Rare @ OSU

One World Away: Kiang’s Great Unity and Pauling’s Press for Peace

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

Many Americans – and people around the globe – experienced the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s as an age of political uncertainty and social turmoil. It was a powerful time: everywhere the specter of disaster loomed, yet that fear brought with it a unique capacity for change enabled by commonplace desperation. In the United States alone, mounting resistance to the Vietnam War built confidence among grass-roots activist organizations for their efficacy in up-ending the status quo. And while mutually assured destruction terrified the world, the threat of nuclear war also inspired many thinkers and activists to strive for equally bold solutions. In the light of world chaos and potential mass destruction, the idea of building a global government and abolishing nationalism seemed especially promising – far more promising than what the United Nations seemed ultimately able to provide.

It’s no surprise, then, to see a large proliferation in world peace literature in the Cold War era. Some publications were mild and innocuous, but many took the form of bold declarations and manifestos about the urgent need for radical change.

An excellent example of the latter is One World: The Approach to Permanent Peace on Earth and the General Happiness of Mankind by John Kiang. Self-described as “a manifesto of revolution for world union with the evolutionary law of group expansion as a guiding theory,” it examines shifting technologies and living conditions to build a larger argument in favor of a unified humanity. From that perspective, nations and nation-states can only be seen as counter-productive: the deep-seated but fundamentally arbitrary veil of nationalism impedes sincere appeals to common humanity and mutual accountability.

Although the core text is fairly concise, this copy of One World is a scholarly edition from 1984, replete with extensive sources, commentary, and analysis:

In this work we see the role that cultural context can play in international movements: though not explicitly outlined, One World contains thematic and rhetorical ties to the utopic vision of “Great Unity” in China. Great Unity represents the goal of creating a Chinese society of mutual accountability and selflessness – a cohesive community where people work to help others rather than harm them (Wikipedia).

First described in classic Chinese texts going back millennia, Great Unity was popularized by Sun Yat-Sen in the early 20th century (Wikipedia). In doing so, it was used to help build a cultural momentum in favor of a shift towards a communist ideal. The Great Unity message was adopted overtly in China’s national anthem in 1937; though later supplanted with another song in the People’s Republic of China during the Chinese Civil War, it remains in use by Taiwan to this day (Wikipedia).

John Kiang left China in 1949 in the wake of the earth-shattering Chinese Civil War (Chiamonline). It seems fair to suggest that he nevertheless brought the culturally-specific vision of world peace, prosperity, and harmony with him stateside. It’s hard for those of us living in our countries of birth to imagine the inner turmoil he must have felt during that time, working for global peace a world away while his homeland was experiencing such complete upheaval and division. Perhaps that effort helped him, in some way, to bring his home with him and improve the world as a result.

These efforts manifested in One World. Though a relatively obscure book, One World at last found some degree of traction once it found its way into the hands of two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling – surprisingly, Pauling was willing to attach his name to it in the form of a guest introduction.

As a famous peace activist, Pauling was a prime recipient of unsolicited manuscripts, book ideas, calls for action, and reference requests. But of all of the texts he received and was asked to endorse, why would he choose one such as this?

A large factor was undoubtedly Kiang’s persistent correspondence with Pauling. He wrote with Pauling repeatedly between 1983-4, praising Pauling’s efforts and experience and asking for an introduction to One World. Pauling consistently refused, citing his lack of expertise in Kiang’s specific subject area. This pseudo-humble approach to refusing unsolicited (and often wacky) manuscripts was trademark for Pauling during his peak social activism years. Then, somehow, everything changed for One World. Somehow, Pauling changed his mind. We have as proof Pauling’s written introduction documented in the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Collection, along with letters and cards from the Kiang family thanking him for his collaboration:

Even when meticulously compiled and researched, correspondence collections can still resist post hoc scrutiny. We hold a substantial set of letters between the two activists, but we lack the connection point between the “before” and “after” of when Pauling agreed to add his name to Kiang’s One World project. Was it a letter that went missing? A phone call? An in-person visit? Kiang later sent Pauling a photo of a meeting between them, but the context for how and when it happened is largely absent.

