#PeakofOurCollections

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Athanasius Kircher’s The Vulcano’s: or, Burning and Fire-Vomiting Mountains (London, 1669) includes this fold-out frontispiece showing his theories on how fire and water interacted through an elaborate system of interconnected  subterranean channels and vents that resulted in volcanic activity (or, as the title suggests, fire-vomiting!). Notice the cross section of an erupting Mount Vesuvius in the third image. 

For the month of June we are participating in the #PeakOfOurCollections challenge, sponsored by the John Carter Brown Library, highlighting collection materials that feature mountains and volcanoes.

Athanasius Kircher. The vulcano's: or, Burning and fire-vomiting mountains.  London : printed by J. Darby, for John Allen. 1669.

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For the month of June we are participating in the #PeakOfOurCollections challenge, sponsored by the John Carter Brown Library. This challenge highlights collection items about the pointy tall structures coming out of the ground (mountains), and the inspiration for the “floor is lava” game (volcanoes).

This beautiful illustration from Diagrams of Geology... shows mountains and volcanoes around the world, condensed into an infographic. Each column of peaks represents a different part of the world with volcanic activity at its center.  

Have we piqued your interest? 

Diagrams of geology, history, and physical geography. London: J. Reynolds, 1849-1850. 

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Mt. Dawson, B.C., from Asulkan Pass, July 4, 1900.

Mary M. Vaux and two Swiss guides are seen here in front of Mt. Dawson. This Selkirk Range mountain, 11,220 feet high, was named for George M. Dawson, head of the Geological Survey of Canada. 

From the Vaux Photography Collection, Rocky Mountain Series. 

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It is the last week of the #PeakOfOurCollections challenge, and we want to stir those vacation vibes with a snapshot of the Morris family hanging out together in style on [more than a] Consolation Lake showing a gorgeous view of snow-capped mountains. 

 Morris, Marriott Canby, 1863-1948, photographer. Boating on Consolation Lake, B[ritish] C[olumbia] Canada [graphic]. July 23, 1921. 1 photograph: gelatin silver print; 3.5 x 5.5 in.

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We’re sharing a bonus #PeakofOurCollections adjacent image to promote an upcoming event at the Library Company:

PLOT: IN CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO 11 MISSION

Join us on July 16 to hear artist Rebecca Kamen talk about her recent art and video project in collaboration with artist Tim Chrepta. PLOT celebrates lunar exploration and the Parkes Observatory radio telescope to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. She will discuss the research and development of PLOT and the significance of art as a vehicle for observing and capturing the moon prior to the advent of the camera. Kamen’s new interpretive artworks that transform historic lunar research into sculptural form will be discussed as well as exhibited. The PLOT project video created for an Australian Apollo 11 anniversary exhibition will also be shown.

Learn more and register here.

The featured image is from James Nasmyth’s The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite (London, 1874), and shows the “Back of a hand & shrivelled apple to illustrate the origin of certain mountain ranges by shrinkage of the globe.”

James Nasmyth, The Moon:  Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite … (London: J. Murray, 1874). Second edition.