Author: Jacquelyn Deppe

3D Printing the Past (Update)

The FIG project is near completion! This is a project that is aimed at recreating a historic moveable typeface using 3D modeling and printing in connection with a block press to recreate the printing process. The goal is to engage faculty and students in a discussion, where they will be able to recall the steps in the printing process; identify a historic typeface; and discuss how technology can be used to resurrect a typeface.

As the project wraps up, I’d like to share the process.

Working in the Archives and Special Collections Center and having access to numerable examples of different typefaces, I decided to recreate Fraktur one of the oldest typefaces. By researching some different type specimens, my first step was to create an outline of the letters. I printed out a guide and traced the letters making some edits to smooth out shapes and lines, onto paper which I then scanned into the computer.

From there I opened the scan in Photoshop to enhance the contrast of the scan. Using Curves and the black and white eye droppers is a quick way to make the scan into a black and white image while darkening and lightening specific areas. This method is successful when the tracing is clean, no smudging, and crisp lines. Tracing in ink is ideal especially with a superfine tipped marker.

Tracing of the Fraktur letters

Next was to open, or copy and paste, the edited scan in Illustrator. I would suggest opening the document in Illustrator so that you do not have both programs open and running which can cause them to crash. Once in Illustrator you can create a tracing of the edited scan. If all went well with editing the scan in Photoshop then the resulting tracing in Illustrator should yield a nicely rendered set of letters in black and white.
This is an important step because it creates vector shapes. Once you ungroup and delete the unnecessary white space and use the minus function to ensure letters have the appropriate shape cut out so that the O looks like an O and not a black circle. After that, it is time to save the file as an .svg which will then be uploaded to Fusion360.

Fusion360 offers free trials but is free to use for educators and students which is why I selected it for this project. I have also had previous experience using Fusion360 and other Autodesk software which played a part in my decision. In Fusion360, after inserting the .svg and finishing the sketch, select the shape, the letter should highlight, and under the Create tab select Extrude to extrude the shape. Once that is complete, you can add the base by selecting box and adding the box over the letter that has been extruded.

If you traced and scanned the way I did, the letter will be the correct way as opposed to backwards which is what you need. However, do not worry! If you navigate to the underside of your modeling, you will see that the letter is backwards so it’ll all work out in the end.

Once the letter is extruded and the base added, you can select the entire body, right click and hold to select Isolate. Doing this allows you to export the body to an .stl file. If you export without this step, you would export everything in the file. Afterwards, I always do Ctrl z to undo the Isolation.

Computer screen shows DigiLab Slicer program with3D printers in the background of the photoYou can find all exported files in your files within Fusion360. Here you can download all the .stl’s. While it’s tempting to go straight to printing, there is another step! At least there was for me as I was using a Dremel 3D printer. Using Dremel DigiLab Slicer you can open the .stl and set up your print. You’ll select the material, specify the quality of the print along with how much infill, build plate adhesion, and generate supports if your print requires it. There is also a mode to customize your print where you get more into the details of 3D printing. With all your details set, which includes orienting the file on the build plate, an important step that you shouldn’t forget. From there you can Prepare Slice followed by saving the file as a .gcode.

Using a USB drive, I plugged that into the printer and selected my file to print. From there the printer does its steps to orient itself and warm up while you’ll want to cross your fingers to make sure it all comes out okay!

The specs of the project will vary depending on a number of factors that are specific to your project such as the size of the letter itself and the size of the box that serves as the base of the letter. I tested a few before I came to the one that worked the best for myself and this project.

I started off small, which proved to be an issue. It is important to remember that 3D printers can only print so small. Small prints, especially those that rely on details, may lose those details in printing. I decided to increase the size to keep that detail. Furthermore, I realized I would be using these pieces in a workshop and having a larger example would be easier to show as opposed to the small one.