Another probable factor is that the content and message of the book aligned well with Pauling’s driving fears for the future. As Pauling writes in his introduction, “[Kiang’s] principal message is that war has now ruled itself out.” For Pauling, the atom bomb meant that “a war in which the existing nuclear weapons were used would with little doubt mean the end of our civilization, and possibly the end of the human race.” Perhaps that in itself built enough common ground between two men of different backgrounds and fields of expertise to collaborate – if only in a minor way – on what must have felt like a higher calling. (Pauling’s endorsement would be used in later work by John Kiang as well, but always from a distanced position.)

On a general level, One World embodies the slippery way that ideas persist, spread, and evolve. Just like how John Kiang built his own vision upon seeds planted by Sun Yat-Sen and many authors before him, it will be fascinating to witness how the Cold War push towards internationally-regulated peace and world government will rear its head again on the world stage in the decades to come.

   “Book of Rites.” Wikipedia, 3 December 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Rites

“Great Unity.” Wikipedia, 2 February 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Unity

“John Kiang (1911-2003).” Chiamonline, n.d., http://www.chiamonline.com/People/gkwas/kiangjohn.htm

“National Anthem of the Republic of China.” Wikipedia, 28 May 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Anthem_of_the_Republic_of_China

One World: The Approach to Permanent Peace on Earth and the General Happiness of Mankind, by John Kiang. Notre Dame, Indiana: One World Publishing, 1984, xv.

Two Years After: A Selection of Comments and Other Documents Pertaining to “One World” in the Two Years after its Publication, by John Kiang. Notre Dame, Indiana: One World Publishing Company, 1987, 20.

“World Government.” Wikipedia, 24 May 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_government

Beyond a Treasonable Doubt: Boethius and His Dying Philosophy

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

Given the United States’ dubious distinction as the world leader in per capita incarceration rates (Wikipedia), American citizens must consider the legacies of unjust imprisonment on all facets of humanity – literature included. Perhaps the most immediate example that comes to mind is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s monumental “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” That document, however, is in fact part of a broader tradition of creation from behind barbed wire: just ask Boethius.

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was a prominent Roman statesman and philosopher who lived from 477-524 CE. He was fortunate indeed to be alive during what must have been a golden age for the Roman aristocracy in the decades following the German Odoacer’s violent takeover of the Western Empire in 476 (Stanford).

Both a Christian and a Hellenist, Boethius possessed an academic skillset (including fluency in Greek) that was quite rare among his contemporaries (St-Andrews). His varied intellectual pursuits inspired him to undertake an ambitious project to translate all of Aristotle and Plato. He never succeeded, however, as he was imprisoned and eventually executed in his middle-age on account of treason charges that are now widely believed to be false (philosophers.co.uk). In the years of imprisonment prior to his execution, Boethius composed De Consolatio Philosophiae, or “The Consolation of Philosophy” - a remarkable text that balances religion and philosophy in a Plato-inspired dialogic format. Written under the auspices of Boethius’ impending death, the book translates his desperate anxieties into a transcendental argument in defense of a benevolent higher power (Wikipedia).

Consolatio Philosophiae’s origins sound passingly familiar to those of Le Morte D’Arthur, with the exception that the trumped-up political charges against the former’s author bear little resemblance to the host of barbaric crimes likely committed by Sir Thomas Malory. Yet it’s interesting to consider how the common needs for redemption and legacy can manifest in widely different ways.

SCARC’s copy of De Consolatio, a spartan 1491 incunable, wastes no space on a frontispiece or printer’s marks, but rather begins abruptly (to modern front matter sensibilities) with an extensive table of contents and an emphatically crossed-out ownership stamp at the bottom:

As seen in our opening image, our text wears a vellum cover: though fairly effaced by time, pencil markings of names and dates can still be seen, forming a curious set of clues regarding its literary provenance. Eschewing illustrations entirely, each of the manuscript’s two hundred and fifty pages is filled with the same dense lines and cramped Gothic type:

Note the frequently intermixed poetry and prose passages; this format makes De Consolatio Philosophiae unique among other philosophical and theological texts of the time.

