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Playing with the new visualization wall

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This week we went downstairs to the main floor of Redpath Library to play with the new visualization wall which is made up of eight 55-inch screens in the Research Commons. The first thing we wanted to see was how some of our digitized images looked up on the big wall. First we pulled up an a miniature (~ 2″ x 3″) from one of our Book of Hours (MS 102) we recently digitize to support a collaborative research project in medieval manuscripts housed in Rare Books and Special Collections. Even blown up so that one square centimetre covered four of the screens the image was crystal clear.

MS 102, a Book of Hours miniature on one half of our data visualization wall - full size and close up

MS 102, a Book of Hours miniature on one half of the data visualization wall. [Left] Full size [Right] Close up

Next we pulled up the high resolution image of Lincoln’s original draft order for troops signed in 1863 to see details in the ink from Abraham Lincoln’s signature. The level of detail that can be pulled up on these images is exciting! We can’t wait to invite the research teams down to see what can be seen with these screens.IMG_7463

 

Our final experiment was yesterday when we hosted a graduate level multimedia class from the School of Information Studies. Here we wanted to take advantage of the large screen size and used half the screen for a presentation while on the other we used remote desktop to a computer in our lab and did a live demo colour correcting an image.

Greg Houston doing a live colour balancing demonstration on digitized images.

Greg Houston doing a live colour balancing demonstration on digitized images.

To learn more about the research commons you can email research.commons@mcgill.ca

New online: McGill (University) Gazette 1874-1890

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We’ve added 107 full colour issues of the McGill (University) Gazette. This semi-monthly is currently our oldest serial in our student publications digital collection.

Published by the undergraduates of McGill University the Gazette requested contributions of tales, essays, and all suitable literary matter from University men and cost 1$ for a subscription. Our archival run starts with Vol. 1 No. 4 which was published on January 1st 1874.

Front page of the University Gazette Vol. 01 No. 04: January 1, 1874

Front page of the University Gazette Vol. 01 No. 04: January 1, 1874

All of our student publications uploaded to the Internet Archive are also full text searchable.

Searching for text inside the pages of the University Gazette Vol. 01 No. 04: January 1, 1874

Searching for text inside the pages of the University Gazette Vol. 01 No. 04: January 1, 1874

Learn more about what was happening in the past on campus by searching through our Student Publications digital collection that includes over 9,800 issues spanning the history of McGill from 1874 to 2001.

On this day: November 4th 1913 & 1952

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What a difference a few decades makes. Click on the front pages of each paper to read the full McGill Daily issues from 39 years apart.

Front page The McGill Daily Vol. 03 No. 028: November 4, 1913

Front page The McGill Daily Vol. 03 No. 028: November 4, 1913

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 42 No. 025: November 04, 1952

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 42 No. 025: November 04, 1952

Learn more about what was happening in the past on campus by searching through our Student Publications digital collection that includes over 9,800 issues spanning the history of McGill from 1875 to 2001.

On this day: October 11, 1911

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McGill University well represented on Canada’s new cabinet. Out of fourteen ministers Premier Borden selects eleven graduates. Click the front page to read more from the McGill Daily October 11th issue.

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 01 No. 6: October 11, 1911

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 01 No. 6: October 11, 1911

Learn more about what was happening in the past on campus by searching through our Student Publications digital collection that includes over 9,800 issues spanning the history of McGill from 1875 to 2001.

On this day: September 29, 1898

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On this day in 1898 the McGill Outlook published it’s inaugural issue and “makes its initial bow to the student public”. The McGill Outlook (1898-1907) was a weekly student newspaper that followed after the ending of the  McGill Fortnightly (1892-1896) publications.

McGill Outlook Vol. 01 No. 01: September 29, 1898

First issue of the McGill Outlook Vol. 01 No. 01: September 29, 1898

Learn more about what was happening in the past on campus by searching through our Student Publications digital collection that includes over 9,700 issues spanning the history of McGill students writing from 1875-2001 from the McGill University Archives.

New online: La Tentation de Saint Antoine

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Guest post 

After cataloguing several rather tame 18th century versions of La Tentation de Saint Antoine by Sedaine (1719-1797) from the J. Patrick Lee Voltaire Collection last week, I came across another edition that had been beautifully rebound with marbled covers and endpapers and shiny gilt top edges. The others had had numerous grotesque engravings populated with devils as well as music to accompany the poems.

When I opened this book, however, I had quite a shock: following the title page but preceding the text, this version had bound in four hand-coloured engravings of a striptease! There was a lecherous rather gnome-like Saint Anthony leering out from under his monk’s hood, with a grinning pig at his side, watching the proceedings.