Here are my tests and their specs with the how they printed:

Test 1:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: Yes
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: FAILED
        • Letter: ENTIRE ALPHABET

Test 2:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: Yes
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: SUCCESSFUL
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .5 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: ENTIRE ALPHABET

Test 3:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: SUCCESSFUL
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .30 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: ONE LETTER

Test 4:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: FAILED
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .30 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: THREE LETTERS

Test 5:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: FAILED
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .30 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: ONE LETTER (FILLED IN B, HOLES NOT PRESENT)

Test 6:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: SUCCESSFUL
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .30 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: ONE LETTER C

Test 7:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: FAILED
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .34 inches
              • Height: .30 inches
              • Letter Height: .125 inches
        • Letter: ONE LETTER (FILLED IN B, HOLES NOT PRESENT)

Test 8:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Status: SUCCESSFUL
        • Size:
              • Width: .5 inch (VARIES)
              • Length: .5 inches
              • Height: .5 inches
              • Letter Height: . 5 inches
        • Letter: ONE LETTER B (BUILT DIFFERENTLY IN FUSION360)*
            • *Extrude the sketch which already had the holes.

Final:

        • Profile: High Speed (34 mm)
        • Infill: 20%
        • Generate Support: No
        • Build Plate Adhesion: Yes
        • Size:   
              • Scale Design: 3.5
              • Width: VARIES
              • Length: 1.75 inches
              • Height: .5 inches
              • Letter Height: .5 inches

3D Printing the Past

A black Speedball black press, a gray inking plate, and a Speedball brayer.

Working in the Archives and Special Collections Center, we showcase historically significant print materials to visiting classes who have made these visits part of their curriculum. Implementing a printing demonstration and an opportunity for students and faculty to get involved with the printing process itself will bring a new form of learning into the space and a new way to engage and appreciate the items before them. A Faculty Innovation, or FIG grant, now makes this possible.

Over the years I have had the pleasure of attending Rare Book School out of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, which proved to be part of my inspiration for this project. Just this past summer I saw a working reproduction of an eighteenth-century press which is typically given the name of Franklin Printing Press since it is believed that Benjamin Franklin used something similar. I saw the metal moveable type that was laid out, how the ink was applied, how the paper was arranged, and the strength needed to press the paper onto the moveable type. The entire process made me wish I could requisition a press to be built, procure trays of moveable type, have ink balls, quality paper, and ink.

But that would require thousands of dollars, so the question became how can I do this without spending that amount of money? How can I make it portable? And how can I share the results with others?

My project was born. I decided to take one the earliest typefaces to bring back to life by using emerging technology of the 21st century. This project utilizes Photoshop and Illustrator from Adobe Creative Campus in connection with Fusion360 and a Dremel 3D40 printer which uses PLA filament. Additionally, this project uses a Speedball Block Press and brayer along with an inking plate. I will be using the Archives and Special Collections blog to share updates, tips and tricks, successes and failures so that the process can be expanded and even improved upon by others interested in creating a similar project.

While this project is aimed at becoming an interactive component to class visits in the Archives and Special Collections Center for faculty and students, I also get to practice and refine my skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3D modeling while learning about the 3D printing process. And ultimately, I get to take my first steps in faculty scholarship and in crafting a unique learning experience for the community.

As part of this grant, I have been asked how this project can be implemented within the curriculum. Metal moveable type and the printing press, even the digital aspects of this project, relate to many different subject areas as I will outline below but can apply to much more.

Typography and Graphic Design
Since typography is focused on learning about letterforms and words as design elements as well as the historical roots which goes back to Gutenberg this project would be an addition to these learning objectives. As would it be to graphic design where students are focused on creative, conceptual, and practical aspects of graphic design and advertising.

Book History (History of Books)
This project will allow exploration into the process of how books were made focusing on the materiality of the book. It will allow further conversations into materials and even marks of book use and ownership.

Ethics
Much like we have plagiarism policies in place today to discourage the stealing and appropriation of someone else’s work as your own, a similar issue was around during the time of the printing press. Printers would merely obtain a copy of a work that is selling well and print it for themselves.

Education
The printing press led to an increase in books and printed items. Those who wanted books no longer had to rely on scriptoriums to hand-copy books and could now obtain them more easily. With a new influx of books being produced at a rapid pace, educational standards improved. More people learned to read and write while laws were created to ensure people received an education.

Ideology
Did you know Hitler banned Fraktur in a 1941 statement? According to the document the font was believed to have Jewish ties and was therefore banned. While this document was most certainly typed on a typewriter, the idea is the same. The printing press allowed people to share their thoughts more freely and spread their ideologies faster.

