When Inspiration Strikes

Posted on March 29, 2024 by nyamhistory

by Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

Each year, the New York Academy of Medicine Library is proud to host visits from students across all different disciplines. From graduating medical students to those studying the culinary arts, the history of public health is surprisingly encompassing and intertwined. Our Historical Collections Librarian, Arlene Shaner, chooses different materials for each group visit. She considers who is coming, what they are studying, and what they might like to see. The display that Arlene curates for the visitors reflects how they might want to use the collection for their work. These displays include not just books but posters, pamphlets, and other assorted ephemera.

In a previous guest post, Dr. Evelyn Rynkiewicz, Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, shared why she enjoys bringing her “Disease Ecology in a Changing World” class to the library. While teaching design and business students at FIT, she hopes to instill science literacy and curiosity within them. At the end of the course, they are assigned creative research projects. The students choose a disease to study and make their own unique presentation to help inform the public.

We are excited to once again present submissions from Dr. Rynkiewicz’s class, which visited the Library on October 24^th, 2023. We also present images, some items from our own collection, others from elsewhere, that may have sparked their imagination for this project. While we would love to include all the submissions that we received, we are limited to what we can show on a blog post. If there happens to be a student art show in your area, you should check it out. You never know what you are going to see!

Alluring pictures can draw lots of attention. An image can tell a story without the need to read the words attached. We live in a globalized society where visual signs speak louder than the written word. This is a bit of the thought process behind any kind of campaign, public health especially. We still see these kinds of efforts today!

Theodore Geissel, in his pre “doctor” days, helped bring public service announcements to life in these posters. You could tell from his unique artistry that he was a gifted storyteller. These pictures were not only eye-catching but served an important purpose. This poster comes from a series directed towards soldiers fighting overseas during World War II that were designed by different artists.

Just by looking at Laelani Sawicki’s (second year, Illustration major) poster for rabies, you can guess where it’s going…

Cordyceps have gotten a bad rep lately. Fear not, The Last of Us viewers! In Jada Arroyo’s (second year, Illustration major) poster set, their misconception is cleared up.

These public health posters were even allowed to get away with raunchier, more risqué content! Vernon Grant, creator of Rice Krispies’ Snap, Crackle, and Pop, made this poster for part of the same malaria prevention campaign.

To convey the importance of recognizing chronic wasting syndrome in wild game, Amaryllis Arroyo (second year, Illustration) went with their own provocative image.

(You can see more of Amaryllis’ work at @amartist27)

Fashion and activism reached a pinnacle with the yellow Livestrong bracelets of the mid-2000’s. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing them, despite little marketing. The slogan itself, “Live Strong,” said all one needed to know. So simple and yet, so fashionable.

Kenneth Cole created a provocative ad campaign in 2005 called “We All Have AIDS.” The ads promoted a T-shirt, where all sales proceeds would be donated to fight the AIDS epidemic. Cole’s idea for the campaign came from the idea of “solidarity.” It was to ease the stigma surrounding the disease and fight preconceived notions. To fight the disease, physically and socially, we would all have to come together.

Students Chaea Im (first year, Fashion Design major) and Kylie Smith (first year, Fashion Marketing major) used tees as their canvas.

Chaea (above) focused efforts on polio awareness while Kylie (below) speaks on the lack of access for worldwide rabies vaccination.

Haute couture can also be used to convey a message. Alexander McQueen even referenced Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” on his 2009 runway! The models were fitted with heels based on an armadillo, gifting us the “armadillo heel.”

To convey information about tuberculosis through fashion, Charlie Sue Birznieks (third year, Communications Design major) mocked up garments to echo the physical effects of this respiratory bacterial infection. It takes form through a “blood choker, bone crushing corset, suffocating puffer jacket, and full-face respirator mask.”

The biggest way information, and unfortunately, disinformation, disseminates these days is through the internet. We can combat the negative by being sure to amplify knowledge from verified and reputable sources. Some of us may remember infographics shared during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This project by Valerie See (fourth year, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing major) breaks down important information to share during World Tuberculosis Day. These images would go a long way to spreading awareness while linking back to a credible source.

That does not mean we shouldn’t share our own, lived experiences! There’s a great deal to learn from first-hand accounts. Audrey Cahill (second year, Illustration major) shows us what a social media timeline might have looked like in the 14th century during the time of the plague!

We once again thank Dr. Rynkiewicz and her students for allowing us to share their work. If you are interested in bringing your own class, please reach out to library@nyam.org.

References:

“About the Exhibition.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/about/ Accessed 27 March 2024.

Rynkiewicz, Dr. Evelyn. “FIT Visits the NYAM Library.” Books, Health, and History, 13 Apr 2023, https://nyamcenterforhistory.org/2023/04/13/fit-visits-the-nyam-library/. Accessed 27 March 2024.

Wilson, Eric. “From Kenneth Cole, A New Solidarity.” The New York Times, 1 Dec 2005, https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/from-kenneth-cole-a-new-solidarity.html. Accessed 27 March 2024.

