Author: adminuatpa
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Heads and Tails
Written by Donna Brandolisio An unusual scrapbook arrived recently at the Special Collections Processing Center. The volume was created in Italy during the 19th century. Unlike personal scrapbooks there are no cards, mementos, newspaper clippings, or photographs. Instead, inside the scrapbook are pages decorated with ornamental devices cut out of printed books. These printed books,…
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The Queer Career of Clyde Fitch
Written by Siel Agugliaro At the beginning of the last century, a playwright had four of his works being produced in Broadway at the same time. He was the first American dramatist to be regularly (and successfully) produced abroad. He wrote an impressive amount of plays, from society plays and historical dramas to farces and…
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Doctor to Fish Farmer
Written by Donna Brandolisio John Hamilton Slack, pictured in the photograph at left, was born in 1834 and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to practicing medicine in Philadelphia Slack was an avid fisherman, painter, composer, naturalist, and amateur printer. Here at the Kislak Center…
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“Save Your Waste Fats to Make Explosives!” A Day in WWII America
Written by Siel Agugliaro Please don’t pour your used cooking oil down the drain. Water gets contaminated and becomes very difficult to treat. Instead, put the oil in a closed, non-recyclable container, close it, and throw everything in the trash. But if, when it comes to frying your food, patriotism overcomes earth-friendliness, you can still…
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Copy Contraptions
Written by Donna Brandolisio When I first encountered this weighty, iron and steel book-like device with a locking mechanism, I had some apprehension about opening this tightly, hinged trap. I soon discovered, after carefully opening the metal contraption, a letterpress copybook was housed inside. The metal container is a portable, personal copy press. This particular…
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Going Once, Going Twice! A “Lot of Sundries” for Sixteen Cents
Written by Rive Cadwallader In 1684, Samuel Levis moved to Pennsylvania from his hometown of Leister, England, and settled near the Darby Creek on a parcel of land he had purchased from William Penn. Samuel Levis’ descendants –including at least five more individuals by the same name- established a number of profitable mills in the…
Unique at Penn 