3D Technology
This project would not be possible without the use of 3D technology of the 21st century. There are many different applications in which 3D technology can be utilized, not just to replicate typefaces to explore printing press and history but to scan and have objects available for viewing digitally. Furthermore, it allows the development of digital skills in a digital realm where there seems to be very few limitations.

Communications
The printing press revolutionized mass communication. Where the world once relied upon oral traditions and the slow pace of a scriptorium, there was now the printing press which could print multiple pages at a time.

These are just a few examples of how this project can be used to start discussions in different subject areas that are part of the curriculum. And when fully developed and operational, the project in connection with displays of items from the archives and special collections that used a similar process when they were initially created will allow visitors to fully appreciate them.

In an increasingly digital world, materiality still has a foothold that can not be replicated. We can read, we can watch videos, but nothing compares to a live demonstration and exploration into the physical process that sparks conversation beyond our primary impressions.

Stay tuned for the next blog update as the project gets underway!

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration and a recognition of contributions to the United States from the Hispanic community. Originated in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson as a weeklong event, it was expanded to a month in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan, starting September 15 and ending October 15 to coincide with national independence days in several Latin American countries. According to Pew Research, the United States Hispanic population reached 62.5 million in 2021 which would mean the Hispanic community accounts for about 19% of the United States population. Here at Seton Hall University, 21% of the student body is Hispanic along with numerous staff members, administrators, and faculty.

During this month, the Archives and Special Collections Center and the Walsh Gallery would like to showcase collections that highlight Hispanic heritage:

MSS 0130 – Father Raúl Comesañas Papers

The Father Raúl Comesañas Papers is the first bilingual finding aid created by the Archives. These papers document the life, work, and activities of Father Raúl Comesañas, a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Newark who was born in Cuba and became a civic advocate for Union City, New Jersey. Below is what the collection contains:

This collection covers materials related to Father Comesañas’s run for the 13th Congressional district of New Jersey, his work as a Catholic priest in New Jersey, and his work as president of the Union of Cuban Exiles (U.C.E.). There is also a variety of background information related to Fr. Comesañas’s political interests including his role on various boards, his post-secondary education and seminary work, and personal correspondence. There is a significant collection of newspapers, including La Nación Americana, El Clarín, La Tribuna, and Vanguardia Católica all of which Fr. Comesañas had a role in the publication or editing of. The remainder of the newspapers in the collection cover news in North New Jersey and is published in English and Spanish.

The collection covers the years 1943, from paperwork and correspondence of Fr. Comesañas’s family prior to arriving in the United States, to 2017, one year before his death.

——————————————————-

Esta colección cubre materiales relacionados a la carrera política para el trece distrito del Congreso de Nueva Jersey, el trabajo como un Padre de la iglesia católica, y el trabajo como presidente de la unión de exiles cubanos (U.C.E.) de Padre Comesañas. También, hay una variedad de información de fondo sobre sus intereses políticos incluyendo su papel en mesas directivas, su educación y trabajo en el seminario, y sus letras personales. Hay una colección significativa de periódicos, incluyendo La Nación Americana, El Clarín, La Tribuna, y Vanguardia Católica, todos en que Padre Comesañas tenía un papel en su publicación o revisión. El resto de los periódicos cubren noticias del norte de Nueva Jersey y se publican en ingles y español.

Los documentos cubren los años de 1943, con documentos de la familia de Padre Comesañas antes de mudarse al Estados Unidos, al 2017, un año antes de la muerte de Padre Comesañas.

Make sure to check out this digital exhibit!

MSS 0020 – Trina Padilla de Sanz papers

The Trina Padilla de Sanz papers covers the writings and correspondence of Trinidad (Trina) Padilla de Sanz, a Puerto Rican poet, suffragist, and composer, known as “La Hija del Caribe” in honor of her father José Gualberto Padilla, a prominent medic, poet, and political activist known as “El Caribe”. Below is what the collection contains:

The Trina Padilla de Sanz papers date from 1845 to 1968, with the majority of records dating from 1902 to 1957, and document the life and literary career of Puerto Rican poet, writer, suffragist, and composer Trina Padilla de Sanz. The collection consists mostly of correspondence, original manuscripts, and printed works and also contains a small number of photographs and family papers.