There is little doubt that the De Consolatio’s creation was spurred by the pressing impetus of Boethius’ punishment and execution. In honor of similar and continually relevant circumstances, it is therefore worth it for us to remember that even in the darkest of moments, the worst of humanity is still powerless to prevent the best from breaking through.

 “Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius.” MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive. University of  St. Andrews, May 2000. http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Boethius.html

“Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 19 July 2016. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boethius/

Boethius. Boetius De Consolatione. Joanne De Forliuio Et Gregorium Fratres, 1491.

“Boethius.” Philosophers.co.uk. Philosophers.co.uk, 2012. http://www.philosophers.co.uk/boethius.html

“The Consolation of Philosophy.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 February 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Consolation_of_Philosophy

“United States Incarceration Rate.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 May 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_incarceration_rate

Dagwood’s Magic Atoms

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

The following image is from the 1949 comic “Learn How Dagwood Splits the Atom!”, which uses a familiar household name to teach readers the basics of atomic physics and its implications for industry, agriculture, medicine, and science.

Musial, Joseph W., et al. Learn How Dagwood Splits the Atom! King Features Syndicate, Inc., 1949.

Transactions of the Linnean Society

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

  Among the many scientific organizations now present in the Euro-American milieu, few rank as prominently as the Linnean Society of London. Founded in 1788, the organization has served as an important nexus for discussion, research, “and the dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution and taxonomy” (Wikipedia). It endures as the oldest active biological society to date.

   Although it represented a cohort of only 200 fellows in its early decades, the Linnean Society now sports a fellowship of well over 2,000 members (Wikipedia). Its annals have recorded contributions from scientists as influential as Charles Darwin, Robert Brown, and Marie Stopes.

   Our first series journal collection contains all issues between its 1791 inception and 1875. (Our second series of Linnean transactions, which splits into zoology and botany specifically, continues after that point as well.)

   The journals offer a fascinating snapshot of science at work in the form of detailed illustrations and in-depth conversations around species and genera.

“Linnean Society of London.” Wikipedia, 4 April 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnean_Society_of_London

Pauling’s “Immoral Man”: Nuclear Testing, the Nature of Leadership, and Letters to the Kennedys

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

For internationally-renowned scientist and activist Linus Pauling, the early 1960s represented a time of feverish peace work that matched the dangers and necessities of an ever-escalating international crisis. One of the most interesting (and complicated) examples of his correspondence to world leaders during this time was to President John F. Kennedy.

 Most of Pauling’s communications with JFK happened during his tenure as President of the United States between 1961-63. (Pauling, meanwhile, was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1962.) The topics of their letters varied widely between nuclear disarmament, nuclear test bans, international peace treaties, and even the Cuban Missile Crisis itself.

Though Pauling’s letters frequently asserted an authoritative tone, the two did not always maintain the level of peership this might imply; many of Pauling’s letters went unanswered, and those that did get replies were sometimes written by others on Kennedy’s behalf.

Pauling was often vehemently critical of President Kennedy’s policies and public relations efforts regarding the cold war and nuclear disarmament, attacking his moral character for failing to take strong enough action to de-escalate rising nuclear tension.

It’s also worth noting that Ava Helen Pauling played a similar role in advocacy to the Kennedys; she wrote Mrs. Kennedy with a similar message about the threat of nuclear weapons, albeit focusing specifically on the impact this might have on her own children. The Paulings’ two-pronged approach is emblematic of their larger team effort.

Nevertheless, Pauling’s lengthy diatribes and urgings to the Kennedys ended abruptly after the infamous assassination in 1963. Of particular significance is a brief letter written to the First Lady three days later, within which Pauling expresses remorse over the death “of our great President, John F. Kennedy.”

The tone of that letter is hard to interpret due to its pithiness, but the typically stoic manner in which Pauling writes reveals here a brief moment of vulnerability. For all his “urgings” and his attacks on Kennedy’s moral character, Pauling clearly also had a certain amount of faith in Kennedy’s ability to listen to reason, make compassionate decisions, and lead the nation through moments of immense political pressure. Not only that, but as someone familiar with death threats due to activism, it’s hard to imagine Linus Pauling seeing November 22nd as anything other than a sobering and uncertain experience. The long and difficult relationship between them was snuffed out, but the legacy of the work, unfortunately, needed more than ever to be continued.

