For more examples of Grant & Besse advertising trading cards - which tend to be spare-no-expense good as far as cover art - check out offerings at the Paul J. Gutman Library Digital Collection.

And from the Victorian Tradecards section of the Digital Collections of Miami University Library advertising Christmas gifts for 1886 :

http://doyle.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,1773

http://doyle.lib.muohio.edu/u?/tradecards,1774

As always, thanks for stopping by and take care.



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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

"A Plan of West Springfield, By J. Lathrop, August 1831"

This 1831 map of West Springfield, Massachusetts is credited to J. Lathrop, with Boston firm, Pendleton's Lithogy, responsible for its printing and publishing. This map names names, revealing who lived where in West Side in 1831.

The most intriguing name may be that of the map's creator, J. Lathrop. The Reverend Joseph Lathrop, is said to have written nearly 5,000 sermons over 64 years as West Springfield's minister, the town's third. However, Rev. Lathrop passed in 1820, over a decade before the map's creation. Perhaps we are looking at the handiwork of one of the illustrious minister's descendants. No matter, 'tis a time capsule left for us to open. A present from the past.

"A Plan of West Springfield, By J. Lathrop, August, 1831"

This map and many others can be found in the Library of Congress's (LOC) Map Collections digital archive. Here's the link: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html.

Personally, I find that viewing maps on the LOC web site is a bit limiting as far as ease of maneuverability and that it's also difficult to save large chunks of the images for later offline perusal. The best method I've found so far for getting the most out of these (mostly) public domain maps is to download them - they come in either JPEG2000 or MrSID formats - and use the free program, Irfanview (with plug-ins), to open, resize and convert them to other file formats, such as the JPEG up above. The LOC maps are usually large files, it takes a bit to download them, and one has to be patient with Irfanview as it loads the image.

As always, thanks for stopping by and take care.

Map source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Digital ID: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3764w.la002013




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Monday, February 26, 2007

Trails, Rails & Roads: Western Mass. Maps

Maps explain the ground beneath our feet. The water we fish and swim in and drink. Topographic maps exhibit the carving of earth's surface by nature, road maps the scratchings of man. Maps show where we've been and where we may go, on our journey, exploring Western Massachusetts. Here are a few to help get you there...
(Updated July 20, 2012)


Getting Here From There...Directions & Downtowns:


~ Pioneer Valley Area Maps ~
Downtown maps of Springfield, Westfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Chicopee and Amherst on valleyvisitor.com, courtesy of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.
{ http://www.valleyvisitor.com/view-maps.html }

~ Pittsfield, Mass., Street Map ~
Street map of the City of Pittsfield, including downtown highlights.
{ http://www.pittsfield-ma.org/PittsfieldMA-Area4.pdf }

~ Massachusetts Road Map ~
Map showing major highways in Massachusetts via geology.com.
{ http://geology.com/cities-map/massachusetts.shtml }

~ Google Maps ~
"View maps and get driving, walking, public transit, and biking directions. Also see current traffic conditions, search for local businesses, check the weather, and learn about historical landmarks." - Google Maps
{ http://maps.google.com }

~ MapQuest ~
"Maps, Directions and More." - MapQuest
{ http://www.mapquest.com }

~ Yahoo Maps ~
{ http://maps.yahoo.com }



State, Federal & Local Government Map Resources


~ Massachusetts Cities and Towns Map ~
Map of Massachusetts showing cities and towns via the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
{ http://www.aaboston.org/ma_city_town.pdf }

~ Maps from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism ~
A variety of Massachusetts maps including the Berkshires, Mohawk Trail Region and Springfield.
{ http://www.massvacation.com/getAround/maps-and-directions.php }

~ MassWildlife - Maps & Atlases ~
Recreation, conservation and regulatory maps, including pond, fishing and boating maps.
{ http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/maps.htm }

~ Trail Maps of Massachusetts State Parks, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation ~
"Trail maps are available for many State Parks. The electronic maps found on the DCR website are meant only as a guide. Please be sure to pick up a printed map upon your arrival." - DCR
{ http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails.htm }

~ Massachusetts Geographic Information System ~
"MassGIS is the Commonwealth's Office of Geographic and Environmental Information, within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. Through MassGIS, the Commonwealth has created a comprehensive, statewide database of spatial information for environmental planning and management." - MassGIS
{ http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/it-serv-and-support/application-serv/office-of-geographic-information-massgis/ }

