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Category: Favorites From the Fifth Floor

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Gazette of the United States on “Every Species of Intelligence, which may affect the commercial, agriculture, manufacturing, or political Interests”

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

One of my favorite Library resources has just gotten better now that the Gazette of the United States has been added to Chronicling America. The Gazette was the leading Federalist newspaper. The paper was friendly to the administration of George Washington and had as one of its biggest supporters, the first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. …

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Building Product Source: Spotlight on Sweet’s Catalog File

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

This post was written by John F. Buydos a Reference Librarian in the Science Section. The Sweet’s Catalog File is a building product source and a frequently used title here at the Library. It is an example of a master catalog (i.e., catalogs or partial catalogs from several manufacturers, with a combined index) in the …

the buildings shows signs for a soda fountain, Ray's Letter and Printing, and a show shine; three men are talking at the steps of the building

Tiny but Mighty: Mann’s 1904 Afro-American Business Directory

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

Business Reference is often asked for information about older or defunct businesses and finding any information can be challenging. But it is even harder to research businesses that were owned and operated by African Americans. While some business directory publishers may have denoted those businesses in some way, that wasn’t always the case. Recently I …

Monkey Skin, Elephant’s Breath, and Kitten’s Ear: History of Color Naming

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

There is scarcely any subject that has so many practical and scientific aspects as the subject of color (Henry LeFavour, Elementary Color, 1895:p1) There are many ways to study color*. We can trace the history of color pigments, the development of color chemistry, the effect of color on our psyche, and the perception of color. …

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A 1898 Big Data graphic

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

Working at the Library has meant that I have had to adjust my concept of business history.  Prior to working here, doing business research meant finding the most current and up to date information and history meant two years. It wasn’t long after starting that I realized Library of Congress researchers had a much different …