The collection is arranged into three series: “I. Correspondence, 1845-1957 (Bulk: 1902-1957)”, “II. Writings, 1910-1966 (Bulk: 1910-1956)”, and “III. Personal and family papers, 1905-1968”.

Series “I. Correspondence” dates from 1845 to 1957, with the majority of correspondence dating from 1902 to 1957, and consists of correspondence with friends, family, and notable musicians, poets, politicians, and writers of her day. Prominent correspondents include, but are not limited to: Luis Llorens Torres, a well-respected Puerto Rican poet, playwright, and politician; Luis Muñoz Marin, the first democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico; Cayetano Coll y Toste, an esteemed Puerto Rican historian and writer; José de Diego y Martinez, a statesman and journalist known as the “Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement”; Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature; Manuel Fernandez Juncos, a Spanish journalist and poet who wrote the lyrics to Puerto Rico’s official anthem “La Borinqueña”; Braulio Dueño Colón, co-writer of the song series “Canciones Escolares” and lauded as one of Puerto Rico’s greatest composers; and Lola Rodriguez de Tio, the first Puerto Rican-born poetess to achieve widespread acclaim throughout Latin America. Other noteworthy correspondence includes a letter penned by José Gualberto Padilla, known as “El Caribe”, in 1845 and correspondence between La Hija and her son, Angel A. Sanz Padilla, and daughter, Amalia “Malín” Sanz Padilla. This series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Series “II. Writings” dates from 1910 to 1966, with the majority of writings dating from 1910-1956, and consists of articles, essays, poems, short stories, and open letters in both manuscript and printed formats. The series also contains newspaper and magazine clippings of La Hija’s work, writing fragments, and a small number of articles published after her death. Featured in this series are La Hija’s published works in several prominent Puerto Rican magazines, includingAlma Latina,Condor Blanco,Heraldo de la Mujer, andPuerto Rico Ilustrado. This series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Series “III. Personal and family papers” dates from 1905 to 1968 and contains newspaper and magazine clippings related to La Hija and her family, writings about La Hija, photographs, keepsakes and ephemera, a scrapbook documenting La Hija’s musical career, and a small number of papers belonging to her son, Angel A. Sanz Padilla. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type and chronologically thereunder.

This collection will be useful for researchers interested in the social, cultural, political, and economic issues specific to Puerto Rico during the first half of the twentieth century. It provides in-depth insight into a variety of topics of the pressing current events of that era. For researchers focused on the feminist movement, this collection offers insight into the role of women in society, inequality between genders, and domestic affairs. For those interested in the political sphere, La Hija’s writings contain analyses of not only Puerto Rican liberation efforts, but also the dynamic between the country and more powerful foreign influences, specifically the United States. Researchers who wish to study social problems faced by Puerto Rico will find various articles penned by La Hija related to poverty, wealth disparity, divorce, the death penalty, and juvenile delinquency.

Along with the archival collection, there is a small selection of books that belonged to Trina Padilla de Sanz. Included in these books are works by Hispanic authors such as:

Selección de poesías : Alma América, Fiat lux, Oro de Indias y otras poesías by José Santos Chocano

… Essais by Eugenio María de Hostos, translated by Max Daireaux

Las fronteras de la pasión : novela by Alberto Insúa

Make sure to check out this digital exhibit! And some digitized papers from the collection.

The Walsh Gallery holds many objects from all around the world, from places as close as parks within New Jersey to regions that have since been renamed. Here are a select few objects:

Make sure to check out this compiled map with more objects from around the world as well as Google Arts and Culture which has over 217 object photos. And stay tuned for the launch of PastPerfect!

 

If you are interested in using any of these materials as part of your research, please submit a Research Appointment Form.

If you are interested in using these materials as part of a class visit, please archives@shu.edu.

The First In-House 3D Model

By Jeanne Brasile and Jacquelyn Deppe

Walsh Gallery is delighted to announce its first use of in-house 3D modeling in its current exhibit, Seton Hall Re-Collects.

Screenshot of the Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session) being edited in Blender.
Screenshot of the Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session) being edited in Blender.

For our first model, the Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session), a gift of Peter Ahr, was used. The medal was scanned in the TLTC’s Digital Scanning Lab using the KIRI Engine app and later edited in Blender to create the final file. By uploading the file into a 3D viewer plugin on WordPress, it allows visitors to rotate and zoom in on the front of the medal while appreciating the back displayed by its physical counterpart. Using 3D technology has allowed us to display both the front and back of the medal simultaneously!

