Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Buck Hill Falls has been a destination since 1900 when Philadelphian Samuel Griscom inherited the property. Seeing the potential for growth, Howard Jenkins helped developed the land into 43 lots in 1901. It quickly became a destination for wealthier families of New York as a vacation getaway.
Author: Staff
Repost: “Caged birds sing”: The Sophia E. Perry Diaries
Note: This post originally appeared on the In Her Own Right: A Century of Women’s Activism, 1820-1920 blog on 30 March 2020.
Many of the materials included as part of In Her Own Right represent women who fought for equal rights, jobs, and education in a man’s world. However, the Sophia Perry diaries give voice to another overlooked part of the population: (women) patients in mental institutions.
Interning (from Home) During an Outbreak
– by Morgan Rafel, Archives intern
If Isaac Newton could discover calculus while social distancing during the Great Plague of London, what could I accomplish while social distancing and working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak? I may not have discovered the next form of math, but I did accomplish quite a bit!
The first task I completed was crafting 5 tweets that promote the Library’s materials that were digitized as part of the “For the Health of the New Nation” grant. I came up with the idea that because the College is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I could focus on the materials that included the topic of hygiene. Luckily, I was able to find a few lecture notes that focused solely on hygiene! In creating the tweets, I tried to tie them into the COVID-19 outbreak, reminding people that health comes first, fevers are good, and to wash your hands. You can view the tweets on the Library’s Twitter account @CPPHistMedLib here.
Make Work?? Making History!
Like most cultural institutions in the greater Philadelphia area, the Historical Medical Library (HML) along with the rest of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, closed to the public in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We closed in a hurry, with about 3 hours warning. Our focus was on securing the collection before we gave thought to what files we might need to take home with us to support work for an unknown period of time.
And being a librarian is challenging when you are away from your collection, particularly since the HML staff had been working intently on collections maintenance prior to closure. But as those of you in the profession know, there is always “virtual” work that can be done from the comfort of home.
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Commitment
– by Wood Institute travel grantee Maureen Cummins*
I spent a fascinating week this past summer at the Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia conducting research for a limited-edition artist’s book, Commitment. Like many of my titles, Commitment is a double-entendre, referring both to a marital or romantic bond and hospitalization for insanity. Suffice to say, the project explores the connection between intimate human relationships and mental illness.
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Summit Springs Hotel
Summit Springs Hotel was located in Poland, Maine. Amos Knight began the resort in 1900 and catered to the Jewish community, who were not welcomed at the local Poland Spring Hotel, which was located across the lake. The hotel began as the White Oak Spring Hotel, and was later renamed in 1905.
Poland Spring
This month we are visiting the home of the popular bottled water, Poland Spring Water, located in Poland, Maine! Poland Spring Resort began in 1797 as the Wentworth Ricker Inn for travelers moving through the area. Hiram Ricker claimed the spring water cured him of dyspepsia (indigestion) in 1844. The family began selling it commercially in 1859. Ricker also began marketing the resort as a country getaway filled with recreational activities.