AAS

So I haven't been very good at keeping up with this blog, but I think since the updates are less frequent I'll find a way to send it to people's email for convenience.

So, today was my very first day at my new internship at the American Antiquarian Society in the acquisitions department. Within twenty minutes I was sat down with these small circular pieces of paper from the 19th century. They used to go over the mechanics on the old pocketwatches of the 1800s and were basically labels. Only each watchmaker had elaborate calligraphy and anengraving (picture) on each in such minute detail it boggles the mind. Today we get barcodes, they got art. So these things are really neat despite being pretty small circles of fragile paper. Oh with slits cut in them going around the outside edge. So small, thin, fragile, already preripped to add to my terror.

And I have to write on them. In only number 3 hard pencil, as lightly and eligibly as possible around the edge in small neat letter I must mark the buyer who sold them to us, the fund that paid for them, the date they were recieved, and a special code for how much they cost.

Now, I dont think it would be very professional to say how much that was because the AAS certainly doesn't publish how much it spends and has a code for penciling it on. But lets just say it's more than I could ever, EVER afford to pay back if I damaged them. And me, the volunteer intern wa snot only allowed to touch but to work with them! Now to be fair my supervisor did hover nervously at first but then she realized what she was doing and backed off politely.

Well, nothing ripped but she urged me to take my time which I was MORE than happy to do. Then I was off to have my conservation lesson where the conservationist showed me how she repaired books that I would have thought had seen their last days long, long ago. But those books are so epicially amazing too. They have stuff from the 1600/1700s!!!!!! They have the first bible printed in AMERICA (printed in the Algonquin language actually- to convert them I guess, and the first book printed in america! That's OLD STUFF. And how she fixed them is fascinating, special glues and pastes, and leather and paper thats so thin and fine you can put it OVER the words and still read them just fine.

Then she told me all the rules so that i wouldnt even accident damage or contribute to damage on a book. Surprisingly I wasn't too overwhelmed. She was a nice lady and she complimented my outfit =D.

So then I went on the tour of the place which was pretty tame because although it's a fascinating library it is, afterall, still a library. I learned the founder went for a poverty stricken child given away by his mother to a printer who became a cruel master over him to the richest man in the country in his lifetime. Amazing. I respect that. He was also a huge patriot who printed newspaers during the revolution to incite people to action. So the history of the society is really cool and the building is gorgeous and old and fancy.

That was pretty much all the time I had though, I guess I'll get into it hardcore on Friday. But so far, so good. First day of classes for me is tomorrow so maybe I'll update about that, hopefully!

P.S- Guess I need to have your email addresses if you want it emailed to you. Let me know.