A Valentine for Bettina

Posted on February 14, 2024 by nyamhistory

by Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

On February 14th we observe Valentine’s Day, a day that has come to signify and celebrate all the love in our lives. Some may take loved ones out to dinner, some buy gifts, and some may even do a grand gesture, like ask for their lover’s hand in marriage.

From our William H. Helfand Collection of Pharmaceutical Trade Cards.

St. Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman priest, maybe even a bishop, who ministered to those persecuted by the church. It was believed that he delivered messages to lovers who had been torn apart. The Feast of St. Valentine was introduced in the late 5th century to commemorate his decapitation, on February 14th. While his end doesn’t sound romantic, we can see how future lovers had come to admire the man.

Back in 1853, the New York Times first questioned how the modern Valentine’s Day came to be. They concluded that it was an “antiquarian problem” that would likely “never be solved.” They must’ve realized how funny that sounds in the age of information, so they revisited this inquiry in 2017 and once again in 2023. Two theories were brought forth to go along with the holiday’s namesake.

The first one credits Geoffrey Chaucer. In his 14th-century poem, “Parlement of Foules,” Chaucer namechecks “St. Valentine’s Day” and speaks of how on this special day, a bird will choose their mate. That sounds a little like the holiday that we celebrate. His words eventually trickled into the English lexicon, as many whom Chaucer inspired began to note the holiday.

The alternative look further back to the ancient Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia. This is where men and women paired off. Well, with wine free flowing, the occasion tended to get a bit wilder. The Christian church came and cleaned that up, but it remained a coupling ritual.

From these traditions we can see the rough sketches of the holiday we’ve come to know. By the time the New York Times originally investigated, it had already become a “greeting card” holiday. The writer mentions the “symbols and paraphernalia of Cupids, hearts, and love letters,” associated with the day. What would they make of the holiday aisles and celebrations of our era?

We have previously looked inside the narrative homemaker books starring “Bettina.” In A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband, she juggles the first year of marriage to “Bob.” Later volumes would see her raising a family, and even teaching her own daughter how she can begin to train for her own home one day. Books like these were often given as gifts to brides or brides-to-be. The dedication page offers hope for those who may not feel like they can handle this society-given duty.

The narrative, illustrations, and the recipes that ended every chapter make the book charming. As stated in the previous blogpost, the gender politics within have not aged well. Bettina doesn’t seem to ever catch a break! Left home alone, she’s the one making sure the house continues to function. This is even before the kids, Robin and Sue, come into the picture.

In …Husband we get a look at the couple’s first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife. Flowers seem to be the only item that Bob gave–though, to be fair, they are called “lovely” and “brilliant.” Bettina apologizes for not making more of a big deal, as if it was only on her to do so!

She tells how she had spent most of the afternoon at a luncheon with friends. When she mentions the décor, Bob seems to mock all the hearts and red by calling it “Valentine’s Day with a vengeance.” She assures him that it was “lovely,” as she serves up the steak dinner that she had just thrown together.

An interior image of Bettina baking for Bob.

Years later, in A Thousand Ways to Please a Family, we join Bettina at the Valentine’s Day luncheon she is cohosting with her friend, Alice. The guests are taken to Alice’s guest room. No talk of romance is present: she talks of the furniture, the furnishings, and the paint which covers “a multitude of sins.” As the two hosts move to the kitchen, Alice laments what once was. She asks, “What is Valentine’s Day in our lives, now?” They eventually move on to their menu of heart-shaped foods.

We want to bring back those lost feelings of Valentine’s Day! In honor of the rather unromantic circumstances our female characters found themselves in, this year we are providing a gift; four recommendations from a genre perfect for Valentine’s Day, romance! Romance as a genre has roots back to ancient Rome (again!) while the first romance book, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, was published in 1740 by English author Samuel Richardson.

The softcover paperbacks that we’ve come to associate with romance novels came out of the late 60’s/early 70’s. Almost instantly, they were a hit amongst female readers. Despite this, derogatory labels and preconceived notions have kept romance books hidden away. They were treated almost like scarlet letters. After years of consistently making up a large part of book sales, romance novels and authors have only now begun to command the respect they deserve. Romance often provides their readers with some of the most diversity featured on a bookshelf.

So, this one is for Bettina, Alice, and anyone else on this Valentine’s Day. We present a librarian’s recommendation for some romance novels. This trio of books have all come out, in the United States, in the last year or two and all of them feature main characters or romantic partners who are medical professionals. The link will direct you to WorldCat but should be available at your local public library!

Anatomy of A Meet Cute by Addie Woolridge. As if being the new hire isn’t hard enough, Sam somehow manages to insult one of her fellow doctors. Great—this is just what she needs. In order to get the board to agree to her new proposal, she’s going to have to make some new allies quick. Maybe she can apologize to Grant and get him on board. And maybe they’ll find out they have more in common than they think….

