Greetings! This month, we have a look at a real gem in the Smithsonian History, Art, and Culture digital collection. Two volumes of a turn-of-the-century serial devoted to all things related to the human body and its maintenance: Physical Culture. At turns laughable and insightful, this title is a hoot to page through. It features everything from workout tips to fad diets, diets meant to add pounds, mind you. For example, judging by the amount of ink it gets, the milk diet was very popular back in 1908. When adhering to a milk diet, the publishers warn, it’s important to consume milk only. No solid food of any kind! So, don’t add cheese, for example! It’s kind of like a phlegmy protein shake diet!
Author: Erin Thomas
Erin Thomas served as a Digital Collections Librarian at Smithsonian Libraries from 2009-2014.
This month, we commemorate the arrival of Spring by highlighting the addition of several turn of the century baseball journals into the Smithsonian History, Art, and Culture (SHAC) digital collection. According to SILRA’s leading information specialist, Mike Hardy,
These books cover an early period of organized baseball in the Unites States.
Greetings History, Art, and Culture digitization fans! 
This month we have the rare privilege of highlighting a dramatic turn in the history of early aviation though primary source material from the library at the National Air and Space Museum.
Hello again from the ground floor at the National Museum of Natural History! I thought I'd take this opportunity to refresh the collective memory about the digital History, Art, and more »
This month, we feature another new addition from the National Museum of the American Indian's Vine Deloria, Jr. Library into the digital collection housed at the Internet Archive, here. The more »
According to a 1918 publication from silk manufacturers The Cheney Brothers, 'polka dots' are so called for a couple of reasons. First, a traveling dance instructor spotted a young woman more »
Over 150 volumes of US government patent records have recently been digitized and are currently accessible from Internet Archive here. Originally from the main library at NMAH and on their way more »