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Tag: Dibner Library

The Visit of the Steamship Historical Society of America in the Dibner Library

Erin Rushing
July 22, 2013
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This post was written by Lilla Vekerdy, Head of Special Collections.

On June 24, 2013, The Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology hosted a group from a national society interested in a special topic, steam vessel navigation. The Steamship Historical Society of America requested a rare book display and presentation following the encouragement of Brent Dibner, who is a Board Member of the association and knows about the Library’s extensive holdings on the subject.  Mr. Dibner is grandson of Dr. Bern Dibner (1897-1988), the founder of the Library.

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The Fix – Edward Jenner’s Cure for Smallpox

Katie Wagner
July 17, 2013
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When a book that had the impact of Edward Jenner’s An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae comes into the conservation lab we get fairly excited. This 1798 first edition, part of the Dibner Library, outlines the technique of infecting patients with the mild cowpox virus to create immunity from the highly contagious and often deadly smallpox virus. As a result of his findings Jenner is considered the father of immunology and is credited with saving more lives than any man in history.

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Joyeux Anniversaire, Felix Nadar!

Erin Rushing
April 5, 2013
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Portrait of Felix NadarTomorrow, April 6th, would mark the 193rd birthday of Felix Nadar. Nadar, aeronautical scientist and photographer, became an unexpected star of the Smithsonian Libraries’ Dibner Portrait collection in The Commons on Flickr. Although probably not a household name these days (and definitely not under his given name – Gaspard-Félix Tournachon), Nadar was quite a character in 19th century France. Luminaries of all kinds, including George Sand and Marcel Proust, flocked to his Paris photography studio for portrait sittings. He was also a regular contributor to several French comic papers.

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Transit of Venus

Erin Rushing
June 4, 2012
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On June 5 and 6th, much of the world will be able to catch a glimpse of the planet Venus traversing across the face of the Sun. The “Transit of Venus” occurs when the planet passes between the Earth and the Sun, a rare occasion that has happened only seven times since the year 1600. Many folks in the modern era will have a chance to witness this remarkable occurrence twice in their lifetimes, as the last Transit occurred in  2004.

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Rare-book Detective Work: The Nuremberg Chronicle

September 16, 2010
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Perhaps the quirkiest characteristic of the Chronicle is its inclusion of blank pages between the 1493 present and the anticipated Last Judgment. More than just a symbolic representation of the unknown future, the pages give owners of the Chronicle space to record the rest of history with their own pens. Evidently, the chroniclers believed that the Second Coming wasn’t far off, as they only left three blank leaves with which to complete the task.

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