Posts for the Topic rare books

Aché: a publication by and for Black Lesbians

Special Collections & Archives (SCA) is thrilled to announce that we have acquired several issues of Aché: A Journal for Lesbians of African Descent. This groundbreaking magazine ran from 1989 to 1993 and was a space where Black lesbians in the Bay Area of San Fransisco could share perspectives and information about their community.

Doctor Transit

SCA is excited to announce the recent acquisition of a rare, signed copy of Doctor Transit by Isidor Schneider. The first-print copy is inscribed by the author, reading “For Frank Hill from his friend Isidor Schneider.” There is also Frank Hill’s embossed stamp of ownership in the book, reading, “Hill, Dogwood House, New City, New York.” Despite my best efforts, I have not been able to find more information on Mr. Hill and his connection to Schneider.

Turnabout: A Magazine of Transvestitism

Knitting through history

Hello everyone! My name is Tenille and this summer I am working as the Srivastava intern co-op student at Special Collections & Archives (SCA).

 Although we are slowly but surely working our way back to some sense of pre-Pandemic “normality” (however that might look for you), these pandemic years have left an indelible mark on each of us. For many, like myself, those long periods of forced solitude and isolation were a time of self-reflection and anxiety. They were also an opportunity to try out new things and pick up new hobbies. For me, that hobby was knitting.

Fine art and Archive

Hi, I am Alice, a second year student majoring in Fine Art studio practice. It may seem strange to see a student of Fine Art who is willing to apply to the position of the Special Collections & Archives Project Assistant, which it is not so Fine Art related. Even my colleagues here have admitted that this job is sometimes not so creative, in the sense that, sometimes, people do paperwork and scan negatives. However, I feel differently since I became a part of this community. It is a treasure box full of surprises for me as a Fine Art student. It is unlimited inspiration.

Murder in the Archives (pt. 2/2)

Murder and Magic

I know that I said I prefer real murder stories to fictional ones, but all rules have exceptions. My exception is fantasy. So, when I was scrolling through our catalogue for “murder”, I couldn’t help but stop at Murder and Magic by Randall Garrett (call number: F12827).

Murder in the Archives (pt. 1/2)

The Case of Valentine Shortis

Back in November, I began reading The Complete Tales of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, and although I’m not the biggest fan, it came in handy with this. No, it didn’t inspire me to write about everyone’s favourite cocaine addict, but it did remind me that when it comes to murder stories, I much prefer nonfiction to fiction, which prompted me to look for other murder-related books in our catalogue. This led me to a book called The Case of Valentine Shortis: A True Story of Crime and Politics in Canada by Martin Friedland (call number: G9256).

Negatives to Nuremberg

Hi! I’m Elakkiya, a student in English and Classical Studies, doing my co-op term as the Special Collections & Archives Project Assistant. I would begin by saying that so far it’s been going well and I’m looking forward to the next four months, but I can’t say that…

Variety is the spice of life

Hi, my name is Sue and I am a Library Associate in Special Collections & Archives. When I started here in November 2015 I knew there would be a lot of variety to my days, but I hadn’t anticipated just how much!

With our blog, we like to profile some of the interesting, curious or one of a kind items from our archival collections and rare books. We also want to show you what we do here day to day to help demystify the archives world.

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