Pasted into volume 11 of Encyclopaedia; or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature (Philadelphia: Thomas Dobson, 1798), this broadside appears to be the only surviving evidence of one of the most unusual private circulating libraries. It demonstrates the cultural importance of one encyclopedia and the lengths people might go to be able to…

PastIsPresent.org

10.04.2025

A Scoundrel at Work in the Archives: George Weeks’ Scams – Past is Present

In my work as the Serials Cataloger at AAS, I recently came across the Ladies' Enterprise, a periodical printed in several New England cities (including Worcester!) in the 1850’s. I was immediately drawn in by its subtitle “Edited and published by females” and its decorative masthead depicting women working at a print shop. Further digging…

PastIsPresent.org

19.04.2025

New to AAS: Sharecropper Account Book, 1866-1868 – Past is Present

This account book, kept on an unidentified Georgia plantation in the mid-1860s, features accounts for over fifty Black sharecroppers. Sharecropping families were frequently trapped in a cycle of debt due to laws restricting sale of sharecropped goods on former plantations and unethical practices by southern planters. On this specific Georgia plantation, Black laborers are recorded…

PastIsPresent.org

23.04.2025

History of Conserving History: The Evolution of Paper Conservation in Libraries – Past is Present

In the summer of 2024, I spent eight weeks at the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) for my first paper conservation internship as part of my master’s program in conservation at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Under the guidance of Chief Conservator Babette Gehnrich — who has dedicated over 35 years to stewarding…

home›PastIsPresent.org

PastIsPresent.org

History

New to AAS: Constitution of the Portsmouth Encyclopedia Society, ca. 1803 – Past is Present

A Scoundrel at Work in the Archives: George Weeks’ Scams – Past is Present

New to AAS: Sharecropper Account Book, 1866-1868 – Past is Present

History of Conserving History: The Evolution of Paper Conservation in Libraries – Past is Present

home
›
PastIsPresent.org