Unboxing…

For what are probably obvious reasons, (we are in the center of a big blue continent), various departments and programs at the University of Hawaiʻi have a strong interest in Maritime History, Naval Science and Nautical Archaeology.

Consequently, I was very excited when NOAA Maritime Heritage Coordinator Hans Van Tilburg contacted me about donating over 400 volumes from his personal research library to UH Mānoa.

The diverse collection includes material ranging from broad historical examinations of sea power to technical manuals and catalogs describing early 20th century ship construction.  (A complete lists of titles added to our collections are linked at the end of this post.)

1914 catalog for “Forged Steel Water-tube Boilers” from The Babcock and Wilcox Company.

My favorite volume may be this 1914 catalog for “Forged Steel Water-tube Boilers” from the Babcock and Wilcox Company.  Just look at that logo. (Click image to see full size.)  Steam makes the world go round…

Reminiscent of the iconic Sherwin Williams Logo, it conveys the same unabashed drive for monopolistic dominance that characterized the rise of the modern corporation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The copy and graphics between the covers demonstrate the same unabashed faith American corporate values.

This title is a window into a way of thinking about capitalism that you certainly won’t find in any public ad copy today.  It communicates a distinct utopian emotional aesthetic that is difficult to find in secondary sources discussing the period.

The donated texts contain many other works that can provide that kind of unique insight, and that is why this collection is so exciting.

The collection is being split between the Hamilton Library and the Center for Research in World History at the University of Hawaiʻi, as some of the volumes are already held at Hamilton Library.  The two links below contain a complete list of the texts that will be added to the two libraries.

In related news, the annual MAAHI Symposium is coming up on President’s Day Weekend, 2/18 – 2/19, and is being held at UH Mānoa.  Click the link above for a detailed program and registration info.

Volumes added to Hamilton Library: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WpWRGcsAE46YCgAwNNNJYQ0KUi4RRiD3FW9C3dp9Da8/edit?usp=sharing

Volumes added to the Center for Research in World History: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lPyAhiBPCp5lgtQXpqBOgM8q6AjLcPVvHALAYr5W0MU/edit?usp=sharing