By Margaret Kaiser It is Christmas eve, a Christmas with no presents and the loss of the family home, until a surprising visitor appears… Mr. Kris Kringle is the charming and sentimental story of a young family reunited at Christmas through the intercession of a mysterious visitor. It was written by Silas Weir Mitchell to […]
Tag Archives: book illustrations
November
29
A Book Unfinished: Paracelsus in Hand-Press Sheets
posted by Circulating Now
By Stephen J. Greenberg Books today, as physical objects, have reached a very odd place in our consciousness. Readers are increasingly offered books (or at least texts—there is a difference: books are physical objects; texts are their intellectual contents) in a bewildering array of electronic alternatives. Print (on paper) is dead, we are told, at […]
October
31
Palmistry: The Future in the Palm of Your Hand
posted by Circulating Now
By Atalanta Grant-Suttie Some people think palmistry (or chiromancy as it is sometimes known) is hocus pocus and that it is all nonsense. How can lines and bumps in the palm of the hand foretell your future? Yet, you can find palm readers all over the world; you may have one in your area. Palmistry […]
September
30
Autumn Highlights
posted by circulating now
By Ginny A. Roth The autumnal equinox has come and gone, and what lies ahead of us are cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and the beginning of the holiday season. The upcoming months also bring us national and international observances, holidays, and events, some familiar, some a bit obscure. In recognition of the season, we hope […]
July
26
Why me?
posted by circulating now
By Ginny A. Roth We’ve all been there. It’s finally time for that fun summer barbecue. You’re surrounded by family and friends, the weather is warm, the burgers are cooking, and nothing can ruin this perfect evening. Well, almost nothing. While you are lying on your deck chair, eyes closed, and having enjoyed your glorious […]
July
20
The Wonder in Us, 1921
posted by Circulating Now
By Michael Sappol Originally published in Hidden Treasure: The National Library of Medicine, 2011. In the early decades of the twentieth century a modernizing imperative took hold. Suddenly it seemed that a new age was dawning—an era of new technologies, fashions, and political philosophies—modern times. In the aftermath of the Great War (1914–1918), with the […]
July
13
A New Herbal in the Collection
posted by Circulating Now
By Margaret Kaiser The Library has recently acquired a rare work on medicinal plants by Leonhart Fuchs: Le Benefice commun de tout le monde, ou commodité de vie d’un chascun, pour la conservation de santé [the common benefit of all, for the preservation of health], 1555-56. The book is a very small volume, about 4 […]