Image of the reverse side of the Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session).
Image of the reverse side of the Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session).

Medal
Pope John XXIII Medal for the Opening of Vatican II Council (1st session)
C. After
gold plated metal
2″
1965
Gift of Peter Ahr
2021.01.0015

 

 

Make sure to stop by and check out Seton Hall Re-Collects in the Walsh Gallery, a crowd-sourced exhibition featuring the university’s collections. Objects on display were selected by those who have worked with them, collected them or used them for research. Participants include students, faculty, staff, interns, volunteers, donors and scholars from other institutions – each contributing a label written in their unique voice which describes their interest in the object(s) they chose. The show includes of a wide array of art, artifacts and rare books including Japanese toys, historic 19th century ledgers, 17th century engravings, Roman and Byzantine coins, a print by Salvador Dalí and a medal from the Second Vatican Council – among other items. The show is on view September 12 – December 9, 2022.

The show’s inspiration draws on a series of exhibits organized by the Art Department in the 1980’s titled Seton Hall Collects. Each exhibition highlighted a related group of objects; traditional Japanese prints, Modern paintings and contemporary American prints. This reboot similarly highlights the collections though the selections are not limited to any one medium or type of object to emphasize the breadth and scope of the university’s holdings. Labels reflect the writers’ perspectives, favoring personal and contextual information about the objects over their physical attributes which was once the fashion for exhibitions. Gallery Director Jeanne Brasile conceived of the exhibition when she found an old exhibition catalogue from 1984 featuring Japanese prints while researching the Asian art collection. “This exhibition harkens back to the history of Seton Hall and the people who cultivated the many collections we enjoy today, while bringing this time-honored format into the future. It was exciting to see the exhibition take shape through the eyes of our collaborators.”

Seton Hall University’s beautiful main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles from New York City — offering students a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. Seton Hall’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark. The University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Clifton and Nutley, N.J. houses Seton Hall’s College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences as well as the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University. The Walsh Gallery, located on the first floor of the Walsh Library is open 9am to 5pm, Monday—Friday. Groups of 8 or more must register in advance. Admission to the gallery and its programs is free and
open to the public.

And stay tuned for more 3D models!

November Eve in Celtic Lore

November Eve

November Eve, or Samhain, celebrates the Moon, the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of winter. And like other holidays that celebrate the change of the seasons with great bonfires, fairs, and festivals, so does November Eve.

Like many Celtic holidays have a Christian counterpart celebrated on or around the same day, so does November Eve. It is known as All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. All Saints’ Day is a day to celebrate all saints known and unknown while All Souls’ Day is to remember all others that have passed on. Typically, families will visit cemeteries and graves, bringing flowers, candles and prayers or blessings. Just like Halloween and the Day of the Dead, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day remember the dead.

And like Halloween and the Day of the Dead, November Eve is the “one night of the year when the dead can leave their graves and dance in the moonlight on the hill” (Wilde, 80). However, it is said “mortals should stay at home and never dare to look on them” (Wilde, 80).

One such gives caution, states:

“It is esteemed a very wrong thing amongst the islanders to be about on November Eve, minding any business, for the fairies have their flitting then, and do not like to be seen or watched; and all the spirits come to meet them and help them. But mortal people should keep at home, or they will suffer for it; for the souls of the dead have power over all things on that one night of the year; and they hold a festival with the fairies, and drink red wine from the fairy cups, and dance to fairy music till the moon goes down” (Wilde, 78).

Being the 21st century staying home no longer applies! Kids, after carving their Jack-O’-the-Lantern into a frightful face, dress up to trick-or-treat and adults, also in costume, go off to parties to celebrate and bob for apples. Ever wonder how the Jack-O’-the-Lantern came to be? Or how apples and Halloween became a famous couple?

An Irish tale from Irish Fireside Stories contains an explanation for the Legend of the Jack o the Lantern. After having been excluded from heaven and having tricked the devil making Hell refuse to take him, it was decreed that Jack would walk the Earth with a lantern to light him on his nightly way until Judgement Day.

