OHSU Library What’s New

OHSU Historical Collections & Archives is pleased to announce that a first edition of Wolfgang von Kempelen’s monumental work on speech synthesis, Wolfgangs von Kempelen Mechanismus der menschlichen Sprache nebst Beschreibung seiner sprechenden Maschine (or, Wolfgang von Kempelen’s Mechanism of Human Speech with a Description of his Speaking Machine) is now available to researchers for consultation. This pioneering study of artificial speech and phonetics has been placed on long-term loan by Richard Sproat, PhD, computational linguist and professor at OHSU’s Center for Spoken Language Understanding.

The book includes detailed diagrams of the machine constructed by Kempelen and of the human vocal apparatus. A working copy of Kempelen’s voice synthesizer has been reproduced using the text, and is on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

The first edition of Kempelen’s work is extremely scarce, as are later reprints, and the text is not available digitally. Dr. Sproat and the OHSU Library will investigate the possibility of digitizing this item while it is on loan. Of note: This particular copy is from the collection of Andras Gedeon, author of Science and technology in medicine: an illustrated account based on ninety-nine landmark publications from five centuries (2006).

We extend our great thanks to Dr. Sproat for sharing his Kempelen with the OHSU community and researchers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Historical Notes from OHSU, a blog highlighting the collections of the Oregon Health & Science University’s Historical Collections & Archives has won the Best Institutional Blog designation from the Best Archives on the Web awards at ArchivesNext. This blog was started and is maintained by Sara Piasecki, Head of Historical Collections & Archives.

According to the judges, “Given that it started in 2006, “Historical Notes from OHSU” is remarkable for its ability to maintain such a high quality of content over this long a period of time. The posts are informative, well-written, and open up the processes of the archives in a valuable way. This is a great example of a blog bringing visibility to collections–and an institution–that most of us would probably never have heard of without it. Plus it has cool pictures!”

Please join the OHSU Library in congratulating Sara and the Historical Collections & Archives on their award.

Recent donations to the Historical Collections & Archives at OHSU have included substantial records of the organization and administration of the School of Nursing and materials documenting the activities of the Office of Community Relations.

The School of Nursing began depositing historically valuable records in the archives in 2005. Since that time, we have received over 80 linear feet of administrative records, meeting minutes, self-studies, curricular information, program records, grant documents, and other information pertaining to the organization and administration of the School. A guide to the current archival holdings is available on the HC&A web site at http://www.ohsu.edu/library/hom/findingaids/2005-002_SON_Records.pdf.

In addition to the School records, we recently received a collection of personal papers from Barbara C. Gaines, RN, EdD, containing materials that she collected during the writing of her History of the school, 1910-1996. The Gaines Collection will be a critically important resource for future researchers interested in the history of nursing in Oregon.

The SON Records and the Barbara C. Gaines Collection complement the Carol A. Lindeman Collection, 2004-029, which includes information on SON activities during Lindeman’s tenure as Dean, 1976-1995. A complete guide to that collection is also available from the HC&A website at http://www.ohsu.edu/library/hom/findingaids/Carol_Lindeman_inventory_2004-029.pdf

In addition, HC&A has recently received over 12 linear feet of material from the former Office of Community Relations. This collection includes documentation on campus building groundbreakings and dedications, information on research convocations, and the records of the Marquam Hill Society. Numerous publications from OHSU and the University of Oregon Medical School, such as Campusgram and What’s Going On, were also received. This collection will expand our holdings of information on public relations activities on the Hill, joining the University Relations and Public Affairs Records (2004-008) and the video and print collections from University News & Publications (2004-002 and 2004-003).

Questions about any materials in Historical Collections & Archives can be addressed to Sara Piasecki, History of Medicine Librarian (piasecki@ohsu.edu or 503-418-2287) or Karen Peterson, Archivist (peterska@ohsu.edu, 503-494-3239).

Following on the success of the first run of historic postcards showcasing photographs from the OHSU Historical Image Collection, a second series of images is now available!

There are twelve images in total, sold individually and in sets of six (Oregon women physicians and general OHSU images). Prices have been set at $1.25 for individual cards, $5.00 for one set, and $8.00 for two sets.

Postcards can be purchased at the circulation desk of the Main Library (library lobby, 3rd floor, BICC Building, Marquam Hill campus) and Medical Photography (Baird Hall 06, Marquam Hill Campus). More convenient campus locations will be added in the coming weeks.

Questions and comments can be directed to History of Medicine Librarian Sara Piasecki (piasecki@ohsu.edu or 503-418-2287) or Archivist Karen Peterson (peterska@ohsu.edu or 503-494-3239).

A series of sixteen photographs illustrating the history of Mackenzie Hall and the campus architecture of Ellis F. Lawrence has recently been hung in the main foyer of Mackenzie Hall. The images document the explosive growth of the Marquam Hill campus over the eighty-eight years since the erection of the first building in 1919 and showcase the original beauty and grandeur of Lawrence’s architectural designs. All of the photographs were drawn from the Historical Image Collection in OHSU Historical Collections & Archives, which contains over 15,000 images depicting the history of OHSU and the history of the health sciences in the Pacific Northwest.

This display has been a project of the OHSU History of Medicine Society and Historical Collections & Archives, with additional support provided by Medical Photography. Questions about the images can be directed to Sara Piasecki, History of Medicine Librarian, at 503-418-2287 or piasecki@ohsu.edu.

OHSU Historical Collections & Archives is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of a major new collection, the Kenneth Carl Swan Papers (Accession 2007-011).

The donation, made by Swan’s daughter Susan Guntner and facilitated by University of Oregon Medical School alumnus and emeritus ophthalmologist Donald L. Blanchard, M.D., consists of approximately 30 boxes of research, case studies, publications, presentations and exhibits, correspondence, photographs, original artwork by Swan and Clarice Ashworth Francone, certificates and awards, news clippings, medical books, and equipment and instruments–some originally owned by John E. Weeks, M.D.

Materials include information on Swan’s work with the OHSU Department of Ophthalmology and the Casey Eye Institute, as well as the Oregon Elks and the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic; his original research on drug interactions, ocular movements and abnormalities of coordination, and the causes and effects of blindness; his affiliation with numerous societies and associations; and his relationships with his colleagues in the field of ophthalmology.

Historical Collections & Archives is honored to have been chosen as the repository for these materials. Questions about the collection can be addressed to Sara Piasecki, History of Medicine Librarian (piasecki@ohsu.edu) or Karen Peterson, Archivist (peterska@ohsu.edu).