National Sporting Library & Museum

The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA is seeking applications for the John H. Daniels Fellowship. The fellowship supports researchers-in-residence to study and use the collections for research into "a topic exploring the intersection of field sports with the evolution of conservation." Check out the Fellowship brochure for more information. The application deadline is March 1, 2013.

The National Sporting Library & Museum was founded in 1954 and the collections contain over 24,000 works of art and books on field and equestrian sports. The collection boasts items dating back to the 15th century. "The National Sporting Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the literature, art and culture of equestrian, angling and field sports." There is an online catalog although it appears you'll need a log in to access it. You can contact the library to find out about access. The manuscript and archive collections contain scrapbooks, papers, photographs and research. Finding aids are available online. The library and museum are both open to the public and free of admission. If unable to visit in person, reference services are available. However, research is limited to 30 minutes per request. If you are curious about the library and collections, read the resource brochures available on the website, or like them on Facebook and check out some of the photos.

The Hirshhorn Library

The Hirshhorn Museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and houses an impressive collection of art. The Hirshhorn is located on the National Mall next to the Air & Space Museum and also maintains the sculpture garden which has some interesting pieces by Rodin among others. The museum is developed around the core collection bequeathed to the Smithsonian by the Founder Joseph Hirshhorn in the 1960s. The collection spans impressionism to modern pieces and is a beautiful representation of 19th and 20th century art.

The Library was founded with the museum in 1969 and is a research collection developed to complement the art found in the museum. It contains exhibition catalogs, serials, and ephemera. The library also participates in publication exchange. I had the opportunity to spend some time in the library photographing some of the Artists Books for the internal digital asset management system as part of a project to review the collection materials for an exhibition. It was wonderful to learn about the collection and get a glimpse into the workings of an art library and Smithsonian Institution Collections.

Navigating the Hirshhorn Museum and Library website is a lesson in patience. The site is difficult to maneuver and incredibly over designed. It is a solid representation of how to make something visually stimulating but practically unusable. I do not have any pictures of the library itself. The library is not open to walk-ins because it is located on the fourth floor of the Hirshhorn Museum building. It is accessible through the elevator, however the floor is closed to the public because it contains staff offices. Anyone is welcome to use the Hirshhorn’s library by appointment. Arrange a visit by emailing hmsglibmail@si.edu or calling(202) 633-2836. The elevator is quite cozy, fitting no more than five people reasonably, with a guard stationed inside to check access for the fourth floor. Security in the Hirshhorn elevator is not a position for someone with claustrophobia, that's for sure.

I did take two pictures of some of the art in the collection, because I found the first a little disturbing (he greets you in the basement floor as you come around the corner, is massive, and quite lifelike. The other is a collection of painting that reminded me of a friend's tattoo of Kazimir Malevich's 'Black Square on White Canvas'. I snapped it to text to her. It's actually a very well done tattoo. I don't remember either artist. If any reader does, please post in the comments. My lack of foresight into the usefulness of more pictures when I had the chance means that given the opportunity, you'll have to visit for yourself. You can browse the catalog to see what's of interest. This catalog links to all the Smithsonian libraries. The Hirshhorn Library is an impressive research collection and dose contain over 60,000 items, many unique and some quite rare. Each Smithsonian library maintains a unique collection and I hope to visit them all someday.

Society of the Cincinnati Library

The Society of the Cincinnati was founded by Continental and French officers who fought in the Revolutionary War. The society was formed to continue to foster the friendships built during the war and in remembrance of the principles for which they fought. The society is named for the Roman hero Cincinnatus. George Washington was elected the first President General of the society, a position he held until his death in 1799. The society has continued through the membership of direct descendents of the original founders and other eligible officers.

"In addition to a museum and library at Anderson House, the Society supports scholarship, publications, historic preservation efforts and other programs to promote increased knowledge and appreciation of the achievements of American independence." --Short History of the Society

The headquarters of the society is housed in Anderson House, a beautiful Guilded Age mansion in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC.


The house was built as the winter home of Larz and Isobel Anderson in 1905. The house is impressively preserved to showcase the original architecture and furnishings. The billiard room has been converted into a small exhibit space.

The home is a National Historic Landmark and is well worth a visit if you have the opportunity.

In 1998 the basement was entirely renovated to create an inviting library space for researchers to access the impressive collection of "printed and manuscript materials relating to the military and naval history of the eighteenth century, with a particular concentration on the people and events of the American Revolution." The collection spans several areas including, The Art of War, Official Military Documents, Contemporary Accounts and Discourses, Manuscripts, Maps, Papers related to the origins of the society, Anderson Family Collection, Graphic Arts, Literature, a Modern Reference Collection (works published post 1820), as well as books published by members of the society. This collection is a must see for any researcher interested in the Revolutionary War. Anderson House is open for public tours, see their website for more information. Contact the library if you are interested in researching the collection. The library does sometimes accept volunteers for projects. Email the library at "library (at) societyofthecincinnati.org" for more information.

National Institute of Standards and Technology Library

I recently had the opportunity to tour the National Institute of Standards and Technology library, museum, and archive in Gaithersburg, MD. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures on the tour. Here is a picture of the external building from the NIST library website:

The library building also houses a museum collection with artifacts from NIST history, such as the official meter stick, and the very first neon sign. The library staff has developed a digital museum with collections, as well as photographic representations of museum artifacts. The current featured collection is Standardization of Women's Clothing. See their photo gallery for collections of photographs from the museum collection.

The NIST campus is not open to the public, however some access to NIST publications is available through request from the website. Requests to visit the museum are granted in special cases. See the Library FAQ section for more information. The library does offer a vast amount of information about the collections through their virtual library portal. The library is an amazing collection of scientific research and technology information. The collections are primarily for use by staff, however the reference librarians may respond to information requests, or direct users to publicly accessible resources for information.

The campus itself is also interesting, in that it is a secure facility that has become somewhat of a nature preserve. The grounds are kept fairly natural, and contain numerous deer and other wildlife. In 1966 when the agency moved to the Gaithersburg campus, a direct decedent to the famous Apple tree which inspired Sir Issac Newton. I'm told the apples taste a bit mealy and aren't very good.