 For more information on the Paulings’ evolving relationship with the Kennedys, please read our Pauling Blog post.

Gregory Corso’s Bomb

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

  In line with our recent theme of nuclear energy and peace activism, it makes sense to consider the situation from a different angle: poetics.

 Beat poet Gregory Corso lived as a contemporary and peer of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Although perhaps not quite as well-known as them, he holds an important place in literary history for, among other things, writing “one of the earliest poems to confront the existence of the nuclear bomb” (Wikipedia). That poem is “Bomb”, first published in a 1958 broadside that opened a conversation between literature, activism, and the threat of mutually assured destruction.

 As has been noted by other archives, the broadside’s original printing overlays its folds to mold the words into the shape of a mushroom cloud. This deft move subverted the tradition of shape poetry to make “an ironic epic hymn to the bomb” (Seigel).

 Although sometimes initially mistaken as a genuine ode to nuclear weapons (Wikipedia),  “Bomb” ultimately turns into a critique of an insistent infatuation that really does exist: “Know that the earth will madonna the Bomb / that in the hearts of men to come more bombs will be born” (Corso).

      cl880. “Bomb The making of a Gregory Corso poem.” Columbia University Libraries. Accessed 15 February 2018. https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/rbml/2010/02/20/bomb-the-making-of-a-gregory-corso-poem/

Corso, Gregory., and City Lights Books. Bomb. City Lights Books, 1958.

“Gregory Corso.” Wikipedia, 9 February 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Corso

Seigel, Catharine F. "Corso, Kinnell, and the Bomb." MAPS. Accessed 15 February 2018. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/corso/bomb.htm

The Family Fallout Shelter

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

  Designed as a basic guide and orientation to shelter construction, our copy of “The Family Fallout Shelter” was published by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization in 1960 as part of an effort to increase national preparedness in the event of nuclear catastrophe. It makes a compelling case for why “everyone, even those far from a likely target, would need shelter from fallout.”

 Urging proactive safety measures, the booklet offers five different designs for how a home shelter might be constructed. In the pamphlet’s own words, “one of the five can be done alone – the other four require a contractor for most people.”

 Lastly, for those more inclined to take every precaution, more elaborate designs are also included:

      United States. Office of Civil Defense Mobilization. The Family Fallout Shelter. Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization : [For Sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O.], 1959.

Selling the Spy: Atomics and Cold War Comics in the 1950s

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

An important complement to our significant collection of atomic energy texts, manuals, and research is the contemporary literature that provides a glimpse of how day-to-day culture was shaped by the mystery, excitement, and fear of the atom bomb. One such example is our copy of “Atomic Spy Cases,” a little comic that has a lot to say.

Advertised as “Based on TRUE Stories!”, this issue presents a collection of vignettes of espionage and intrigue related to top-secret nuclear research and counter-intelligence. It was published by Avon in 1950, four years before the advent of the Comics Code Authority – but a fair amount of moralizing (in this case, politically-charged) is still readily apparent.

 In fact, much of the historic value of comics is tied to their reflection of the fears, anxieties, and values of whatever moment they occupy. This comic in particular leverages a fervor around thwarting atomic spies – researchers, scientists, engineers, and many others – who were found guilty of leaking nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, especially in the 1950s (Wikipedia). Though not directly related, the prominence of nuclear espionage in the Euro-American zeitgeist also almost certainly led to some of Ian Fleming’s Bond books, such as Moonraker, which was first published in 1955 (Wikipedia).

Yet, the public was often as fascinated by atomics as it was terrified by them. As expected, “Atomic Spy Cases” also demonstrates this curious dualism: one page highlights mushroom clouds and dangerous radiation, while another advertises a ring made of “eternium,” a He-Man era substance both dangerous and full of energy, which “glows with mysterious blue fire” by night.

  “Atomic Spies.” Wikipedia, 28 December 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_spies

“Atomic Spy Cases.” Atomic Spy Cases, 1950.