The Plus One by Mazey Eddings. Indira has just moved back in with her brother after she caught her boyfriend cheating on her. Her brother is about to get married and his best friend Jude is also staying with him. Jude has spent the last few years as a doctor traveling the world tending to humanitarian crises. Despite their mutual love, Indira and Jude have always hated each other. Somehow their forced wedding attendance, as a fake couple, has them rethinking some of these strong feelings.

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley. Claire and Graham are too busy for romantic relationships. That’s why they get each other. One night they make a drunken pact to get married and take care of one another if they are both single at forty. When Graham injures himself, the two realize it’s more than Claire’s expertise as an ER nurse that he needs.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

References:

“About the Romance Genre.” Romance Writers of America, http://www.rwa.org/Online/Education/About_Romance_Fiction/Online/Romance_Genre/About_Romance_Genre.aspx?hkey=dc7b967d-d1eb-4101-bb3f-a6cc936b5219#Romance_Reader. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.

Goldberg, Johanna. “A Thousand Ways to Please.” Books, Health and History, 14 Apr. 2016, nyamcenterforhistory.org/2016/04/14/a-thousand-ways-to-please/. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
Sommerlad, Joe. “Who Was St Valentine and Why Is He Associated with Love?” The Independent, 14 Feb. 2024, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/story-of-st-valentine-history-patron-saint-b2495966.html. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.

Stack, Liam. “The Origins of Valentine’s Day: Was It a Roman Party or to Celebrate an Execution?” The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023, http://www.nytimes.com/article/valentines-day-facts-history.html. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.

Weaver, Louise Bennett, and Helen Cowles Le Cron. A Thousand Ways to Please a Family with Bettina’s Best Recipes. N.Y., A.L. Burt company, 1922.

Weaver, Louise Bennett, and Helen Cowles Le Cron. A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband with Bettina’s Best Recipes. New York, Britton Publishing Company, 1917.

Color Our Collections 2024

Posted on February 6, 2024 by nyamhistory

by Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

On Monday, February 5^th, we kicked off the eighth annual “Color Our Collections!” This initiative asks libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions to submit coloring books based on their collections. These coloring books don’t just live on our site for that one week; you can access them whenever you want! Over the years we have collected over 800 free coloring books for everyone to enjoy.

Maybe you need an excuse to color? Well, besides just being a fun activity, coloring has been shown to provide other benefits. Research has shown that it makes your brain feel a sense of relaxation. You don’t have to be an artist to break out crayons or colored pencils. The “low stakes” nature of the activity lets you enjoy it more. There may also be the subconscious thought of nostalgia lingering as you color; this used to be something you enjoyed! These factors combine to provide therapeutic effects to coloring (though it is important to keep in mind “therapeutic” is not the same as actual therapy!).

For the NYAM coloring book this year, we chose images of what it was like to be healthy in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. “Living Well in the 19^th and 20^th Century” shows activities meant to relax and help people taking care of one another, a woman ready for a bike ride, and acquaintances stopping to shoot the breeze on the grass. These are just some routes that you may take when practicing your own wellness routines.

You can use the hashtag #ColorOurCollections to show off your own work and see what others are doing.

A huge thank-you to our colleagues worldwide who have contributed coloring books to the collection. We couldn’t do it without you!

References:
Ali, Shainna. “Are Adult Coloring Books Actually Helpful?” Psychology Today, 27 Mar. 2018, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/201803/are-adult-coloring-books-actually-helpful, accessed February 5^th, 2024.

“3 Reasons Adult Coloring Can Actually Relax Your Brain.” Cleveland Clinic healthessentials, 26 May 2020, http://health.clevelandclinic.org/3-reasons-adult-coloring-can-actually-relax-brain, accessed February 5^th, 2024.

Holiday Sweets with Pet Milk

Posted on December 15, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

Despite the name, Pet Milk isn’t for your furry friends! Formerly the Helvetia Milk Condensing Company, the company broke ground in Highland, Illinois in 1885. For years, they would be the standard for canned and condensed milk. If their own words are to be believed, they may have even given whole milk a run for their money.

Pet Milk’s messaging made them seem like the All-American brand of milk. They were there when future President Teddy Roosevelt fought alongside other soldiers in the Spanish-American War. The canned beverage was available for our troops overseas during both great wars. What was more American than providing nourishment and daily vitamins for these heroes? When they returned, seeing the brand name in their cupboard or on the store shelves could trigger strength and loyalty. Milk was the drink of choice with the average American’s dinner. It’s no wonder that the brand had garnered such popularity!

The 1932 Pet Cookbook comes after two huge American events; the end of World War I and the Great Depression. In their introduction, Pet Milk boasts of “a valuable new quality,” the addition of vitamin D. An essential vitamin, it prevents rickets in children. Despite this priceless addition, the company reminds readers—in big font—that; “the cost of Pet Milk has not been increased because of the extra sunshine vitamin D it now contains.” As Americans struggle amidst an economic downfall, the values of an American company remain true to their customers.