~ Amherst, Mass., Geographic Information System ~
"The Town of Amherst maintains a Geographic Information System (GIS) to meet the ever-increasing needs of departments, boards, committees, professionals, and citizens to access a wealth of information and mapping resources. The Amherst GIS provides a central map-centric portal for many uses." - Town of Amherst
{ http://www.amherstma.gov/index.aspx?NID=400 }

~ Pittsfield, Mass., Geographic Information System ~
{ http://host.appgeo.com/PittsfieldMA/Map.aspx }

~ Springfield, Mass., Geographic Information System ~
"This tool is intended to help make local government more accessible and efficient." - City of Springfield
{ http://gis.springfield-ma.gov/gis }

~ Massachusetts Map from FedStats ~
Federal statistics by county.
{ http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/maps/massachusetts_map.html }

~ Massachusetts County Selection Map ~
Massachusetts QuickFacts from the United States Census Bureau.
{ http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/massachusetts_map.html }



Historic Maps Online


~ American Memory Collection, Library of Congress, Map Collections ~
"The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digital form." - LOC
{ http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html }

~ Historic USGS Maps of Massachusetts ~
The University of New Hampshire's Dimond Library, Documents Department & Data Center, offers a great collection of historic USGS maps of Massachusetts.
{ http://docs.unh.edu/towns/massachusettstownlist.htm }

~ Historic Topographic Maps of Massachusetts ~
Old topographic maps of Massachusetts from MyTopo.com.
{ http://historical.mytopo.com/statemap.cfm?stateabr=MA }

~ The Massachusetts Historical Society Online: Massachusetts Maps ~
"The Massachusetts Historical Society is pleased to make 104 unique and rare manuscript and printed maps of Massachusetts available through 36 web presentations." - MHS
{ http://www.masshist.org/online/massmaps/ }

~ Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library ~
"The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library is dedicated to the creative educational use of its cartographic holdings, which extend from the 15th century to the present." - Boston Public Library
{ http://maps.bpl.org/ }

~ Vintage Maps of Massachusetts from Old-maps.com ~
"...offering digital and printed reproductions of maps from all over New England." - Old-maps.com
{ http://www.old-maps.com/massachusetts.htm }

~ Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas ~
"This site acts as a historical collection as well as a current collection." - UT
{ http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps }

~ WardMaps.com ~
"...your source for authentic antique maps, reproduction prints and customizable gifts." - Wardmaps.com
{ http://www.wardmaps.com }



Maps on Exploring Western Massachusetts


~ "A Plan of West Springfield, By J. Lathrop, August, 1831" ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2008/06/plan-of-west-springfield-by-j-lathrop.html }

~ Map: Bird's-eye View of Chester, Massachusetts, 1885 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2010/02/map-birds-eye-view-of-chester.html }

~ Map: Bird's-eye View of North Adams, Massachusetts, 1881 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2009/04/map-birds-eye-view-of-north-adams-1881.html }

~ Map: Bird's-eye View of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1899 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2009/08/map-birds-eye-view-of-pittsfield.html }

~ Map: Bird's-eye View of Westfield, Massachusetts, 1875 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2009/03/map-1875-birds-eye-of-westfield.html }

~ Map of Franklin County, Massachusetts, c1879 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2011/03/map-of-franklin-county-mass-c1879.html }

~ Map: Hampshire County, Massachusetts, 1854 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2009/07/map-hampshire-county-massachusetts-1854.html }

~ Map of Massachusetts Public Libraries, c1914 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2012/06/map-of-massachusetts-public-libraries.html }

~ Western Massachusetts Highways and Byways, circa 1929 ~
{ http://explorewmass.blogspot.com/2010/07/western-massachusetts-highways-and.html }



Trail Maps


~ The Trustees of Reservations - Trail Map Library ~
Maps of Trustees of Reservations locations statewide.
{ http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/21_trail_map_library.cfm }

~ Trail Maps of Massachusetts State Parks, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation ~
(See State & Local Government Map Resources above)





As always, thanks for stopping by and take care. And safe journeys all...wherever you may roam.