“Moonraker.” Wikipedia, 3 February 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonraker_(novel)

Happy Birthday, Lewis Carroll!

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

Since January 27th of this year will mark the 186th birthday of Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll), we at OSU Special Collections wanted to celebrate some of his accomplishments and take pride in our rare copies of some of his most influential texts.

A controversial man of many talents, Carroll was, among other things, an “English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer” (Wikipedia). Although he was influential in many of those fields, his status as a household name is, of course, largely due to his authorship of Alice in Wonderland.

And what a book of Alice we have! We possess a moment of pure history in the form of an 1869 early edition of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” preserved with remarkably few blemishes or signs of hard use. It also includes forty-two iconic illustrations by the legendary John Tenniel – pictures which have had a monumental impact in how we visualize the surreal Alice narrative even today.

  “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is far more than a text aimed at entertaining children. In the book we can see Caroll begin to really dive into experimenting with literature; the story is rife with parodies and deconstructions of words, characters, tropes, narrative structures, and even text itself.

   Though Alice in Wonderland is Carroll’s flagship work, it is by no means the only significant contribution he made to British literature. His legacy also extends through poems such as “The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony, in Eight Fits,” which SCARC possesses a first-edition copy of from Macmillan in 1876. Beautifully illustrated and adorned with gilded page edges, it occupies a quiet but elegant space on our shelves. Though not as well-known as the classic Alice narrative, the poem borrows from the epic genre to weave a memorable tale at once tragic, political, philosophical, and full of wonder.

   Like other writings of Carroll’s, the poem is generally filed away under the moniker of “nonsense” literature – a unique but misleading title. One might be tempted to think of “nonsense” writings as random, but the genre in fact demands a careful, deliberate balancing act between overt and implied meaning. Distinctive techniques include “faulty cause and effect, portmanteau, neologism, reversals and inversions, imprecision (including gibberish)…and misappropriation” (Wikipedia). But nonsense literature also offers a gateway to begin experimenting with the idea of text itself on a fundamental level; this playfulness and meta-awareness has continued in threads all the way to present day in the form of ergodic texts and artists’ books.

  Carroll, Lewis, et al. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. London, Macmillan and Co., 1869.  PR4611 .A7 1869

Carroll, Lewis, et al. The Hunting of the Snark: an Agony, in Eight Fits. London, Macmillan and Co., 1876. PR4611 .H8

“Lewis Carroll.” Wikipedia, 21 January 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll.

“Literary Nonsense.” Wikipedia, 9 January 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_nonsense.

Someday, Maybe, Stafford

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Archivist

One of the unique roles that Special Collections departments can often serve is collecting materials related to their localized culture, history, and geography. This can sometimes mean maps, faculty papers, department records, or journals – but sometimes it can be represented by literature too.

 William Stafford is a poet situated at a unique place in the American canon. At times both prominent and lesser-known, influential and subtle, his voice navigates a fragile line between the self and the outside world. A writer who felt a remarkably deep connection to nature, Stafford lived as a longtime resident of the Pacific Northwest – and, in an ethereal yet authentic way, his work somehow manages to ground his readers in that landscape in every moment.

 The relationship between language and place is both strange and intransitive. Writers are not defined by their location, nor can they truly be put into boxes – but sometimes indelible moments shine through that taste authentic and undeniably real. This was perhaps best put by poet, critic, and editor David Biespiel, who in “Long Journey: Contemporary Northwest Poets,” wrote: “Consider one of the region’s celebrated poets, William Stafford. William Stafford is one of the finest Oregon poets that the state of Kansas ever produced. To read Stafford closely is to be confronted with a wild – though sometimes suburban – Northwestern landscape from a poet who has a Midwesterner’s predisposition…William Stafford didn’t use poetry to explore the region of the Northwest. The Northwest is just one of the things he used in order to write poetry” (2006).

 Stafford served as both Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress as well as Poet Laureate of Oregon. His work shares many similarities with authors like Robert Frost and Robert Bly, and his notable relationship with Bly had a significant impact on Bly’s poetry and style (Wikipedia).

