Our main goal in Special Collections is to make all of our collections accessible and discoverable to the public. We are continually writing descriptions or metadata records about the collections and items available. This year we are working to describe collections that do not have any records, and there are a few items that we know very little about. In cases like these, it can be difficult to create a record to represent the material; it becomes necessary to try and learn what we can about such items despite a lack of background information or context. Fortunately, we are often able to glean some understanding from the materials themselves, uncover further information from outside research, and piece together a basic record for public viewing.
One such collection recently discovered on our shelves is the sketchbook from “John Q. Lane,” dating from 1875. While Lane provides no biographical or personally identifying information within the pages of this book, we are able to imagine a good deal about him from a cursory glance at his artwork.
Lane’s use of vivid color and extreme attention to detail make for truly magnificent renderings of decorative plates, vases, ewers, and other household objects. Lane also includes background information on many of the pieces he has painted, including country of origin, time period, size, and material. It is clear that he appreciated the beauty of these items and the artists who originally crafted them.
At the back of the book are a few outdoor scenes sketched only in pencil, and lacking the detail and color of the previous pages. One scene displays a stone bridge over water, while the others depict bunnies, butterflies, and birds surrounded by leafy foliage and decorative frames. These two groups of illustrations are starkly different and make one wonder about the artist and his life, as well as the purpose of his sketchbook.
Who, exactly, was John Q. Lane? Did he work in a museum among beautiful objects, yet long to be outside amid nature? Was he recreating real scenes from his everyday life, or from books he read and pictures he saw? While we can’t quite answer these questions at the moment, we can create a record for Lane’s sketchbook in our database. By making it more discoverable and accessible to the public, others can appreciate the fine work of John Q. Lane and possibly shed more light on his life and work.
The John Q. Lane sketchbook is available to view in Special Collections, just ask for Collection 152. The collection descriptions are available to view in the Special Collections Search database; you can learn more about Special Collections, including when the reading room is open, how to contact the librarians, and to view a video about the research collections, all on our website. Special Collections will reopen for the fall semester on August 26.
This post was written by Emily Somach - thank you, Emily! This summer Emily is completing her coursework for an MLS (Master of Library Science) at UMD's College of Information Studies. She has also been working in UMBC's Special Collections this year to implement an EAD-XML compliant workflow to describe the archival collections. This project is funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
One such collection recently discovered on our shelves is the sketchbook from “John Q. Lane,” dating from 1875. While Lane provides no biographical or personally identifying information within the pages of this book, we are able to imagine a good deal about him from a cursory glance at his artwork.
Lane’s use of vivid color and extreme attention to detail make for truly magnificent renderings of decorative plates, vases, ewers, and other household objects. Lane also includes background information on many of the pieces he has painted, including country of origin, time period, size, and material. It is clear that he appreciated the beauty of these items and the artists who originally crafted them.
At the back of the book are a few outdoor scenes sketched only in pencil, and lacking the detail and color of the previous pages. One scene displays a stone bridge over water, while the others depict bunnies, butterflies, and birds surrounded by leafy foliage and decorative frames. These two groups of illustrations are starkly different and make one wonder about the artist and his life, as well as the purpose of his sketchbook.
Who, exactly, was John Q. Lane? Did he work in a museum among beautiful objects, yet long to be outside amid nature? Was he recreating real scenes from his everyday life, or from books he read and pictures he saw? While we can’t quite answer these questions at the moment, we can create a record for Lane’s sketchbook in our database. By making it more discoverable and accessible to the public, others can appreciate the fine work of John Q. Lane and possibly shed more light on his life and work.
The John Q. Lane sketchbook is available to view in Special Collections, just ask for Collection 152. The collection descriptions are available to view in the Special Collections Search database; you can learn more about Special Collections, including when the reading room is open, how to contact the librarians, and to view a video about the research collections, all on our website. Special Collections will reopen for the fall semester on August 26.
This post was written by Emily Somach - thank you, Emily! This summer Emily is completing her coursework for an MLS (Master of Library Science) at UMD's College of Information Studies. She has also been working in UMBC's Special Collections this year to implement an EAD-XML compliant workflow to describe the archival collections. This project is funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
