How about reading something unusual during October? Read a book by Nostradamus or books about the Salem Witch Trials or Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-tale Heart”. Do you know anything about tarot cards, or why not find a real haunted house to visit in the Haunted Places: the National Directory? Pick something from our display of “Good Reads for October,” located by the Circulation Desk.
All posts by Marilee
Pompeii
Photo Credit: © Mimmo Jodice
Are you traveling to Chicago over the next few months and looking for something interesting to do? How about visiting the Field Museum and checking out their new exhibit on Pompeii?
The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in southern Italy, were buried in the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The story of what happened that day and why the two cities experienced different fates is told in this exhibit. Along with a variety of artifacts, you will learn what happened and why. Vesuvius has erupted 3 dozen times since 79 A.D. Today over 2 million people live in an area that could be affected by another eruption. Do we know if another eruption is coming? If you are interested in Ancient history, volcanoes, geology, archaeology or simply in a human story of a natural disaster (complete with human casts), you should see this exhibit.
The Field Museum has put together information about the exhibit on their web page at http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii. The Todd Library also has some resources you may want to see before or after your visit to the museum. Check it out!
Pompeii ed. By Filippo Coarelli DG70.P7P66 2002
Pompeii: public and private life by Paul Zanker DG70.P7 Z3613 1998
Rome and Pompeii (video) DG63.L5 1994
AD79: one day in time (video) DG70.P7 1979
Last days of Pompeii by Edward B. Lytton PR4912.L998 L2
Volcanoes in human history by J.Z. de Boer and D.T. Sanders QE522.B637 2002
Melting the earth:history of ideas on volcanic eruptions by Sigurdsson QE522.S5481 1999
Furious earth by Prager QE534.2.P73 2000
Why the earth quakes by Levy and Salvadori QE522.L48 1995
“Consumed by the Volcano’s fiery wrath†by Pringle. Discover Nov2005 p. 73
“Pompeii in North America†by Holden. Archaeology Sep/Oct2005 p.55
“Pompeii’s burial not its first disaster†Science news 11/27/04 p.350
“Pompeii’s ruins rise to tell tale of horror†Chicago Tribune 10/18/05
“Visiting ‘Pompeii’ and finding clues to disaster†Chicago Tribune 10/20/05
Library Research Gets Results
In October, local Sugar Grove resident, Spencer Rees, came in to Todd Library for help on a Christmas present he was making. He was trying to make a model of the Hunley, the first successful American attack submarine from the Civil War, for his brother who is a huge Civil War buff. Our search found several books and articles, including a National Geographic article, and a web site for Friends of the Hunley. In less than 30 minutes, Mr. Rees sat down with pencil and paper and his research, and made several sketches to help him with his model making.
Today Mr. Rees brought the finished model to the library to show us the end result of the research. In several weeks, he had produced a beautiful wood replica of the Hunley. Mr. Rees explained to us the parts of the submarine and showed us how the 8-man crew sat. The submarine was only 4 feet high, and the men sat and used hand cranks to propel it. He told us how its torpedo was shot and how the sub was found after 150 years. He really did his research!
Mr. Rees thanked the library, saying he never could have made the model without the help he received here at the Todd Library.
If you would like to find out more about the Hunley, see the following resources from Todd Library:
Campbell, R. Thomas. “The david meets the hunley†Civil War Times Illustrated 41:32(8) March 2002.
Lipscom, F.W. Historic Submarines. 1970. (V857.L56)
Middleton, Drew. Submarine, the ultimate naval weapon : its past, present & future. 1976. (V210.M52)
Oeland, Glenn. “The H.L. Hunley: secret weapon of the Confederacy.†National Geographic p. 82(20), July 2002.