As for apples and Halloween, an old Celtic ritual has an explanation:

“The first day of November was dedicated to the spirit of fruits and seeds, from which, no doubt, originated the custom of eating nuts and apples on Hallow Eve. It was called La-mas-abhal, the day of apple fruit. This word, pronounced Lamabhool, was corrupted by English settlers into lamb’swool, which name was given to a drink made of apples, sugar and ale. So the apples are still eaten on All-Hallow’s Eve by the merry company in the farmhouse kitchen in Ireland, and the young Irish girls will peel one carefully, taking care to keep the skin whole, which, when cast over the shoulder upon the floor, will fall into the form of the initial letter of her future husband’s name. Or she will take nuts piled so plentifully upon the table and burn them on the grate-bar or the hearth and try to read her future in their ashes, while her companions are setting nuts in pairs together in the same place, naming them carefully, and watching to see whether they will burn pleasantly together or jump apart” (Blennerhassett, 233-234).

The article continues to mention further steps to be taken over the course of finding out information about one’s future husband and the role of apples in this process but as with all love fortune telling, spells, and the like, it is a lengthy process that requires far too much effort and too much typing for one blog post on a day of festivities. So, I’ll leave it here and wish you all a Happy Halloween!

Good luck bobbing for apples! And remember all spells cast on November Eve come true.

 

Reference

Blennerhassett, Sarah (1899 November). All-Hallow’s Eve. The Gael.

Wilde, & Wilde, W. R. (1919). Ancient legends, mystic charms & superstitions of ireland : with sketches of the irish past. Chatto & Windus.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Special Collections Coloring Book

Finished coloring the Special Collections Coloring Book? Still curious?

Look no further! Below are the original images of those in the Special Collections Coloring Book along with their information.

 

Seton Hall University coat of arms, William F.J. Ryan

William F.J. Ryan

Seton Hall University coat of arms

Gouache on board

16” x 13”

Mid 20th century

2021.04.0001

Ryan designed coats of arms for many dioceses throughout the United States.  The scroll at the bottom bears the university’s motto, “Hazard Zet Forward”, which translates from Latin to “whatever the peril, ever forward” in English.

 

Design for medal featuring Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton

Design for medal

paint on paper

12 ⅞” x 10 ½”

1970

2018.17.0001.a

Sketch, Prepared for the Society for the Preservation of Setoniana by Dieges & Clust jewelers, established in New York in 1898.   The company also produced the Heisman Trophy from 1935 through 1979, as well as the first Most Valuable Player Award for Major League Baseball.

 

Pirate Pennant

Pirate Pennant

wool flannel

11 ⅜” x 35”

mid-20th century

2019.06.0001

Former nicknames for the Seton Hall University sports teams include “White & Blue,” “Villagers,” and in the case of the baseball team, “The Alerts,” prior to 1931 when Seton Hall adopted the currently used name “Pirates.”

 

Design for Design for Renovation for Existing Tester

Design for Design for Renovation for Existing Tester

Paint on paper

11 ⅛” x 6 ¼”

1963

2016.03.0001

Robert Robbins Studios of New York City was retained to complete the restoration of the Chapel of the Immaculate in 1963.  This sketch shows the canopy design which hangs above the altar.

 

Enamel Vase

Enamel Vase

glazed porcelain

19th century

8 ¼” x 3 ¾”

76.40.2

Wang Fang-yu Collection of Asian Art

Gift of Dr. Marvin Boris

The period in which this Qing Dynasty vase was made marks the last dynasty in the imperial history of China. The Qing Dynastry was established in 1636, and ruled China from 1644 to 1912, with a brief restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China.

 

Herbert Kraft manuscript page

 

Mss 0029: Herbert Kraft manuscript and book leaves, Box 11

From Sebastian Munster’s “Cosmographia Universalis, printed in Basle, 1559.

 

 

 

Herbert Kraft manuscript page

 

Mss 0029: Herbert Kraft manuscript and book leaves, Box 11

From Luther’s “German Translation of the Bible”, printed in Wittenberg, 1584.

 

 

 

Herbert Kraft manuscript page

 

Mss 0029: Herbert Kraft manuscript and book leaves, Box 11

From “Las Quatorze Decades de Tito Livio”, printed in Saragossa, 1520.

