Historical Highlights 088

Who’s excited for the weekend? I don’t have any big plans (except trying out a new triple chocolate cookie recipe for a church potluck), but I do have a bunch of fun links to share (especially the one on writers’ house museums in the U.K. How I would love to visit them all.).

An early copy of the Declaration of Independence discovered in England! (This is making my next list of exciting archival discoveries; check out last year’s.)

A rare book museum opens in Georgia.

Boston Public Library did a good deed.

Here are some intriguing historic books held by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, “the independent charity that cares for the world’s greatest Shakespeare heritage sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, and promotes the enjoyment and understanding of his works, life and times all over the world.”

Prince fan? Read about efforts to catalogue the items — notebooks, clothing, shoes, instruments — at Paisley Park. (7,000 down, ? to go!)

In other archives news, the University of Texas has acquired the archive of actor Peter O’Toole.

Here’s an interview on a topic completely new to me: an archive of Somalian music.

Anyone curious about what it’s like to work in the field of archives should read this post by Catherine Eagleton,  the new associate director of Curatorial Affairs at the National Museum of American History.

If you love to read and beautiful places make you swoon, don’t miss this list of writers’ house museums. (I want to visit them all, especially the Bronte Parsonage Museum and Hardy’s Cottage.)

If you like to quilt or sew, you might be interested in this online exhibit of fabric arts from Atikokan, in northern Ontario.

Cool: stamps using temperature-sensitive ink to depict a solar eclipse go on sale June 20 (in the U.S.).

That’s it folks. Hope you found something fascinating!

One thought on “Historical Highlights 088

  1. Lori says:

    The website about the writers’ houses was excellent! How timely since I just finished a book with the Bronte’s parsonage/museum in it. It would be fascinating to just walk around them all.

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