The cookbook is a masterpiece of marketing and nutrition. Each recipe inside specifically calls for Pet Milk. This was done not only because they put out the recipe book, they assure you, but because their product is unlike other kinds of milk, including “ordinary whole” milk. With milk being “one of the most important of all our items of food,” or even “the most nearly perfect food,” you want to be sure you are choosing the right kind! The vitamins contained in a serving of Pet Milk span the alphabet. This isn’t the case with any other milk, they claimed. The company speaks of the importance of “irradiated” milk: using ultra-violet rays to provide an extra dose of Vitamin D.

The company claims that typical whole cow’s milk could vary in taste, while Pet Milk’s provides uniform taste. For that reason, they believe it should be the standard to use in recipes. Don’t believe their words? Pet Milk boasts of the “melt-in-your-mouth texture” that stems from making candy with their product and tells you why. The photomicrograph on the left shows fewer numbers and larger crystals when making candy with regular milk. The image on the right shows what happens when you make candy with Pet Milk. Smaller crystals, and more of them, results in an eruption of flavor for your taste buds. The company was so confident in their science that it appeared almost verbatim two years later in a holiday- themed recipe book.

Candies may be one of the most “desirable” gifts for your “holiday entertaining.” It’s not just for the younger ones! “Sweet-toothed” adults also appreciate getting treats during the holiday season. Brand loyalty is important here, Pet says. Your family will taste the difference when you make your holiday sweets with Pet Milk. And of course, you’re providing them with all the added nutrients you’ve come to expect!

Any of these recipes featured can be replicated today. Pet Milk may not have the panache it once had but it is still available. Other brands of condensed milk can also be substituted. We cannot confirm or deny whether the lack of “flavor crystals” will impact the taste. You might want to make a couple batches just in case….

If you can somehow manage to save some of these delicious candies for gifting, you’ll want to dress them up a bit. Pet Milk provides some suggestions for how you’ll want to give these out. Head over to your local “ten-cent store” for various containers to put them in. You can get creative here. For an added look, “flowers” made of cellophane-wrapped candies can be draped on top.

From all of us at the New York Academy of Medicine Library, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. Seasons’ eatings!

References:
“Our History,” PET Milk, https://www.petmilk.com/history, accessed December 15, 2023.

Pet Milk Company. Candies. St. Louis, Mo.: Pet Milk Co., 1934.

Pet Milk Company. The Pet cookbook: 700 cost-saving recipes for better food / tested and approved by Good Housekeeping Institute. St. Louis, Mo.: Pet Milk Co., 1932.

The Healing Power of Art and Community: Viewing the AIDS Quilt at 36

Posted on November 21, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Paul Theerman, Director

The first panel of the AIDS quilt was put together in 1987—this year the Quilt is 36 years old!

Image courtesy of National AIDS Memorial.

The AIDS Quilt was the brainchild of gay activist Cleve Jones. A protégé of Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor murdered in 1978, Jones honored Milk’s life and service with candlelight marches through the city. For the 1985 march he saw the ravages that AIDS was making in the gay community and asked that marchers write the names of friends lost to AIDS on posters. Placed on a wall, the posters resembled a quilt; by 1987 the names had been captured in fabric, a traditional way of memorializing people and events. The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt was born.

Cleve Jones, activist and founder of the quilt, in front of a panel. Image taken from Wikipedia.

The quilt was first displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on October 11, 1987, and contained 1,920 names—a dramatic demonstration of the terrible effects of the disease, only a few years after it came to public notice. At the quilt’s October 1996 display, it covered the entire Mall and was the last time that the whole quilt could be displayed at once. In the years since the quilt began, it has been exhibited throughout the world, often in connection with World AIDS Day on December 1. Today the quilt contains almost 50,000 panels, representing 110,000 individuals. The National AIDS Memorial in San Francisco is responsible for the quilt, mounts special efforts to address the presence of HIV/AIDS in the Black and Native American communities, and shares the quilt online.

An image of the quilt being displayed in Washington, DC around 1987. Image taken from National AIDS Memorial.

Advertising the digitization of the quilt from National Aids Memorial, as per their website.

This year, the New York Academy of Medicine is proud to host a portion of the AIDS quilt for World AIDS Day on December 1. We’ll reveal the quilt at our Celebration of the Library on November 29 and exhibit it in the Academy Building throughout December. We hope you can join us to view this sober but also hopeful reminder of how disease devastates communities, and how communities respond, through art, with remembrance and resilience.

A panel from the AIDS quilt at the National Building Museum used as part of Wikimedia Commons.

_______

References

“The History of the Quilt,” The National AIDS Memorial, https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt-history, accessed November 20, 2023.

The Art of Anatomy with the Art Students League

Posted on November 8, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Arlene Shaner, Historical Collections Librarian

In July 2023, artist and teacher Dan Thompson brought a group of students to the Library’s Drs. Barry and Bobbi Coller Rare Book Reading Room. The students were here in New York for a week-long workshop organized by the Art Students League, “Musculoskeletal Gross Anatomy for the Figurative Artist.” We looked at anatomical atlases dating from the early 16^th through the mid-20^th centuries. Viewing items from our collection—like the first two images here—and engaging with the students made up the first day of the workshop. The balance took place in the Weill Cornell Medicine anatomy lab, where students worked directly with cadavers.

