February | 2023 | Books, Health and History

by the NYAM Library Team

On February 14^th we observe Valentine’s Day!

Our previous blog posts on this commercial holiday highlighted both cards created for Valentine’s Day as well as trading cards from our collection. At the close of the 19^th century, improvements in printing allowed for cheaper goods and paper cards for friends, lovers, and families to send written sentiments.

These early cards varied from caricatures of their subjects and beautifully drawn miniscule script, to what we now think of as Valentine’s Day cards – humorous or sentimental acknowledgements.

To celebrate this year, we have created six of our own Valentine’s Day cards featuring images from our collections. One is for the celebration of the popular Galentine’s Day, a celebration of friendship.

Feel free to print out and share with your loved ones!

From *Sei sparsam!…* by Anny Wothe (Leipzig, **1900**.)

From *Historiæ animalium.*.. by Conrad Gessner (Zurich, 1551.)

From Illustrated Natural History of the Three Kingdoms…edited and compiled by A. B. Strong (New York, 1853.)

From De motu cordis et aneurysmatibus… by Giovanni Maria Lancisi (Neapoli, 1738.)

From *Ryzon Baking Book* compiled and edited by Marion Harris Neil (New York, 1917.)

by the NYAM Library Team

Today we conclude our week-long celebration of Color Our Collections 2023.

Each February, fellow libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions showcase their collections through these free, downloadable coloring books. About a hundred new books are gathered at ColorOurCollections.org for your continued enjoyment any time during the year. Previous years are also available, almost 800 coloring books in all! Please continue to use the hashtag #ColorOurCollections to show us your work.

This year, NYAM’s coloring book deals with Climate Change. The images showcase those animals, vegetation, and natural regions that are most vulnerable.

Below we’ve selected a few of the images that you’ll find in this year’s edition.