Tagged: history

New Acquisition | Ars vitraria experimentalis oder Vollkommene Glaßmacher-Kunst (The Art of Perfect Glassmaking)

The Rare Books Collection in Special Collections and University Archives has received a fine addition of Ars vitraria experimentalis, one of three chief works by the German court alchemist, pharmacist, and glassmaker Johann Kunckel von Löwenstern (approx. 1630-1703).

Historical Background

Born sometime around 1630, Johann Kunckel was the son of a master glassmaker and learned the art and the chemistry of glassmaking from his father and other glassmakers. In 1670, Kunckel began his alchemical career in Dresden working on the problem of transmuting metals. In 1677, Kunckel left Saxony, having never been paid the salary promised by his employer, Elector Johann Georg II. The next phase of his career took place in Brandenburg, where he directed the laboratory and glassworks there as part of the country’s economic initiative to process domestic raw materials and export as many of the finished products as possible. Brandenburg had an effective ban on imported goods, and the Elector Friedrich Wilhelm stressed the importance of high-quality glass production. Kunckel succeeded in this area through his technical improvements to the process of making ruby (red glass) and his rigorous work Ars vitraria experimentalis, which included his translation and editing of the few previously available specialist works on glassmaking, as well as all of his own knowledge on the subject.

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New Collection: “Standoff” Photographs of Malheur NWR Occupation

Photograph from "Standoff" portfolio by Shawn Records.
Photograph from “Standoff” portfolio by Shawn Records. PH365, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Special Collections & University Archives is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of “Standoff,” a portfolio of photographs by Portland-based photographer Shawn Records. The photographs document the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January of 2016. Included are portraits of the militant Ammon Bundy and his family, as well as images of the media circus and protests that surrounded the occupation. This was a pivotal moment in Oregon and US history, when a group of armed men were able to occupy a government building without significant legal repercussion. The photographs are quiet and subtle, exploring the complex and fraught history of land use and cowboy culture in the American West. The portfolio is now available for viewing within the Special Collections & University Archives reading room.

Photograph from "Standoff" portfolio by Shawn Records.
Photograph from “Standoff” portfolio by Shawn Records. PH365, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.
Photograph from "Standoff" portfolio by Shawn Records.
Photograph from “Standoff” portfolio by Shawn Records. PH365, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

By Danielle Mericle, Curator of Photography Collections

New Photography Collections | Views of Oregon

Special Collections & University Archives is pleased to announce the acquisition of three new photography collections. These collections document Oregon’s landscape and culture in a wide range of formats and span over a century. 

Eric P. Gustafson collection of Northwest Photography, PH364; Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon.

The first is the Eric P. Gustafson photography archive, a rich and varied collection documenting the history of the Pacific Northwest. With an emphasis on rare and unique photographs from Lane County at the turn of the century, the collection greatly broadens our holdings on the history of Eugene and the surrounding area.  The Gustafson archive also includes a large number of Oregon postcards, organized chronologically and by county, as well as the photo morgue of two Register-Guard photographers working in the mid-20th century.  Eric Gustafson, a photo enthusiast and former paleontology professor at University of Oregon, graciously donated his collection to be preserved and made accessible by Special Collections & University Archives.   

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New Acquisition: Medieval Deed

The library has recently acquired a Medieval deed recording the sale of a parcel of land in Norfolk that will aid students and researchers interested in the study of the history of law and land-holding in Western Europe.

This document is a type of late Medieval land deed called a feoffment which records the sale of real land or structures between two parties. These types of deeds were born out of the feudal system of land holding in England where a vassal was granted possession of a lord’s land (a fief) in exchange for service and the serfs, peasants who lived on the land, in turn served the land-holders. When granting a fief a vassal promised an oath of fealty, from the Latin fidelitas or fidelity, which included military or non-military service to the lord.

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