From Nouveau recueil d’ostéologie et de myologie…, 1779, by Jacques Gamelin

As the course description explains, “This course presents the study of anatomy as a convergence between anatomical and structural drawing. Motivated students of representational art will have unparalleled opportunities for developing detailed anatomical knowledge through their work in Cornell College of Medicine’s anatomy lab, where they will explore the complexities of the body through the study of prosections and cadavers. Prosections are specially prepared human anatomical specimens, wrapped in a damp preservative, as well as plastinated specimens, which allow for the study of deeper and more isolated anatomical structure. Through laboratory drawing, participating students will become more familiar with the manner of interlocking deeper forms—forms which are not typically clear on anatomical models (due to the haphazard ways that art school skeletons are wired together). Ultimately, students will work towards achieving greater anatomical clarity and validity in their drawing studies, which will be applied to creating higher quality figurative work in the visual arts, from a finer appreciation of human construction.”

From Anatomie du gladiateur combattant…, 1812, Jean-Galbert Salvage

Dan teaches at the New York Academy of Art and I have hosted Dan’s New York Academy of Art students here for several years; I first hosted his workshop for the Art Students League in the summer of 2022. This year Dan invited me to visit Weill Cornell’s anatomy lab with the workshop class so that I could gain a deeper understanding of how he teaches with human specimens and watch students make their own drawings and sculptures from cadavers, prosections, and plastinated specimens. Being in the anatomy lab was, for me, a transformative experience, as I had never had the opportunity to see actual cadavers and specimens and think about their relationship to images from historical texts that I share with classes when they visit.

Workshop participant Karina Fuhrman shared images from the visit to the rare book room. The drawings were done by Dan Thompson and the sculpture was done by Karina during her time in the dissection lab.

After the class had ended, I asked if the students would be willing to send their work to me so that we could share it with a broader audience. Many sent images, and it is a privilege to be able to show some of those here.

Classes from many local institutions regularly visit the rare book room to engage with materials from our collections. Dr. Evelyn Rynkiewicz, who teaches at FIT, has brought her class “Disease Ecology in a Changing World” more than once. After their 2022 visit, she wrote a blog post about the experience, which you can find here.

If you are interested in bringing your class to the New York Academy of Medicine Library, please reach out to ashaner@nyam.org.

A Summer Script for Relaxation

Posted on July 31, 2023 by nyamhistory

by Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

Relaxation is just what the doctor ordered! Specifically, Dr. George S. Stevenson of the National and International Association for Mental Health. In his book, How to Deal with Your Tensions (1957), he says that “anxiety and tension” are essential parts of being alive. If we did not experience these feelings, we wouldn’t be equipped to manage the high or low-intensity situations we experience day to day. It is indeed an anxious time. We face threats such as climate change and the spread of misinformation. Writing in 1957, Dr. Stevenson spoke of real high tensions his society faced, “While it is true that we live today under pressure of intense competition, economic uncertainty, and the possibility of war…” Stevenson continued, “our ancestors faced other perils of equal magnitude.” It is important to realize each generation has its own struggles.

The title page of How To Deal With Your Tensions by George S. Stevenson, MD. It carries the seal of approval from the National Association for Mental Health. The emblem for that is a large bell with MH inscribed on it.

Dr. Stevenson produced eleven tenets for dealing with our feelings. These range from “Talk It Out” to “Shun the ‘Superman’ Urge’ to “Give the Other Fellow A Break.” We know these ideas but hearing them prescribed feels different.

One of Stevenson's tips. This says "7. Shun the "Superman" Urge" and features a balding man with glasses and a pipe wearing a costume similar to Superman. His hands are at his sides in classic Superman fashion.

The two that we want to focus on are #2, “Escape for a While,” and #11, “Schedule Your Recreation.” His ideas of escape are not necessarily jetting off to an island vacation! You can find escape by “[losing] yourself in a movie or a book or a game.” Even a “brief trip or change of scene” can make you feel relaxed. Public parks are beautiful places to go for a stroll.

Scheduling recreation is sometimes hard—especially for an adult. When we are younger, we get scheduled vacation. The summer is ours! As adults, we have more responsibilities. As Dr. Stevenson mentioned, we don’t have to schedule a week-long trip! We can buy tickets in advance to the latest blockbuster or art-house film. We can schedule an hour or two before bed to transport ourselves with the help of a book.

Another of Stevenson's steps is "11. Schedule your recreation." This image features a woman making a ship in a bottle. She stands next to an array of tools while she places a tiny tool into the bottle. It looks as though she has almost finished the project.

This summer we asked, “How are you recharging?” We want to hear what recreation and relaxation you have been taking part in. Dr. Stevenson has spoken of the benefits but so have others.