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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Digitized History: Online Archives


American Memory from the Library of Congress

"American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning." --From the American Memory web site.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html


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Archiplanet

"Buildings, and people. We use buildings, make them, design them, damage them, love them. Archiplanet is a community-constructed collection for all the buildings, building users, and building creators on planet Earth." --From the Archiplanet web site.

http://www.archiplanet.org/wiki/Main_Page


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Digital Amherst

"Utilizing the historical and literary resources of the Jones Library of Amherst, Massachusetts, in collaboration with area residents and scholars, this site celebrates Amherst's 250th anniversary through images, multimedia, and documents that reflect the independent spirit of our people, creative works, and culture." --From the Digital Amherst web site.

http://www.digitalamherst.org/


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Digital Commonwealth: Massachusetts Collections Online

"The Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a portal to the rich cultural heritage held in museums, historical societies, colleges, libraries and other cultural repositories in Massachusetts. From this site you can search or browse the digital collections of member institutions throughout the state for manuscripts, images, historical documents, and sound recordings. The portal provides you with enhanced access and retrieval of information. Digital Commonwealth is currently developing a repository service that will be available to its members as a hosting option for digital content." --From the Digital Commonwealth web site.

http://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/


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Digital Treasures...a Central and Western Massachusetts Digital Library Project

"Digital Treasures is a cooperative digital library project conceived and designed by the Central/Western Massachusetts Resource Sharing library network and the Central & Western Massachusetts Regional Library Systems." --From the Digital Treasures web site.

http://dlib.cwmars.org/index.php


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Early Americas Digital Archive

"The Early Americas Digital Archive is a collection of electronic texts originally written in or about the Americas from 1492 to approximately 1820." --From the EADA web site.

http://www.mith2.umd.edu/eada


* * * * *


Harvard University Library

"A Selection of Web-Accessible Collections." --From the Harvard University Library web site.

http://digitalcollections.harvard.edu/


* * * * *


The Internet Archive

"The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public." --From The Internet Archive web site.

http://www.archive.org/index.php


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LoveToKnow Classic Encyclopedia

"This LoveToKnow Classic Encyclopedia project works to bring to you the renowned 1911 Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica." --From the project web site.

http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Main_Page


* * * * *


Making of America from Cornell University Library

"Materials accessible here are Cornell University Library's contributions to Making of America (MOA), a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints. The project represents a major collaborative endeavor in preservation and electronic access to historical texts." --From the MOA web site.

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa


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Massachusetts Archives

"The Massachusetts Archives holds the official records created by Massachusetts state government. Holdings are organized by agency and date from 1629 to the present." --From the Massachusetts Archives web site.

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcidx.htm


* * * * *


The Massachusetts Historical Society

"The Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) is a major research library and manuscript repository. Its holdings encompass millions of rare and unique documents and artifacts vital to the study of American history, many of them irreplaceable national treasures. A few examples include correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, such as her famous "remember the ladies" letter; several imprints of the Declaration of Independence; and the pen that Abraham Lincoln used to sign the Emancipation Proclamation." --From the MHS web site.

http://www.masshist.org/welcome


* * * * *


Massachusetts Newspapers, MA Board of Library Commissioners

"Residents of Massachusetts can search the full-text (including back issues) of several Massachusetts newspapers from their homes or offices." --From the library web site.

(Must have a valid Massachusetts library card.)

http://mblc.state.ma.us/books/magazine/newspapers.php


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Memorial Hall Museum Online, American Centuries...View from New England

"American Centuries features a digital collection of approximately 2000 objects and transcribed document pages from Memorial Hall Museum and Library. An image of each of these items appears on an Item Page accompanied by interpretive text available on age-appropriate levels. Museum staff authored the text content with review by teachers, school librarians, and nationally recognized scholars." --From the Memorial Hall Museum web site.

http://memorialhall.mass.edu/home.html


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NYPL Digital Gallery

"NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 550,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more." --From the NYPL web site.

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm


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Project Gutenberg

"Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today." --From the Project Gutenberg web site.

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page


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Research Centers at the Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/rr/research-centers.html
Prints and Photographs Online Catalogue

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The State Library of Massachusetts, Digital Collections

"The State Library has a small but growing collection of digitized items." --From the SLM web site.

http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/


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The United States Geological Survey Photographic Library

"This site is designed to provide free viewing and downloading of the entire USGS photographic collection." --From the USGS web site.

http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/


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The United States National Archives and Records Administration

"Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.

Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you." --From the National Archives web site.

http://www.archives.gov/


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Page updated: June 5, 2012



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