Audubon Bird of the Week

Scarlet Ibis

Native to South America, Audubon saw 3 ibises while traveling in the Southeastern United States.  In fact, he set the scene for the ibis in Birds of America in the Southeast.

Young ibises are a brownish grey and white, as seen in Audubon’s artwork.  The diet of the ibis is rich in red-hued crustaceans, giving the ibis it’s characteristic color in adulthood.  Interestingly, ibises can swim before they can fly.  It is estimated there are about 100,000 to 150,000 in the wild.

Behind the Scenes

Here’s a sneak peak at the installation of In the Garden: The Art of Botanical Illustration.  Opening June 1, the exhibit delves into the history of botanicals, from simple medieval woodcuts to the vibrant colors of Victorian illustration.

The Rare Book display room before exhibit installation.

The curator designs the layout for one of the cases.

The exhibit designer creates "cradles" to provide support for books in the display.

Artwork for the side panels is chosen.

Our Ancestors Who Gave Their Lives in Military Service

Do you know if you have ancestors who died in military service?  The following are resources available in the Grosvenor Room that list soldiers who died in war.

• Revolutionary War

A List of Revolutionary War Soldiers’ Graves Located in Erie County, New York – Compiled by Leta L. Merrow – GRO Ref F127 .E6 M42 1989.  Information given generally includes birth and death date, rank, photograph of the gravestone, gravestone transcription, and location of gravestone.

• War of 1812

Known Military Dead During the War of 1812 – Compiled by Clarence Stewart Peterson – GRO E 359.4 .P48.  This work has a national focus.  It names soldiers and lists their rank, regiment, date of death, and in some cases place of death.

• Civil War

Index to the Roll of Honor – Compiled by Martha & William Reamy – GRO Ref E 494 .R653 .R43 1995; Roll of Honor – GRO CS 63 U6.   The Roll of Honor lists Union soldiers who died during the Civil War.  Details that may be given are place of burial, date of death, company and regiment, and death information.  The Index to the Roll of Honor includes a name index as well as an index of burial sites by state and city.

• World War II

Buffalo Evening News Almanac and Fact Book: Names of Buffalo and Western New York Residents Who Gave Their Lives in Service in World War II – GRO Ref AY 67 .B9N4 1947.  The names of those who died are listed by county.  Ranks and last known addresses are given.

• Korean War

Buffalo Evening News Almanac and Fact Book: Korean War Dead – GRO Ref AY 67 .B9N4 1954.  Soldiers who died are listed as well as their last known address and family member names.  The listings include WNY service members and those from neighboring areas.

• Vietnam War

In Remembrance Of: Vietnam War Casualties of Western New York – by P.B. Kavanagh – GRO Buffalo F127.E6 K28 2004.  This manuscript includes obituaries and biographies of WNY soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.

For more military resources available in the Grosvenor Room, please see our finding aids.

Audubon Bird of the Week

Great Auk

The Great Auk, part of the penguin family, went extinct in the mid-1800s.  The last pair of Auks were killed on June 3, 1844.  Over-hunting is believed to be the cause for extinction.  The Auk lived on islands off the coast of Newfoundland and on Iceland.  This large, flightless bird was about 30 inches tall, and at 11 lbs, was a powerful swimmer.

Audubon never saw an Auk in person.  He painted the Auk from a specimen in London.

Subject Guides Online

Planning a trip to the Grosvenor Room?  Use our online subject guides to help save time:

https://www.buffalolib.org/special-collections/guides-publications

The guides provide descriptions of genealogy and local history materials available in the Grosvenor Room.  They detail popular subjects and resources such as city directory holdings (including many from out of state!), military resources, vital records, census records, ethnic genealogy, yearbooks and others.

Last Call for the Three Thayers!

The Three Thayers: Murder and Spectacle in Early Buffalo will be closing next week.  The last day for viewing the exhibit is Sunday, May 23, from 1 pm to 5 pm at the Central Library.

Don’t miss our next exhibit, Into the Garden: the Art of Botanical Illustration.  Opening June 1, Into the Garden will showcase stunning examples of botanical flowers and plants from books and prints in the rare book collection.  Botanical giclée prints will also be offered for purchase as part of the summer-long exhibit, coinciding with Buffalo’s National Garden Festival.

Audubon Bird of the Week

Barred Owl

Best known as the “hoot owl,” the barred owl has a 44-inch wingspan.  Interestingly, it is the only owl native to the eastern part of the United States that has brown eyes; other owls have yellow eyes.

The barred owl is plate 46 of the double elephant folio set.  Engraved with etching, aquatint, and hand-coloring by Robert Havell.

Twain poster is here!

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the publication of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Rare Book Room commissioned a screen print from local graphic design firm, Hero!  On sale at Novel Ideas in the Central Library, or through Hero’s website, the poster is a limited edition printing.  Novel Ideas store hours are: Mon,Tues, Wed & Fri 11AM-2PM; Thurs 11AM-6PM; Sat 11AM-3 PM.

Be sure to visit the Mark Twain Room at the Central Library for the new exhibit, 125 Years of Huck.  The exhibit showcases never-before-seen leaves of Mark Twain’s handwritten Huck Finn manuscript.  The Mark Twain Room is located on the first floor of the Central Library at the top of the escalators. Exhibits are open during regular library hours.

Three Thayers

The latest Rare Book Room exhibit, The Three Thayers: Murder & Spectacle in Early Buffalo has been covered by the Buffalo News and the Buffalo Downtowner (page 5).  The exhibit is open during regular library hours until May 23 at the Central Library, 1st floor.

New Websites!

The Rare Book Room and the Mark Twain Room have new websites.  Introduction to collections, upcoming exhibits, and tips for visiting us are covered.

Rare Book Room

http://www.buffalolib.org/content/grosvenor/rare-book-room

Mark Twain Room

http://www.buffalolib.org/content/grosvenor/mark-twain-room