In 1924, Joseph Ralph, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, declared that he had found the fountain of youth. It was not in some unobtainable secret cave, and he was not going to keep it to himself. The secret to still being young was electronic relaxation, a method of inducing tension.

The title page of "The Man Who Stopped Growing Old." This features a portrait of the subject, Jason Ralph. It identifies him as well as his profession of psychologist and psycho-analyst.

Ralph declared that the secret to eternal youth lived in the cell’s protoplasm. Through wear and tear, the protoplasm becomes weak, causing us to age. The agent responsible was not our physicality but instead our mental conflicts. Our intense emotional reactions cause the protoplasm inside the cells to harden. If hardened, they can no longer provide us with the energy we need. He deduced that this is why we acted “older.” By creating tension, Ralph believed the protoplasm was being stretched and worked out like a muscle.

Even your insurance company wants you to relax! Metropolitan Life Insurance gave advice in their pamphlet “Relax and Revive.” In comparing the body to the mechanical machines, we use daily, they remind us that “extra care avoids shutdowns.”

The title page for Relax and Revive by Met Life. The font is turquoise.

Whether we get a day, a whole weekend, or the entirety of a season, it’s important to carve out time for yourself. As Met Life put it, “How you use your precious hours of leisure is of the greatest importance in keeping yourself fit, and in fighting the good fight on the home front.” To take care of what you need to take care of, you have to start with yourself.

Like Dr. Stevenson, the insurance company wanted you to figure out what works best for you. Besides the typical ways we think of recreation, the pamphlet stated that perhaps just sitting there is what works for you! “Maybe idleness is your recreation. That’s all right too.”

An image of a man showing the fish that he and his son caught to his neighbor. The two adult men are separated by a fence. The boy has climbed the fence to proudly speak with his dad.

While we all may have ideas of what recreation is, it looks different for all. We wanted to share how people have been relaxing so far this summer. We’ve gotten pictures, postcards, and stories from fellow NYAM staff, friends, family, and patrons. We thank everyone for their responses so far.

The staff here at NYAM filled out beautiful New York City—centric postcards. They relayed their goals for the summer, which included personal goals (vacations, exercise, spending time with family and pets, and of course, recovery), as well work goals (planning notable events, organizing office space, and remembering to respond to emails on time).

A colorful illustrated postcard of times square. The iconic yellow taxi rides through the street. Marquees for Broadway productions illuminate the sky. They are Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Hair, and South Pacific.

We even got a response from a friend of a famous 100-foot-tall ape…

A response that reads "This summer I am climbing the Empire State Building with a giant gorilla."

Parks are always fun to visit during the summer. This one comes from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, one of 63 with that distinction.

A scan of a postcard from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This shows the Painted Canyon. The canyon appears very yellow.

Indiana seems like a popular destination this summer. Three of our postcards come from different parks there.

Rachel visited Wolf Park and talked about the different wildlife she saw there, including foxes, turtles, and of course, wolves! She mentioned how the park gave her tips on how to help the wildlife there and in the larger environment.

A scan of a postcard from wolf Park. Three wolves are howling to the left. There is another wolf who is howling to the right,.

Megan went on a trip to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana where she went on a hike for her recent birthday. She loved being in nature with her sister and best friends.

A scan of a postcard from Turkey Run State Park. It shows a walking bridge surrounded by green trees.

Our Historical Collections Librarian sent a postcard from a road trip she took. One of her stops brought her to the Indiana Dunes National Park. There she got to walk along the Lake Michigan Shoreline!

A scan of a postcard from Indiana Dunes National Park. It is the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The sun is setting right in the middle.

One of our patrons, Dr. Sharon Packer, sent us these photos from Bearsville, New York. The pictures remind us of the beauty and therapeutic power of relaxing in our natural environment. For those in a big city, it’s nice to get away for a bit. We are lucky to live only a train ride away from such different scenery. There also looks to be delicious home cooking! Both making and eating are perfect relaxation practices.

A photo with a blooming pink flower in frame. Behind it is a small, shy brown dog looking at the camera.

A delicious looking quiche that is set in front of a red barn. The quiche has cut scallions on top.

We don’t want to scare you; the summer is not over yet! With that, we are still collecting postcards and pictures.

Postcards/letters can be sent to:
Attn – NYAM Library
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10029

Or you can always e-mail us at: librarysocial@nyam.org.

We look forward to hearing from you! And more importantly, we hope you are having a relaxing summer.

References:
Harris, Antron. The Man Who Stopped Growing Old : Joseph Ralph, Psychologist and Psycho-analyst, Discoverer of the Electronic Relaxation Method of Mental and Physical Rejuvenation. B.F. Tibby, 1924.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Relax and Revive. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1920?.

Stevenson, George S. How to Deal with Your Tensions. National Association for Mental Health, c1957.

Hello, Summer!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

As we pass the longest day of the year, we arrive at summer!

We began our celebration of the summer with the annual Museum Mile Festival on Tuesday, June 13th. Each year, all the cultural institutions along 5th Avenue get together to highlight what we have to offer. Think of it as a block party for museums! The stretch starts around 85th Street with The Met and ends at 110th with The Africa Center.

