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Research & Collections News

Recent News

The Fascinating World of Clarissa Britain

For years I have been interested in women inventors, especially those from Michigan which is my home state. Clarissa Britain’s 1863 United States Patent Model for an Improvement in Boilers caught my attention since she was from St. Joseph, Michigan.

Taking Her Shot: Women and Outdoor Sporting Culture in the Progressive Era

With the support of an Exploratory Research Grant at Hagley Museum and Library, I was able to spend time in the library and archive to develop an article that examines intersections of gender, outdoor leisure activities like hunting and fishing, and conservation/land ethics from the late-nineteen

The Marshall Johnson Collection: Lamb Handles, Knives, Utensils and Cookware – and Marshall Johnson!

This year, the cutlery company Cutco Corporation celebrates its seventieth anniversary. Cutco was founded in 1949 by ALCOA and Case Cutlery as ALCAS, a combination of the two company names. ALCAS produced a new line of cutlery for Wear-Ever, a division of ALCOA, named Cutco, which comes from ALC

New Railroad Collection Arrives at Hagley

Hagley Library has acquired the Herbert Harwood Jr. Railroad and Transportation Collection of photographic negatives. Comprising nearly 150,000 images covering all of the twentieth century, the collection includes Harwood’s own work as a railroad photographer as well as the work of others.

All the Comforts of Hell: Doughboys and American Mass Culture in the First World War

My dissertation, “All the Comforts of Hell: Doughboys and American Mass Culture in the First World War,” argues that American soldiers used the scale and scope of their needs during World War I to push army officers and welfare secretaries to reshape all facets of the country’s mass culture.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, patent my match!

Hagley owns several collections of matchbook covers, some of which have been described in this newsletter previously.

Museum Collection: Who was the inventor known as the ‘Edison of Lancaster’?

This month we bring you back into the world of patent models with an inventor who has ties to a place many of Hagley’s visitors will find familiar. Anthony Iske, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a prolific inventor who didn’t seem to commit to one industry in particular.

Comic Books - Not Just for Superheroes!

With the debut of Superman in 1938, the golden age of comic books began and would continue until about 1950. Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Green Lantern, and Captain Marvel all were introduced during this time. Comic books were inexpensive, portable, and entertaining.

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