THE GLOBE

On this date in 1613 London's Globe Theatre (which we remember as the site of many of Shakespeare's plays)  burned to the ground. The fire started when a theatrical cannon used in the performance of Henry the Eighth misfired and ignited the wooden beam and thatch structure.

Although the Globe is no more, we still enjoy Shakespeare's work through contemporary performances and print. There are two books on the Bullis Room shelves that we think you'll find interesting, perhaps even illuminating:

1) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: with a full and comprehensive life, a history f the early drama, an introduction to each play, the readings of former editions, glossarial and other notes...) from the works of Collier, Knight, Dyce, Douce, Halliwell, Hunter, Richardson, Verplanck, and Hudson, edited and authored by George Long Duyckinck and published in 1881.

2) Studies in Shakespeare, by Richard Grant White, published in 1885 by Houghton, Mifflin.

The Globe Theatre has been gone almost four hundred years, but Shakespeare's work lives on - thanks to the printed word.

STANDING ROOM ONLY

The Friends of Macedon Public Library's presentation on slave quilts packed the Community Room last night. By packed, we mean that there was standing room only with an attendance count of approximately 85.

Some of us were there as both "Friends of MPL" and "Bullis Room Volunteers" and we were overwhelmed by the show of enthusiasm for this topic. As a result, both groups are now thinking and planning for other programs on related topics.

Our speaker Susan Howard began her presentation by stating that slaves did not come to America--Africans came, then were enslaved. This all started around 1619, but slavery goes back a lot farther than this in other parts of the world.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of slavery overall, we recommend that you take a look at a book in the Bullis Room entitled The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade Ancient and Modern. This book was published in 1857 by J. and H. Miller and authored by William O. Blake. Compiled from authentic materials, it covers "the forms of slavery that prevailed in ancient nations, particularly in Greece and Rome, the African slave trade, and the political history of slavery in the United States.

Remember, you're welcome to stop by the Bullis Room for a "look-see," anytime.

JUNETEEN

Juneteen is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by remembering the  abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. It is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

To commemorate Juneteen, the Friends of Macedon  Pubic Library is sponsoring "Hidden in Plain View - A Secret Story of Slave Quilts and the Underground Railroad." In this presentation, Susan Howard will share her knowledge of how quilts were used to communicate with slaves who were planning to escape to freedom via the underground railroad.

This free presentation will be held in the library's Community Room at 6:30 PM on June 19. You are  invited and encouraged to attend.

And if you'd like to take a look at the Bullis books on slavery or the Civil War, let us know and we'll be glad to meet with you before the presentation.

CLAY AND DOUGLAS

If you received PLS's Past and Present newsletter this week, you know that one of their recommendations was the book America's Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union (written by Fergus M Bordewich, published 2012-04 by Simon Schuster). And if that entry caught your eye, you may also want to take a look at these two Bullis books:

1) The Life and Times of Henry Clay by Calvin Colton, published in 1845 by A. S. Barnes & Co.

and

2)  The Life of Stephen A. Douglas by James W. Sheahan, published in 1860 by Harper & Brothers.

These three books offer interesting reading as well as different perspectives (spanning over 150 years) on these two men from our past. We suggest you consider taking a look at all three.

GROVER CLEVELAND

Have you thought about President Grover Cleveland lately?  Although we don't often see his name in current publications, he was mentioned in a history column this week. Why? Because he married Frances Folsom on June 2, 1886, making him the only president (to date) to marry in the executive mansion. The simple ceremony was held in the Blue Room and was followed by a honeymoon trip to the foothills of Maryland's Blue Ridge Mountains. (Reporters followed them, snapping photos whenever and wherever they could, much like today's paparazzi.)

Cleveland's wedding in the Blue Room is not his only distinguishing factor--he is the only president to leave the the White House and return for a second term four years later. He  served from 1885 to 1889, was defeated by Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and was then re-elected in 1892 and served from 1893 to 1897.  On his way to the White House he served as a sheriff, mayor, and governor.

Want to know more about our 22nd and 24th president? Then we invite you to stop by and take a look at The Life and Public Services of Our Great Reform President, Grover Cleveland  by Herman Dieck.  It was published by S.I. Bell in 1888. (This book also contains "The Life and Public Services of Allen G. Thurman," a Democratic Representative, Ohio Supreme Court Justice, and nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President in 1888.)

THEY ARE BACK!

Once again, Charlie Bullis's poppies are blooming.  Just in time for Memorial Day. You can see them while on your way to Bullis Park, where you go to watch youth soccer matches, hike, and fly kites.  So look for that splash of red on the west side of the road, next to the park.

Again we say thank you to Charlie Bullis for leaving us with this annual reminder of the Bullis family and of those who have died in service to our country.

And how are the Bullis poppies connected to bridges? (See last week's post.) Again, those of us who live north of the canal have to drive farther these days to see them because of a bridge closing. But it's well worth the extra effort, and we'll continue doing so. Because ... just because.

BRIDGES AND POPPIES

Two things have been on our minds this week in connection with the Bullis collection. Bridges and poppies. How are these two related? We'll tell you next week.

But first we'll focus on bridges. We volunteers who live north of the canal have to travel farther these days to get to the Bullis Room, all because of a bridge closing. So when we made the trip recently, we wondered how many books on bridges were in the collection. The answer? Lots of them. So to all you bridge enthusiasts out there (and we know there are lots of you, as well), stop by and let us show you this section. And if you are unable to pay us a visit, here are brief descriptions of five of the volumes:

1. Iron Truss Bridges for Railroads, by Wm. E. Merrill, published in 1875 by D. Van Nostrand.

2. Typical Specifications for the Fabrication and Erection of Steel Highway Bridges, (prepared by the Office of Public Roads),  published in 1913 by the United States GPO.

3.  An Essay on Bridge Building: containing analyses and comparisons of the principal plans in use: with investigations as to the best plans and proportions, and the relative merits of wood and iron for bridges, by S. Whipple, published in 1847 by H.H. Curtiss.

4. Highway Bridges and Culverts, by Charles H. Hoyt and William H. Burr, published in 1911 by Government Printing Office.

And,

5. The Principles of Construction In Arches, Piers, Buttresses, etc., being a series of experimental essays made with a view to their being useful to the practical builder,  by William Bland, published 1867 by C. Lockwood.

That's all for the "bridges part" of this post. Next week we'll focus on poppies.