 SCARC possesses several notable books by Stafford, unique either for their autographs or their fine press origins. Our copy of “That Other Alone,” for example, was printed on botanical drying paper by Perishable Press, which “was one of the earliest fine presses to produce most of its work on a Vandercook proofing press (rather than a cast-iron press)” (University of Missouri). The press leans towards efforts both whimsical and intensely creative; “That Other Alone” features blind-embossed illustrations by Ann Mikolowski, and the colophon promises that “Our next Stafford book will be printed on paper made out of his old clothes and especially a love-worn bathrobe” (1973). Some other items include signed copies of “Someday, Maybe” and “A Scripture of Leaves.” Though not signed, we also possess a copy of the influential memoir “Down in My Heart,” which was in fact published at Oregon State.

 One final privilege unique to Special Collections work: our copy of “Someday, Maybe” contains a signed note on the dedication page specifically tailoring the book to its previous owner. Though their identity remains a mystery for now, these kinds of clues offer brief glimpses into deeper, human stories that ground our language and our artifacts in a history that lives and breathes to this day.

Biespiel, David. Long Journey : Contemporary Northwest Poets. Corvallis, Or., Oregon State University Press, 2006.

“Perishable Press.” Libraryguides.missouri.edu, 25 August 2017, http://libraryguides.missouri.edu/c.php?g=474188&p=4078541

Stafford, William, and Mikolowski, Ann. That Other Alone. Mt. Horeb, Wis., Perishable Press, 1973.

“William Stafford (poet).” Wikipedia, 29 December 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Stafford_(poet)

Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians

Post Contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

 When one thinks of secret societies, groups such as the Freemasons or the Knights Templar are the first that come to mind. A lesser-known but equally important denomination, however, is a set of groups collectively known as the “Rosicrucians.” The movement “arose in Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts which purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order” (Wikipedia). These texts interwove symbols and theologies of many disparate religious traditions to create their own framework of divinity and science.

 A later seminal text for the organization was “Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians,” an 18th century book which expanded on these constructions in a way that made them more accessible to public purview. It represents the order’s advocacy for a “universal reformation of mankind” and expounds on hermetic beliefs of the “threefold soul”: alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. The Rosicrucian movement also had a significant impact on other secret societies, with authors such as Thomas De Quincey theorizing that Freemasonry was potentially an outgrowth of Rosicrucianism itself (Wunder 31).

  Our edition was produced by the Occult Publishing Company in Boston in 1888. At 17 inches in length and 12 in width, this sizable edition contains dozens of colored illustrations and diagrams detailing the relationships of occult, mystical, and alchemical symbologies in a fascinating syncretic fashion.

  Hartmann, F. (1888). Cosmology : Or universal science. Cabala, alchemy, containing the mysteries of the universe regarding God, nature ... explained according to the religion of Christ by means of the secret symbols of the Rosicrucians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries ... from an old German manuscript, and provided with a dictionary of occult terms. Boston (Mass.): Occult Pub.

“Rosicrucianism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucianism.

Wunder, Jennifer N. Keats, Hermeticism, and the Secret Societies. Routledge, 2016.

World War 1 Visual Materials

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

In honor of Veterans Day, we wanted to highlight some of SCARC’s offerings related to World War 1. Here are some samples from our collection of war posters, many of which encourage American citizens to buy bonds and serve in necessary agriculture and industry capacities. For more information, visit our Valley Library citation: http://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/OSU:osu_scarc:CP71198337820001451

 You can also view our World War 2 posters here: http://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/OSU:osu_scarc:CP71199329950001451

Papers for Peace: Vietnam, Linus Pauling, and Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Burning Lotus

Post Contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

Though people often come to SCARC to access our collection of two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling’s documents and correspondence, an important but oft-overlooked part of the archive is his personal library. It contains an incredibly diverse amount of material, including history, fiction, science, psychology, drama, and activism. That last category is particularly important given Pauling’s shift toward peace and anti-nuclear activism in his mid-40s; a closer examination of the books in his library from that point onward offers a possible view of the mental landscape that gave his peace activism its sustained intensity.

One salient example is “Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire” by Buddhist monk and activist Thích Nhất Hạnh. Published in 1967, the book offers a piercing look into the real experience of Vietnamese people mid-crisis and how this commonly overlooked mindset contributed to the continually escalating Vietnam conflict.

