Fashion Drawings & Sketches in the Collections of FIT and the New York Public Library

Looking for eye candy? This digitized collection of thousands of fashion drawings and sketches produced by André Fashion Studios between 1930 and 1941 is the result of a partnership between the Picture Collection of The New York Public Library and the Special Collections & FIT Archives of the Fashion Institute of Technology Library. Thank you!! Browse seasonal designs like winter wear for 1937-38, search for costume components like scarves, collars, blouses, peplums, and raglan sleeves, or enjoy the artistry of designers like Chanel, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, Lelong, Patou and many others. Where? Here.

The Stereogranimator

Happy Friday! I highly encourage you to play with The Stereogranimator, The New York Public Library’s new website which allows patrons to create their own animated files or 3-D images from the Library’s collection of stereographs, a popular 19th Century photo format. The web project gives this important, historic medium new life, and also highlights the work of NYPL patron Joshua Heineman, who started creating his own moving images from Library stereograms as an art project for his blog.

Robert Frederick Bernstein: Architectural and Sculptural Works, 1975-1993

My father, Robert Frederick Bernstein (1950-1993) lived and worked as an artist and architect in Los Angeles, California. He died when I was 13 years old. Recently I have developed an archive of his known works using the Web-based content management system, Omeka. It is my hope to gather as many materials as I can representing the artistic and architectural work that my father produced in his lifetime.

Images of my father’s work have been preserved for close to 20 years now in my mother’s garage, or else generously donated to me by his former clients, co-workers and associates. It has really been a wonderful experience for me getting in touch with so many of these people. I am learning more and more about Robert with each phone call, email, and letter I receive. Thank you 1,000 times over to all of you who helped me make this collection come to life.

Listen & Play With Victor Talking Machine Company Audio Files via The National Jukebox!

Image: Library of Congress

The Library of Congress (and Sony Music) have created The National Jukebox, historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The National Jukebox features more than 10,000 recordings made by the Victor Talking Machine Company between 1901 and 1925 as well as playlists compiled by Library of Congress curators, project partners, and guest experts from audio selections available on the website.

 

Want to have some fun? Create your own playlist! Listeners can compile a group of recordings that they think will be of interest to others, describe it, and send it to LC. For existing playlists and further instructions on how to submit, go to http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/playlists. 

“Librarians are the secret masters of the universe. They control information. Never piss one off.”

Casanova was a librarian (really) and other library-related fun facts here (CNN article). Happy National Library Week friends!

War-Era Food Posters from the Collection of the National Agricultural Library

Feast your eyes.

Queer-Lit Drinks * Shushed Raffle * Nerdy Queer GoGos

A party for queer librarians and those who love them!
You don’t have to be a queer librarian; you just have to dance with one!

A celebration of queer librarians (and those who love them)

dear NYC,

come out, come out wherever you are for QUE(E)RY II: ON RESERVE

This is a benefit, so there is a cover, but it is suggested donation only and no one will be turned away for lack of fund$. Proceeds go to The Leather Archive & Museum (CHI) and The LGBT Community Center Library & Archive (NYC).

The first Que(e)ry party/fundraiser was tons of fun so don’t miss out!

more info: http://queeryparty.tumblr.com/

The Queer Zine Archive Project

The Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) was first launched in November 2003 in an effort to preserve queer zines and make them available to other queers, researchers, historians, and anyone else who has an interest DIY publishing and queer communities.

Their mission statement has been consistent over the past six years:

“The mission of the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) is to establish a “living history” archive of past and present queer zines and to encourage current and emerging zine publishers to continue to create. In curating such a unique aspect of culture, we value a collectivist approach that respects the diversity of experiences that fall under the heading “queer.”

The primary function of QZAP is to provide a free on-line searchable database of the collection with links allowing users to download electronic copies of zines. By providing access to the historical canon of queer zines we hope to make them more accessible to diverse communities and reach wider audiences.”

Browse the archive here.

Bookshelf Porn!

A collection of all the best bookshelf photos for people that *heart* bookshelves.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2dXIVp/bookshelfporn.com/archive