This year the Museum Mile Festival celebrated its 45^th anniversary. It also happened to be the 100^th birthday of our neighboring institution, The Museum of the City of New York! From where we were set up, we could hear the titular song from the new musical “New York, New York” in observance.

NYAM’s table was set up outside 103rd Street right across from Central Park. Our set-up highlighted the treasures from our collection with replicas of assorted pamphlets. This included a photo-op with our new skeletal employee. There were plenty of crayons on hand for visitors to engage in sheets from our Color Our Collections coloring books. Sidewalk chalk was on offer to decorate the closed city streets.

The NYAM Team enjoyed talking with the passers-by. These encounters gave us ideas on how best to invite the community through our doors to engage with our organization. A reminder that throughout the year on the first Monday of every month at 12 pm (holidays excepted), we offer tours of our library highlighting a portion of the collection. While we understand it may not be possible for some to attend, we continue to look for other ways to highlight our rich holdings.

For some, the Museum Mile Festival is their unofficial kick-off to summer. Others wait for the official start on the day of the summer equinox. Students may celebrate on the last day of classes when their summer vacation starts.

While not all of us get that traditional summer vacation, the season brings to mind the need for some real relaxation. Whether it be lying by the beach, going for a run in the park, or seeing your favorite baseball team play, we each have our own ideas of what it means to take it easy. It could be a tropical vacation that’s been on your calendar for months, or a day trip you take with friends out East to a winery. One doesn’t have to spend time lamenting a lost youth!

Some like to relax by swimming. We’ve previously investigated tips and tricks to make your swimming more artful or, the proper scientific form. Others visit different places. Our blog has also shared what happens when the God of love needs some rest and relaxation. It goes to show that if they need it, we do too.

Here at NYAM, we want to hear how you are spending this leisure time. Send us a postcard detailing what you’ve been up to in your downtime or some photos or videos (no faces please!) at librarysocial@nyam.org or the New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029 (Attn: Library). We’re excited to see what you are up to!

Throughout the summer we hope to share with you what others have been doing. We need to recharge once in a while. Your relaxation tips might inspire others! You never know what may lie in your own backyard.

(Enjoyed the colorful, illustrated images? They come from our William H. Helfand Collection of Pharmaceutical Trade Cards collection which is available to view online!)

May 2023 NYAM Library Wrap-Up

Posted on June 6, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

May brought us flowers and a lot to celebrate on social media!

Throughout the month of May we observed Mental Health Awareness Month. This included sharing information and graphics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. On May 11, we observed National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Kids often imitate adult behavior. Passing down healthy habits, including ones related to mental health, is imperative!

A colorful illustration of a group of kids. They are in front of a door. One boy is tying roller skates. A blonde haired girl is running to another boy who is riding a fake horse with a cowboy hat.

The popularity of Star Wars continues to this day. Just after the movie’s premiere in the late 1970’s, President Carter and the National Immunization Program asked the film’s two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, to star in a campaign promoting immunization. A television commercial and a poster were made for this, with the latter in our collection.

The Star Wars droids are asking parents of Earth to immunize their children in this printed PSA.

School nurses are some of the first healthcare workers that children meet. On May 10^th we celebrated them. National School Nurses Day invites us to thank these caregivers. This photograph from Health Work in the Schools by Ernest Bryant Hoag and Lewis M. Terman shows a school nurse in action.

A black and white image. Caption reads "School nurse recording pulse and temperature in an open-air class."

Who better than to help us celebrate Mother’s Day and Women’s Health Week than the Roman goddess of women’s health, Juno. She made her appearance in 1950 at the Cleveland Health Museum, helping to explain how the female body worked.

A photograph of the transparent Juno statue from the side. Juno is a life-size woman.

Do you like foraging for your food? Then you probably celebrated National Mushroom Hunting Day on May 17^th. The Field Book of Common Gilled Mushrooms by William S. Thomas helps you identify which you can eat and which you cannot!

A colorful illustration of various mushrooms.

World Goth Day happened on May 22^nd. The macabre is at the forefront of this often-misunderstood subculture. We showed off some of the many skeletons in our collection, including this from The Last Will and Testament of Basil Valentine by Basil Valentine.

One of New York City’s prominent bridges, The Brooklyn Bridge, celebrated its 140^th birthday on May 24^th.It appears on a card from our William H. Helfand Pharmaceutical Trade Card collection promoting Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound.

The front side of the trading card. A drawing of the "East River Bridge" is front and center with ships sailing around it. Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable compound is a featured banner in the middle of the bridge.

International Plastic Free Day on May 25th seeks to have at least one day without single-use plastics. The day usually falls around Memorial Day, a long weekend often spent enjoying picnics, the beach, or hiking, all occasions tempting us to be wasteful. To keep on enjoying, we need to squash the usage of these products.

An illustration of two beach-goers unable to go to the beach. A sign reads "No Bathing. Polluted."

