I sometimes forget Iowa State is—
BIG.
Need the same reminder I do? Go back in time to this 1870 archival photo of a one room Lincoln Township one room schoolhouse.
Which do you prefer?
One Room Lincoln Township Schoolhouse
The Dark Plate of Dombey and Son
Illustrations! When did books lose their way and stop putting them in?
At one point in Victorian literature, they were MORE IMPORTANT than the story! Yes, stop rolling your eyes. You see, at first Dickens’ phenomenon-starting The Pickwick Papers, was intended as window dressing for illustrator Robert Seymour’s drawings. However, floored by Dickens’ incredible imagination and energy, Seymour found the story dominated the drawings. Unable to keep pace and already in a bad mental state, Seymour committed suicide after several chapters had been published.
Still, illustrations remained key to Dickens’ stories for the rest of his career. Soon afterward, “Boz” (Dickens’ pen name) hired Hablot K. Browne (“Phiz”), who illustrated his books for the next 24 years. The popular images of many of Dickens’ characters: Scrooge, Uriah Heep, Wackford Squeers, and more come from Phiz’s faithful drawings.
And what great art! Let’s look at a special one.
Enter Dombey and Son, Dickens’ career hinge-point novel.
“On the Dark Road” by Phiz, relating a night scene of the novel uniquely featured a pre-tinted plate out of which the scene was drawn, one of the earliest examples of this method.
Illustrations!
When you look at one so dark and exhilarating, don’t you want them back?
Come see “the Dark Plate” for yourself up in Special Collections and University Archives!
Vintage Beardshear
As summer hits and many students go away from campus, it’s good to remember the beautiful buildings at Iowa State and what awaits upon return. Few Iowa State images are as iconic as Beardshear Hall.
Take a look back at Beardshear over 100 years ago in 1920!
Lovely Sights in Kyoto
For a great reason, Kyoto is the dream of many: a city so far away from our understanding of normal that its temples, rock gardens, forests, and districts float like a dream on our eyes.
Founded officially in 794, Kyoto eventually served as Japan’s imperial capital for over 1,000 years until post Meiji restoration, when the capital moved to Tokyo. However, Kyoto’s grand cultural monuments and atmosphere remain astounding. Here in Ames, Iowa, how can we voyage to so great a place?
Easily. In Special Collections, there is a gorgeous and simple print book Ten Lovely Sights in Kyoto, which gently captures Kyoto’s beauty. At the top is Fushimi Inari Taisha, one of the most popular shrines in Kyoto, famous for its thousands of torii gates spanning a whole mountainside.
Another famous sight is Tofukuji Temple, renowned especially for its fall foliage. Kyoto’s autumn colors are genuinely dazzling, ruby splashes across the mountainsides. Built originally in 1236, crowds gather on Tofukuji’s Tsutenkyo Bridge to look upon a red, orange, and yellow sea of maple leaves.
Come up to Special Collections and University Archives to see the other prints. It’ll be the best part of your day!
Ada Hayden’s Diploma
Do you have your shiny new diploma? Or are you fondly looking back at it framed upon your wall? For today’s inspiration, here’s the diploma of Ada Hayden, one of Iowa State University’s finest!
Summer Stroll Fashions!
It’s about to be summer! Where are you going to walk to celebrate? And VERY importantly, what are you going to wear?
Check out this 1813 fashion plate of a “Walking Dress”! Maybe it’s your new fashion?
No Don Quixote? The Massive Influence of Amadis of Gaul
What’s a world without Don Quixote?
Imagine a Twilight Zone episode where the most influential novel of all time never existed. . .
All the books you love suddenly vanish out of your hands.
Books are more serious.
No Sancho Panza.
Yes, that’s right.
Yet what influenced the most influential?
Almost entirely forgotten except by the nerdiest of literary scholars (ahem, yes your friendly blog writer counts), a series of Spanish and Portuguese novels called Amadis of Gaul electrified the Iberian Peninsula with a mania for noble deeds, sorcery, and knights. Raised in Scotland by the knight Gandales, Amadis loves and battles his way through a series of adventures.
Over time, Spanish readers got deluged by sequels, threequels, fourquels, eightquels and more of Amadis of Gaul, written by various writers, and the market ballooned, many could not get enough of noble adventures!
Enter Don Quixote.
Amused and annoyed by the phenomena of knightly novels, Miguel de Cervantes got inspired to parody the genre. In Don Quixote, he singles out Amadis of Gaul as the progenitor of all the knightly novels and the finest. It is Don Quixote’s favorite book.
Discover for yourself this old masterpiece in a beautiful old edition at Special Collections and University Archives!
Marston Water Tower, 1923
Look back about 100 years ago at the Marston Water Tower! Doesn’t it look like it crowns a perfect, quaint street? How does that area of campus look different today?
Campanile, 1900
Take a look way back into the past at the Campanile on the dawn of Y1.9K! What do you think? Still looking great, right!
Iowa State Way, Way Back When!
Do you remember the days when Iowa State University looked like a grassy neighborhood of expensive British houses? Neither do I, because we weren’t alive! Here is a very early photo of Iowa Agricultural College — the very ground we walk on — well before it looked like today!
Cardinal Tales 