It begins by discussing “the historical setting” of religion in Vietnam before quickly pivoting to the rise of communist-capitalist tensions as global powers began to get increasingly involved. Hanh uses this context to address inaccurate perceptions held by the American public about Vietnam’s cultural climate; for example, he demonstrates that the majority of NLF (National Liberation Front) soldiers were not in fact fighting for communism, but rather for the end of American occupation. In escalating the conflict for the sake of fighting communism, therefore, the U.S. occupying force only drove the people of Vietnam against it more. Hanh also undermines the misconception that non-affiliated Vietnamese citizens helped the NLF because of coercion; rather, they assisted the NLF because of the promise of achieving national independence. (In his view, this perspective mainly developed due to the historical presence of French imperialism in Vietnam. He claims that people in Vietnam associate American presence with age-old French oppression, thereby carrying that anger and resentment directly over.)

“Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire” was published at a critical point in American history and in the history of the Vietnam conflict. It complicated the overly-simplistic narrative presented by American media, arguing that the best solution for Vietnam is a neutral one free from the control of both capitalist and communist superpowers. To Hanh, this neutral solution involves establishing an interim government truly representative of the people of Vietnam in order to conduct a free and fair election. He advocates for the emergence of engaged Buddhism as a necessary part of this change. (“Engaged Buddhism” was first coined by Hanh as a philosophy that asks Buddhists to use the principles of their faith to fight injustice and ameliorate inequity.)

There’s nothing out of the ordinary about the edition of “Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire” in our archives, but its presence in Pauling’s personal library can perhaps reveal some of the thoughts and ideas that inspired his anti-Vietnam War activism. Both Linus and Ava Pauling were strong public critics of the Johnson administration’s escalation in Vietnam – and books such as this make it easy to see why. Firsthand accounts from peace activists like Hanh make it difficult to interpret America’s role in the conflict as something other than immoral and ineffective.

It’s inaccurate to assume a person agrees with a book simply because it exists in one’s library – but taking this book in context of the tenor of Pauling’s larger collection as well as the vehement discourse he used in fighting for peace can perhaps shed some light on how the sharing of ideas from peace activists around the world allows for stronger resistance against global injustice.

  Thích Nhất Hạnh. (1967). Vietnam: Lotus in a sea of fire. (1st ed.). New York: Hill and Wang.

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Scrapbook

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake remains one of the most calamitous natural disasters in recorded U.S. history. Estimated to have reached as high as a 7.8 on the Richter scale, it devastated the San Francisco area, levelling buildings (yet to be constructed with seismic resistance requirements) and spawning massive fires that lasted for days.

Today we are able to look back on the tragic event through photos, ephemera, and other surviving records. One such example is a home-made scrapbook in our collection. Originally a book of school certificates, it was adapted by Mrs. T. S. Clark to house a wealth of newspaper photos and clippings detailing the earthquake and its repercussions.

 Our Thomas John Autzen collection contains a student essay on the San Francisco earthquake. A variety of SCARC collections contain more photographic materials of the calamity; they can be found here under the “Related Materials” section.

Captain Cook’s Voyages

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

The published journals of Captain James Cook begin as follows: “Voyages being considered as the grand repository of useful and interesting knowledge, have justly engaged the attention of mankind in all ages.” Though the frontiers of exploration today are quite different from those of prior centuries, both adventurers and the intrepid expeditions they lead have enjoyed a longstanding light of fascination in western culture.  

Among a vast legacy of famed European explorers, Captain James Cook is particularly prominent. A Royal Navy veteran, Cook first began to garner recognition for his service in the Seven Years’ War and later as a surveyor during the Siege of Quebec (Wikipedia). These successes led to him being commissioned in 1766 for the first of what would eventually become three landmark voyages into the Pacific.