 

 

 

Herbert Kraft manuscript page

 

Mss 0029: Herbert Kraft manuscript and book leaves, Box 11

From “Aeneis Vergiliana”, printed in Lyons, 1517.

St. John’s Eve and Midsummer in Celtic Lore

In Ireland, the holiday of Midsummer marks the middle of summer and comes just a few days after the Summer Solstice. Much of the celebration takes place the evening before on Midsummer’s Eve, also known as St. John’s Eve. As with many Celtic celebrations, great bonfires are lit, and fairs and festivals are held to celebrate. Just like May Day, St. John’s Eve has its own stories, customs, and superstitions.

“In ancient times the sacred fire was lighted with great ceremony on Midsummer Eve; and on that night all the people of the adjacent country kept fixed watch on the western promontory of Howth, and the moment the first flash was seen from that spot the fact of ignition was announced with wild cries and cheers repeated from village to village, when all the local fires began to blaze, and Ireland was circled by a cordon of flame rising up from every hill” (Wilde, 113).

It was also a time to worship the Goddess Áine.

“…Áine, who gave her name to Knockainy hill and village in the county Limerick. She ruled, and still rules, that district as fairy queen and banshee. In the second century of our era, she cut off the ear of Ailill Oluim, King of Munster. It was on this account he was called Oluim, from “o”, and ear, and “lom”, bare; bare of one ear” (Mahon, 137).

“Aynia, deemed the most powerful fairy in Ulster, and Áine, queen of South Munster, are perhaps the same person, the mysterious and awful goddess once adored as Anu, or Danu. Of the two, it is Áine who especially seems to carry on the traditions of the older Anu, worshipped, according to the “Choice of Names”, in Munster as a goddess of prosperity and abundance. Within living memory, she was propitiated by a magical ritual upon every Saint John’s Eve, to ensure fertility during the coming year. The villagers round her sidh of Cnoc Aine (Knockainy) carried burning bunches of hay or straw upon poles to the top of the hill, and thence dispersed among the fields, waving these torches over the crops and cattle. The fairy, or goddess was held to be friendly, and, indeed, more than friendly, to men” (Squire, 245).

Another tale tells the story of a St. John’s Night were a number of girls stayed late on the Hill to watch the clairs (torches) and join in the games when suddenly “Áine appeared among them, thanked them for the honour they had done her, but said she now wished them to go home, as they wanted the hill to themselves” (Rolleston, 128).

Since “fire is the holiest of all things” many customs and superstitions surround the bonfire and included carrying off a coal, jumping and leaping through the flames forward and backwards a certain number of times, and walking “three times round a fire on St. John’s Eve, and you will be safe from disease for all that year” (Wilde, 211). These customs and superstitions were not just limited to people but could include animals. Cattle were “driven through the half-extinguished bonfire, as a preventive against witchcraft” (W. R. Wilde, 40).

As Christianity spread and Midsummer became “christianized”, dedicated by the Church to honor St. John the Baptist, certain customs and superstitions survived (O’Súilleabháin, 322). “…Baal fires were kindled as part of the ritual of sun-worship, though now they are lit in honour of St. John. The great bonfire of the year is still made on St. John’s Eve, when all the people dance round it, and every young man takes a lighted brand from the pile to bring home with him for good luck to the house” (Wilde, 113). Whether Celtic or Christian, fire was still seen as a central part of the celebration, bringing good luck just like the fires of May Day did.

 

Reference

O’Súilleabháin Seán. (1942). A handbook of irish folklore.

No online version available.

Wilde, & Wilde, W. R. (1919). Ancient legends, mystic charms & superstitions of ireland : with sketches of the irish past. Chatto & Windus.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Putzi, S. (Ed.). (2008). To z world superstitions & folklore : 175 countries – spirit worship, curses, mystical characters, folk tales, burial and the dead, animals, food, marriage, good luck, and more. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Wilde, W. R. (1852). Irish popular superstitions. J. McGlashan.

No online version available.

Mahon, M. P. (1919). Ireland’s fairy lore. T.J. Flynn.

For an online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Squire, C. (191AD). Celtic myth & legend, poetry & romance. Gresham Pub.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Rolleston, T. W. (1911). Myths & legends of the celtic race. G.G. Harrap.

