@smeadleonard
Associate Director of Fellowships and Academic Programs, Newberry Library (all views my own). PhD. Victorian Art History, #MaterialCulture, #HistoricLandscapes, those kinds of things. Also running @morris-on-screen.bsky.social
The first page of the translated saga, with floral motifs as decoration in the margins.
For #WorldBookDay we're highlighting one of William Morris’s calligraphic manuscripts on Icelandic sagas. Pictured here, unfinished, is his translation of Egil’s Saga. Egil's Saga is an Icelandic saga on the lives of the clan of Egil Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald (poet).
There were many amazing thing in Durham and some important case studies for the book, but one of my favourite finds was this 13th C little guy in his hat...
My first thought after "huh." was "I'm looking forward to the rest of the world reacting to this name."
an incredible distraction from present panic is historical panic! in sheep no less
Printed cotton. Dark blue ground printed with rectangles in offset rows featuring a) polar-bear gazing at full moon b) (inverted) standing/reclining tigers with sailing ships and sea in background in grey, white and yellow (not seen in this image). Ground covered with stylised floral outlines in grey and white, Japonisme design. 2 selvedges
#InternationalPolarBearDay:
Fabric Sample (with #PolarBear design)
Beith, Stevenson & Co, Manchester, 1911
printed cotton, W 65.4cm x L 76.2cm
Victoria and Albert Museum T.304-2002:
collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73537/...
A moment before reading this I finally unfollowed a writer on here who posts amusing captions in his ALT text instead of describing the image, and then reposts all the people praising how fun his ALT text is. His posts weren't worth the annoyance of constantly thinking "That's not what it's for!!"
Mr. Bean looks so much like my cat Thistle, who also likes to be Under Things but is not known for being the brightest of wits.
That said, I recently realized that my most used selfie-as-headshot is verging on a decade old, so I can cast no stones.
We have a bulletin board with information about our fellows at work and when they arrive it’s fun discovering which of them haven’t updated their faculty photos recently. I’ve learned the early years of tenure track can leave a mark.
Beverley born artist Frederick (Fred) William Elwell (1870-1958) painting the Admiral Duncan Inn and Beverley Minster
Not something you get the chance to feature everyday. A photograph of the artist painting the scene in the finished work. Beverley born artist Frederick (Fred) William Elwell (1870-1958) painting the Admiral Duncan Inn and Beverley Minster (courtesy of
The painting Beverley Minster from the Hall Garth' (National Trust for Scotland) by Beverley born artist Frederick (Fred) William Elwell (1870-1958)
East Riding Archives (archive ref PH-4-8)) and his painting 'Beverley Minster from the Hall Garth' (National Trust for Scotland) #painting #art #Beverley
Official Team GB Paralympic photo, with the the crests and everything, and a professional headshot, but it's for "Pickle, A Very Good Girl", who is a black labrador, with a hi-viz harness and a red collar.
Some of you like dogs, in which case you may appreciate that guide dogs of Team GB for the Paralympics get official photos
I feel like I’m going to be disappointed by all my future dentist offices after seeing this.
This is totally wild, but at least it has personality?
@onloughrigg.bsky.social Thought you might like this by A H Griffin, one of his ‘Country Diary’ pieces.
oh no
A double treat for Friday.
L Robe à l’anglaise, French, cotton, metal & silk, late 1780s. R Robe à la française, French, silk, mid-late C18th.
I just had occasion to veer down a research rabbit hole about late-16th-century summer doublets, as one does, and I really enjoyed looking through this project focused on the unusually well-preserved wardrobe of a minor German duke:
www.moritzausbuxtehude.de
Vintage illustrated postcard: a man and woman stand at a ping-pong table holding paddles. Handwritten text at upper right reads, ‘How shall I begin.’
How shall I begin? With a first post, of course. Follow along for highlights from our digital collections 🏓
collections.newberry.org/asset-manage...
#Libraries #SpecialCollections
official auction photo of the four silver articulated fish, lined up vertically ongrey background “with engraved scales, three with gem-set eyes and hinged covers, one parcel-gilt”
#FishFriday 🐠:
Four Continental silver articulated #fish, 19th c.
Length of longest 15.5 cm/ 6 1/8 in.
www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/...
The Zizek formulation of Gramsci's "The old world is dying" has also been popping up in similar ways.
Might not fit exactly, but just yesterday I was thinking about how interesting I find the memeification of Yeats's The Second Coming - I've recently seen a couple very good 'the centre cannot hold' or 'slouches towards Bethlehem' riffs. They make me laugh really hard while also thinking "oh, oh no."
The hatch marks may be for stitch or row counting - maybe related to the 27 rows for the heel or 13 stitches for the gusset. I often use hatch marks that way in my own knitting!
A Qing Dynasty headband, made in the 19th century, in the pattern of a turquoise bat. It had little beady eyes and unintentionally looks like the bat is flexing and being generally swol.
no bro has ever lifted as hard as this bat lifts
Loooooooooooooooong Book
#NewberryLibrary (Vault Case MS minus VM 1619 M98) #shelfie
A small building shaped like a large duck. It is a white duck with yellow bill, sitting loaf-style. It is about 15 feet high. It sits in grass surrounded by a little flower bed, with asphalt in front of it. There is a door in its chest, ajar.
The day I visited The Big Duck was one of the greatest days of my life.
#InternationalUnsolicitedDuckPicDay
Hey Bluesky, send us your best ducks
(Happy #InternationalUnsolicitedDuckPicDay to all who celebrate)
Are any NAVSA people interested in putting together a panel about London and/or art history for the 2026 "Traffic" theme? I have some work on livestock, bridges, and train depots and would welcome some companionship.
traffic2026.ucr.edu/call-for-pap...
CALL FOR PAPERS: TRAFFIC
Proposal Deadline: 15 February 2026
〰
NASSR/NAVSA
Pasadena, California
November 11-15, 2026
〰
For more information, visit: traffic2026.ucr.edu
〰
#19C #Traffic @navsa.bsky.social
