Author: Elisabeth Brander

Contact me about:
  1. Donations to the rare book collections
  2. Scheduling a class visit to Archives and Rare Books
  3. Presentations on the history of medicine and rare medical books
  4. Rare book curation and exhibition
  5. Using Becker Library’s rare book collections
  6. Learning more about or collaborating with the Center for the History of Medicine
Archives and Rare Books

Mary Wollstonecraft’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

By — March 14, 2019

March is Women’s History Month! To celebrate, we’re taking a look at one of the most celebrated female authors in our collection: Mary Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft’s literary career began in 1787, when she arrived in London following failed ventures as a governess and schoolmistress. She quickly became friends with the liberal publisher Joseph Johnson, a relationship  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Who’s Who in 17th-Century Europe

By — December 10, 2018

Walk into any modern library, and you’ll come across the reference section. This section contains works that provide researchers with fast facts and general information. For example, here in the medical library, some of the reference works in Archives and Rare Books include: “Polk’s Medical Register and Directory of North America,” “Encyclopedia Britannica” and the  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Paratext: A unique perspective on the past

By — October 23, 2018

When we set out to do historical research, we’re often very focused on the text – we want the book, the chapter, the journal article. But sometimes it’s just as important to pay attention to the paratext. Paratext is a word used to describe additional material supplied by authors, editors, printers, and publishers – for  [Read more]

Announcements, Archives and Rare Books

‘Making a Monster’ exhibit explores developments in science and anatomy that shaped ‘Frankenstein’

By — September 19, 2018

Mary Shelley’s seminal novel “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus” was published 200 years ago in 1818. Since then it has never gone out of print, and it has been reinterpreted in film, theatre, and even ballet. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to the timelessness of its themes. “Frankenstein” is not just a simple story  [Read more]

Announcements, Archives and Rare Books

Read along with the Special Collections Book Club

By — July 30, 2018

After a great start with Nina Siegal’s “The Anatomy Lesson,” we’re excited to announce that our next book selection will be “Year of Wonders” by Geraldine Brooks. Published in 2001, the novel was inspired by the true story of Eyam, England. “When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid  [Read more]

Announcements

Introducing the Becker Library Special Collections Book Club

By — March 26, 2018

Anyone with an interest in medicine, literature or history is invited to take part in Becker Library’s Special Collections Book Club. Every few months, we’ll hold a discussion about a novel that features some aspect of medical history, then look at the primary sources that bring the stories to life.

Archives and Rare Books

1914 Rare Book Donation Tied to Influential Doc

By — February 20, 2018

William Osler (1849-1919) is one of the most influential figures in North American medicine. After earning his MD from McGill University in 1872, he spent two years studying abroad in London, Berlin and Vienna before returning to McGill to teach. He remained at McGill until 1884, when he accepted the chair of clinical medicine at  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

2017 Rare Books Highlights

By — December 6, 2017

Becker Library’s rare book collections have had an excellent year! Richard Chole, MD, donated his fantastic collection of rare otolaryngology texts earlier this year, and we’ve recently managed to acquire two more noteworthy monographs to complement our existing collections. The first of these monographs is Guillaume van de Bossche’s “Historia medica, in qua libris IV.  [Read more]

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