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What's better than one Santa? THREE SANTAS! Merry Christmas!

Image is from Baker's Digest, volume 26-27 (1952-1953)

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Hey everyone, Othmeralia is going to go on a hiatus for the indefinite future. This was a really hard decision to make! Maybe we'll be back, maybe we won't and our digital soul will live on forever on this site.

We'd love it if you'd follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our newsletter, or read our collections blog! Maybe all three?

And if you didn't know, we have a really, really cool museum, the Science History Institute, that is dedicated to the history of science, so come on by if you're local to Philly or making a trip to the city!! We also participate in First Friday's and have interesting themes each month (and sometimes free ice cream!)

Love,

Othmeralia 💗

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Come on in, the water's fine!⁠

Maier, Michael. Atalanta Fugiens. Oppenheim, Germany: Johann-Theodor de Bry, 1618.

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Happy Tuesday!

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When you accidentally type “moon faces” into Google instead of “moon phases.” Oops!⁠ ⁠ This resting moon face is from Liber Chronicarum (1493).⁠

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snoopy of the day

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snoopy of the day

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These beautiful blue and green dye samples are making me want to head to the beach.

Munsell Book of Color (1929-42).

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Just... WOW!

This imagery of a lion eating a bird (pelican or phoenix?) while both serpentine around a moon and sun come from Basil Valentine's : Azoth, Siue Avreliæ Occvltae Philosophorvm, Materiam Primam, Et Decatatvm illum Lapidem Philosophorvm filiis Hermetis solide, perspicue & dilucide explicantes, 1613.

This type of esoteric alchemical imagery is common from this period. The lion is often seen devouring the sun which is thought to refer to mercury dissolving gold. The bird, philosophically, may represent sacrifice or rebirth depending on whether you read it as a pelican or phoenix. Just like Ikea instructions, these images were meant to be real laboratory instructions (or philosophically, building Ikea furniture can make you question life choices, too).

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Have you ever wondered what some of those symbols mean in the rare books we post?

Here's a little guide to help you understand the symbols and characters in our alchemical texts. This table comes from The last vvill and testament of Basil Valentine, monke of the Order of St. Bennet.

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Vancouver Daily World, British Columbia, June 27, 1921

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This note, filed away in a scrapbook from a member of the Class of 1878, seems to date from ca. 1874:

“My god, Lucille, your left ankle is showing. Rod.”

Scrapbook Collection (AC026), Box 69