Front and center was a buxom young lady who was removing first her skirt, then her petticoat, then her sexy black stockings and bloomers, then the whole works. Flitting about above the scenes is a little flying devil and some sort of cute winged dragon with a snake’s tail. When by the third plate, Saint Anthony is starting to look a bit askance, turning toward his books, a halo appears above his head and in the fourth and last plate, he hides his head in his cowl while the devil shakes his fist and the lovely lady, now in her birthday suit, attempts to tickle him with a peacock feather.

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821

Illustration from Sedaine, (1782). La Tentation de Saint Antoine: Ornée de figures et de musique. A Londres [i.e. Paris: Cazin. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/922002821


I brought this treasure to Megan, intending to ask her advice as to whether “striptease” was an appropriate word for a McGill catalogue record – would J. Patrick Lee turn over in his grave? But before I could ask, she gleefully whisked it off to the digitization section where it has now been digitized and made available in our catalogue for all to enjoy.

You can download the full volume from our catalogue or you can see the original by visiting the Rare Book and Special Collections reading room during opening hours.

Authored by: Penny Aubin

Come visit! Digitization open house September 25, 2015

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Next Friday as part of the activities for Science Literacy Week we’re opening up our doors to visitors! Come drop by Friday, September 25, 2015 anytime between 1pm and 3pm. 

We’ll have a short introduction talk every half hour covering what we do and what kinds of digitization services we offer. We’ll also have stations set up with demonstrations of various phases of the digitization process from picking the material, capturing it and getting it online. This will include demonstrations of our automatic pager turner and flatbed scanners.

The Digitization Lab can be accessed via the Redpath Hall entrance on the McLennan-Redpath terrace and follow the signs to the 2nd floor. See map bellow.

Questions? Contact us directly at digitization.library@mcgill.ca

Redpath Hall entrance on the McLennan-Redpath terrace for digitization lab

Redpath Hall entrance on the McLennan-Redpath terrace for the digitization lab

V-craddle to support digitization of fragile bound manuscripts

V-craddle to support digitization of fragile bound manuscripts

Camera & copystand for digitizing smaller items and 3D objects

Camera & copystand for digitizing smaller items and 3D objects

Betterlight scan back for oversized items

Betterlight scan back for oversized items

On this day: September 11, 1958

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On this day in 1958 there was a ‘Frosh Invasion Underway’. Click the front page to read more from the McGill Daily Special Freshmen Issue.

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 48 No. 001: September 11, 1958 September 11, 1958 - Special Freshman Issue https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-mcgill-daily-v48-n001-september-11-1958-10430

Front page of The McGill Daily Vol. 48 No. 001: September 11, 1958 – Special Freshman Issue https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-mcgill-daily-v48-n001-september-11-1958-10430

 

Learn more about what was happening in the past on campus by searching through our Student Publications digital collection that includes over 9,000 issues spanning the history of McGill students writing from 1875-2001 from the McGill University Archives.

New online: 46 issues of the McGill Fortnightly

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The McGill Fortnightly, ‘A Fortnightly Journal of Literature, University Thought and Events.”–V. 1, no. 3., was bi-monthly published by students between 1892-1898 and the indirect successor to the McGill University Gazette. We digitized all 46 issues including the covers and advertisements in the McGill University Archives but there are gaps in the collection covering the later years. These issues are a part of our larger McGill Student Publication collection. 

McGill Fortnightly Vol. 01 No. 01: October 27, 1892

McGill Fortnightly Vol. 01 No. 01: October 27, 1892

Cover of McGill Fortnightly Vol. 01 No. 03: November 24, 1892

Cover of McGill Fortnightly Vol. 01 No. 03: November 24, 1892

McGill Fortnightly collection

McGill Fortnightly collectionMcGill Fortnightly

New online: George Box Drayton notebook

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New to our digital library is the 336 page handwritten notebook of George Box Drayton that includes various case records, autopsies, prescriptions, lecture notes and personal memoranda dating from 1802 to 1840.

"Comparative Experiments on Mills Blood." Detail from page 27 of the George Box Drayton notebook. 1802-1840

“Comparative Experiments on Mills Blood.” Detail from page 27 of the George Box Drayton notebook. 1802-1840

 

Page 26-27 of the George Box Drayton notebook. 1802-1840

Page 26-27 of the George Box Drayton notebook. 1802-1840

This book was a real challenge to digitize due to it’s size and fragile condition. Measuring a little over 20 inches long and 8 inches wide meant it wouldn’t fit on one of our regular cradle machines and doing it on our medium-format overhead camera would have taken too long. In the end we realized if we turned the book sideways we could digitize a two page spread on one of our overhead scanners located on site at the Olser Library and then we split the pages in post-production. Scanning the book sideways did give us a bit of glare in the gutter due to the light bouncing off the curvature of pages but no text was lost so we felt it was a reasonable compromise in order to get a copy done.

You can download a PDF of the full notebook from our catalogue or you can see the original on request by visiting the Olser Library of the History of Medicine during opening hours.