Jordan Special Collections: Past exhibits
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Item In Memoriam: Arthur E. Covington, Canada's Pioneer Radio Astronomer(2001-03) Special Collections staffArthur E. Covington, a donor of the Riche-Covington Collection to Queen's Libraries, passed away recently. In his honour, the staff of Queen's W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library have put together a modest exhibit entitled Arthur E. Covington, Canada's Pioneer Radio Astronomer. Covington built the first radio telescope in Canada. His pioneering research and observations on sunspots are well recognized. Covington worked at the National Research Council of Canada and was Director of the Algonquin Radio Observatory. He also initiated the "History of Radio Science and Technology Project" at Queen's in the 1970s. [photo of Arthur Covington] Covington assiduously collected and donated to Queen's materials documenting the history of science in his field, particularly in Canada and since World War II, complementing the McNicol Collection which deals with the early history of telegraphy and electronic communication. The papers of Arthur L. Riche, father-in-law of Mr. Covington, are included, along with those of several other prominent researchers. Riche developed the snap action Micro Switch which was later used in the 200-inch telescope at Mount Palomar, California. The Riche-Covington collection also includes a number of contemporary publications, technical papers by Covington and others, an extensive photograph collection, scrapbooks, broadsides, as well as some very rare books on the history of optics and scientific method. For further details about this collection, see A Catalogue of the Riche-Covington Collection in OMNI, Queen's Library Catalogue.Item Ink Paper Lead, Board Leather Thread(2002-03) Special Collections staffAn exhibition of hand-printed books and fine bindings presented by The Loving Society of Letterpress Printers and The Binders of Infinite Love The exhibition includes works by: - Wesley W. Bates, West Meadow Press - Reg Beatty, Hand Bookbinder - Stan Bevington, Coach House Press - Margaret Lock, Locks' Press - David Moyer, Red Howler Press - William Rueter, The Aliquando Press - Alan Stein, The Church Street Press - Don Taylor, Hand bookbinder - George Walker, Book designer, Printmaker - Shaunie & Brian Young, Pepper's PressItem Postcards from the Past - Tourism Then and Now(2002-05) Special Collections staffA colourful glimpse into the history of tourism in early Canada, with an emphasis on the Thousand Islands region. Included in the Exhibit are a range of resources from our collection dating back to the 18th Century: - postcards - brochures - broadsides - posters - maps - travel accountsItem Learn Well and Progress Daily - Posters from the Chinese Cultural Revolution(2002-06) Special Collections staffThis exhibition presented images of youth in propaganda posters produced during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976. Chairman Mao Zedong called on all youth to build a new China in accord with Communist and Maoist ideologies. The boldly coloured, dynamic posters show youth as eager students and fervent Red Guards. Youth are also represented as diligent, selfless soldiers (as in the portrayal of Lei Feng) and as leaders of tomorrow (as in the iconic figure of young Mao). During the Cultural Revolution, propaganda posters were a primary means of communication and, at a time when access to information was limited, millions were created and widely circulated. Mao rejected the idea of "art for art's sake" and claimed that politics should be the purpose of art, to promote socialist goals for the people. The vibrant posters in this exhibition provided points of access to a time of great change in Chinese history. They not only demonstrated the role of posters in disseminating Party ideology but also showed how youth embodied hope for the future of China. The posters were selected from the Evelyn Reid Broadside Collection of approximately 50 posters, held in the W.D. Jordan Special Collections Library. Evelyn Reid, who was the Dean of Women at Queen's University from 1971-1980, collected the posters during a visit to China in 1973. During her tenure as Dean of Women, she exhibited the posters at Victoria Hall Residence and other campus locations. The exhibit was curated by Laurie Dalton, a graduate student in Art History, Queen's University, as part of the Art Centre Practicum in Contemporary Art.Item Highlights from the 18th Century Political and Historical Collections(2002-10) Special Collections staffAn exhibition in honour of the retirement of Professor J.A.W. (Jock) Gunn, D. Phil., Oxon., F.R.S.C. 17 October 2002 - 3 December 2002 In selecting items for the exhibition, Dr. Gunn compares Queen's collections with the listings in the English Short-title Catalogue (ESTC), pointing out some holdings apparently unique to Queen's as well as other more common items and interesting groupings, illustrating overall the depth of our collections and their research value. The display of books and pamphlets, with commentary, is presented under the following headings: - Rarissime (as the book-dealers say) - A more technical understanding of rarity - Unique in North America - Putting items in context - Variety - Curiosities