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Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
I answer a fair share of questions from authors, historians, and filmmakers who are trying to find weather or astronomical observations for a particular time and place so they can accurately describe a moment in time. You can imagine my delight when I read that film director James Cameron will be including a historically accurate …
Posted in: Astronomy/Mathematics, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
In the wake of the 2001 September 11 al Qaeda attacks on the U.S., five anonymous letters containing a deadly strain of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) were mailed via the U.S. Postal Service to major media outlets in Florida and New York, and to the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. This bioterrorist attack killed 5 people: …
Posted in: Lunchtime Lectures and Videos, Military science
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
The Triangle Waist Company was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris and manufactured shirtwaists. Most of the company’s employees were young, immigrant women; and like many manufacturing concerns of the day, working conditions were not ideal and the space was cramped.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Labor
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
I doubt that anyone would disagree that the best time to visit Washington D.C. is when the Japanese cherry trees are in bloom. It is said that the cherry blossoms are awakened in spring by the ‘maiden who causes trees to bloom’ or by fairies who visit the emperor at the Palace of Yoshino in …
Posted in: Gardening, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Today’s post is from science reference librarian Margaret Clifton. She is also the author of Saving Energy: The Fall Back Position, Stars in his Eyes and Sun Spots this Summer. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night – Sarah Willams (1837-1868)* In February of 2010 I wrote a post for Inside …
Posted in: Aeronautics/Astronautics, Astronomy/Mathematics, Guest Blog Posts, Inventions, Lunchtime Lectures and Videos
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
This blog post is about Hetty Green a Gilded Age businesswomen with quite the reputation.
Posted in: Biography, Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
This week I have been relocating to a new office. This is my first move since I joined the Library over ten years ago and boy have I accumulated a vast collection of files and paper. Many of these files have been buried away and it takes a move like this for some interesting stuff …
Posted in: Favorites From the Fifth Floor, Women's History
Posted by: Ellen Terrell
And no, sports fans, I do not mean the Southeastern Conference of college athletics fame. In this case I am talking about the Securities & Exchange Commission. In the Science & Business Reading Room, we have a microfiche set of SEC company filings that is one of our more regularly used items. I have featured …
Posted in: Business, Favorites From the Fifth Floor, Pic of the Week
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Americans have been celebrating George Washington’s birthday since he became president. We have continued this tradition for over two hundred years with the help of Congress who, in 1879, officially designated Washington’s Birthday (February 22) as a Federal Holiday. You might be asking yourself some questions right now: Do we still celebrate Washington’s birthday on February …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Presidents