Cook’s three expeditions in total achieved remarkable success in several areas. He charted significant portions of the Pacific that disproved the existence of the mythical continent “Terra Australis”; he pioneered the use of longitudinal measurements via marine chronometer; botanists on his crew collected over 3,000 species of plants; and finally, he obtained a large ethnographic collection with detailed illustrations in his journals. Though his discoveries are no longer leaned on directly by modern science and research, his ethnographic collections have survived as fascinating artifacts, and his spirit of exploration continues in popular culture today through its influence on modern media stories like Star Trek.

Captain Cook’s adventure wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however: Cook died while on his third exploratory voyage in the Pacific in 1779. (Perhaps because of western proclivities towards hero-worship and revisionist history, a detail about Cook that’s sometimes ignored is that he was killed while attempting to kidnap a chief of the island of Hawaii.)

SCARC possesses several editions of Captain Cook’s Journals. One is a two-volume set of the 1784 fourth edition of Cook’s second voyage “towards the south pole, and round the world.” Another is our six-volume set of the 1790 edition of Cook’s journals spanning all three of his voyages. Both texts detail the discoveries of the journeys in addition to anecdotes of interactions with indigenous people. Of particular interest in these texts are the copious illustrations of people, plant and animal life, and charts. The 1784 journals place particular emphasis on the question of Terra Australis, since Cook’s second voyage is especially important for having conclusively countered the long-standing belief that the mysterious southern continent existed. Both texts contain unforgettable fold-out maps that give the scope of his journeys a grand sense of scale.

Despite the problematic elements of his journeys and interactions with indigenous cultures, Captain Cook achieved landmark progress in both science and navigation through his expeditions, contributing greatly to England’s body of knowledge as it sought to comprehend more fully the world it was a part of.

   Cook, James, Furneaux, Tobias, Hodges, William, Lee, Marvin, Dibner, Bern, and Pre-1801 Imprint Collection. A Voyage towards the South Pole and round the World : Performed in His Majesty's Ships the Resolution and Adventure in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775. The Fourth ed. London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell in the Strand, 1784.

 Cook, James, and Anderson, George William. A Collection of Voyages round the World Performed by Royal Authority : Containing a Complete Historical Account of Captain Cook's First, Second, Third and Last Voyages, Undertaken for Making New Discoveries, &c. ... : To Which Are Added Genuine Narratives of Other Voyages of Discovery round the World, &c. Viz. Those of Lord Byron, Capt. Wallis, Capt. Carteret, Lord Mulgrave, Lord Anson, Mr. Parkinson, Capt. Lutwidge, Mess. Ives, Middleton, Smith, &c. & C ... London: Printed for A. Millar, W. Law, and R. Cater, 1790.

The Art Journal of the Victorian Era

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC student assistant

The Art Journal is famous for being “the most important Victorian magazine on art” (Wikipedia). Published in London, it possesses a wide variety of content, ranging from articles and biographies to reproductions of engravings, sculptures, and poetry.

SCARC has in its possession annual bound copies of the Art Journal from 1849 (the beginning of its transformation from “The Art Union Monthly Journal”) to 1884, shortly after editor Samuel Hall’s retirement in 1880. This interval represents some of the Art Journal’s most influential years in the landscape of Victorian-era art and serves as an important resource for scholars studying that cultural moment.

Art-journal (London, England), 1849.

Psalms, Songs, and the Poesy of Antiphonarium Cisterciense

Post contributed by Ethan Heusser, SCARC Student Assistant

SCARC is fortunate to have in its possession a facsimile of Antiphonarium Cisterciense. Written in Latin, the Antiphonarium is an antiphonary, or a collection of psalms and antiphons in the style of Gregorian chant.

Our Antiphonarium was presented to OSU in 1968 by the Trappist Monks of the Abbey of Our Lord of Guadalupe, a Cistercian order sequestered north of Salem. (The Cistercians represent a Catholic enclosed religious order that operates with an emphasis on silence, contemplation, and a close interpretation of the precepts of the Rule of Saint Benedict.)

Though it was made in 1947, our profoundly large text contains a detailed note on the 1903 edition, explaining its origins and offering instructions on how to read the music; the chants use neumatic symbols on a four-line staff, both of which predate the modern staff notation that is commonplace today (Wikipedia).

Catholic Church. Antiphonarium Cisterciense. Westmalle, Belgium: Typographia Ordinis Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, 1947.