Throughout the month, artists used the hashtag and prompt #MerMay as a creative inspiration signaling mermaids and mermen. Towards the end of the month, we shared another image from the Helfand Trade Card collection, this one featuring the aquatic folk using Ayer’s Hair Vigor to attract sailors.

Four mermaids are applying hair tonic. In the background a fifth mermaid is approaching a ship.

Finally, we are counting down the days until Museum Mile Festival 2023! On Tuesday, June 13^th, cultural institutions along Museum Mile on 5^th Avenue will be celebrating with extended hours, giveaways, and a look inside the collections. The NYAM Library will be set up at 103^rd and 5^th—come visit us!

The New York Academy of Medicine Library posts updates like this throughout the week. We can be found online over at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Check back here or on our social media for more chances for a look inside our collection!

A skeleton sits in a chair. They are surrounded by old books.

Speaking For Themselves: Mental Health Memoirs

Posted on May 26, 2023 by nyamhistory

By Anthony Murisco, Public Engagement Librarian

Since 1949, May has been recognized in the United States as Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Association for Mental Health, now Mental Health America, set up the month of educational events to clear up misconceptions about mental health and provide resources to those who need them.

The knowledge of public health is always changing. What may have been taken as fact years ago is not necessarily the truth now. This is true for understanding mental health, or formerly, mental hygiene.

From November 8^th to 15^th in 1912, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and the Committee on Mental Hygiene of the New York State Charities Aid Association hosted a conference at the College of the City of New York. These two organizations brought together some of the leading minds on the subject. This was a relatively new idea. Modern understanding of psychiatry had begun less than a hundred years earlier.

The goal of this conference was what the public could do regarding their own mental health. They came up with six tenets.

While worded harshly in today’s terms, these suggestions try to offer a compassionate understanding of mental illness. The fourth, “Speak and think of insanity as a disease and not as a crime,” stands out as something we continue to struggle with today.

One of the forefathers of the mental health awareness movement would not be considered a traditional mental health expert. Clifford Whittingham Beers was born in 1896. Mental illness ran in his family. He himself served several stints in mental institutions. Upon the cruel treatment inflicted upon him at these hospitals, he went on to write a memoir on the subject. In A Mind That Found Itself, he writes of the degradation that he and his fellow patients were subject to. This memoir was key to providing a voice for those who were afraid to speak of their own illness. In 1909 Beers founded the organization now called Mental Health America.

From the first edition of A Mind That Found Itself.

Since the publication of Beers’ book, several writers have explored their own experience. These mental health memoirs offer both guidance and companionship to those who also suffer. They provide maps for those who care about those who may be suffering and allows a peek inside minds that many cannot comprehend.

Some of these authors bring humor to their reflections. Two funny people wrote about their own struggles. Kevin Breel is a Canadian comedian. He also suffers from depression. His memoir, Boy Meets Depression, allows readers into the mind of someone who experienced the mental illness early on in life. Sara Benincasa is known for being a comical blogger. Her own memoir Agorafabulous! reveals her fight with depression as well as agoraphobia, the fear of leaving one’s house.

Graphic memoirs allow us to see with the author’s vision. In dealing with mental health, we get to experience dark visions or the physical manifestation of anguish.

The Hospital Suite by John Porcellino starts off with a hospitalization. After his illness, Porcellino‘’s health didn’t get better. His brief stint had taken a toll on his mental health. He writes about the experience of his recovery from an obsessive-compulsive episode. Porcellino is candid about his struggles and his fears of his bouts recurring.

Ellen Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder before her thirteenth birthday. Afraid of stunting her creativity, she seeks treatment that will help her fulfill her potential. She begins to look at other artists who have suffered from mental illness. Finding all minds are different, she wonders what’s going to be best for her. Forney takes us on her personal highs and lows in Marbles.

Towards the end of his work on the epidemic of mental fatigue and pressure, People Under Pressure, Albert M. Barrett, MD, offered a sympathetic take on mental health challenges. For fifteen years prior to his 1960 publication, he worked alongside counselors and therapists. Barrett urges us to consider a different point of view. He writes, “For no man is an island, and the relief we provide other human beings will reflect itself in our own peace of mind.” Compassion is vital towards greater public health.

References:

Barrett, Albert M. People under Pressure. College and University Press, 1960.

Benincasa, Sara. Agorafabulous!: Dispatches from My Bedroom. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2013.

Breel, Kevin. Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and Then You Die Live. Harmony Books, 2015.

Clifford, Beers W. A Mind That Found Itself; an Autobiography. Longmans, Green, and Co., 1908.

Forney, Ellen. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me: A Graphic Memoir. Gotham Books, 2012.

National Committee for Mental Hygiene, and State Charities Aid Association (N.Y.). Committee on Mental Hygiene. Proceedings of the Mental Hygiene Conference and Exhibit at the College of the City of New York…. Committee on Mental Hygiene of the State Charities Aid Association, 1912.

Porcellino, John. The Hospital Suite. Drawn & Quarterly, 2014.