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Category: Lunchtime Lectures and Videos

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Transit of Venus: The Unsung Heroes

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

The following is a guest post by Dr. Sten Odenwald, NASA/ National Institute of Aerospace, who presented a lecture on the Transit of Venus at the Library of Congress on May 8, 2012. You can view his lecture on our webcast page and Youtube channel. On June 5th, 2012 most people will have the opportunity …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Loving the Stars- Telescopes, from Galileo to James Webb

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 …

Cover from the June, 1914 issue of Vanity Fair of three fashionable women and a young girl holding a dog on a leash gathering on a street, conversing. Behind them people walk and a coachman drives a carriage.

Eleanor Lambert–Empress of Seventh Avenue

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

… [Eleanor Lambert] realized that the American fashion industry, along with the individual designers deserved to be treated as equals on the world stage. From that moment on, this idea would become her driving passion. (John Tiffany, Eleanor Lambert: Still Here, Pointed Leaf Press, c2011: p.19) On Thursday February 2, 2012 we are hosted a …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Through the Lens of Opera

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Disregard what you learned from the history books about the first sound movie, first color TV program, first  stereo broadcast….because opera did it first! Some of the first synchronized sound movies were of opera arias shown at the Phono-Cinema-Theatre at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. A sound movie of the complete opera Faust was released …