For an online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

May Day in Celtic Lore

May Day Eve and May Day

Lá Bealtaine in Irish, or “Belltaine or May Day took its name, i.e., bel-tene, lucky fire” is a celebration of summer (Joyce, 290). May Day Eve and May Day are traditionally celebrated with great bonfires along with fairs and festivals. This day also marks the occurrence of a shriek due to the Red Dragon of Britain being attacked by the White Dragon of the Saxons.

May Day marked “the great feast of Bel, or the Sun”, a time when the “Druids lit the Baal-Tinne, the holy, goodly fire of Baal, the Sun-god, and they drove the cattle on a path made between two fires, and singed them with the flame of a lighted torch, and sometimes they cut them to spill blood, and then burnt the blood as a sacred offering to the Sun-god” (Wilde, 102).

While the Druids saw Bel as a god, Reverend Michael P. Mahon describes Bel as being promiscuously written “Bial and Beal, and supposed to be the “Beel” in the Hebrew word Beelzebub, is a semitic word that would give the idea of a supreme god or a supreme demon” (Mahon, 195).

According to ancient Druid practices all domestic fires were extinguished and relit by the sacred fire taken from the temples and it was “sacrilege to have any fire kindled except from the holy alter flame” (Wilde, 102). It was said that while the sacred fire was burning “no other should be kindled in the country all round, on pain of death” (Joyce, 290).

However, St. Patrick was “determined to break down the power of the Druids; and, therefore, in defiance of their laws, he had a great fire lit on May Eve, when he celebrated the paschal mysteries; and henceforth Easter, or the Feast of the Resurrection, took place of the Baal festival” (Wilde, 102). Thus Christianity started to take root but still boasted similar traditions, customs, and superstitions, just without sacrifice and death. One such superstition talks about fires going out on May Day, stating that:

“If the fires go out on May morning it is considered very unlucky, and it cannot be re-kindled except by a lighted sod brought from the priest’s house. And the ashes of this blessed turf are afterwards sprinkled on the floor and the threshold of the house” (Wilde, 106).

Which is similar to the Druids practice of extinguishing domestic fires and only relighting them from the sacred fire, the holy alter flame, taken from the temples.

And where “Baal fires were originally used for human sacrifices and burnt-offerings of the first-fruits of the cattle”, they were being used “for purification from sin, and as a safeguard against power of the devil” (Wilde, 102). Even with Christianity established people have learned that May Day celebrations are “a survival of the ancient pagan rite” along with certain customs and superstitions (Mahon, 197).

Such as believing that fairies have great power during May Day and children, cattle, milk, and butter must be guarded from their influence. Other customs and superstitions say:

“It is not safe to go on the water the first Monday in May” (Wilde, 106)

“Finishing a cup of nettle soup on May 1 (May Day) prevents rheumatism for a year” (Putzi, 195).

“…the men, women, and children, for the same reason, pass through, or leap over, the sacred fires, and the cattle are driven through the flames of the burning straw on the 1st of May” (W. R. Wilde, 39)

“The fire was of the greatest importance in house in Ireland. People were unwilling to allow it to die out or to lend a fire-coal. They were especially careful of the fire on May Day” (O’Súilleabháin, 334)

“…spent coal must be put under the churn, and another under the cradle; the primroses must be scattered before the door, for the fairies cannot pass the flowers” (Wilde, 102)

“All herbs pulled on May Day Eve have a sacred healing power, if pulled in the name of the Holy Trinity; but if in the name of Satan, they work evil” (Wilde, 184)

While Christianity became more popular and practiced, old time Druid traditions can still be seen. May Day Eve and May Day, as with many other holidays that are celebrated, is a mix of traditions and customs, creating something that is unique and enjoyed by all.

 

Reference

Joyce, P. W. (1903). A social history of ancient ireland : treating of the government, military system, and law ; religion, learning, and art ; trades, industries, and commerce ; manners, customs, and domestic life, of the ancient irish people. Longmans, Green.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Wilde, & Wilde, W. R. (1919). Ancient legends, mystic charms & superstitions of ireland : with sketches of the irish past. Chatto & Windus.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Mahon, M. P. (1919). Ireland’s fairy lore. T.J. Flynn.

For an online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

Putzi, S. (Ed.). (2008). To z world superstitions & folklore : 175 countries – spirit worship, curses, mystical characters, folk tales, burial and the dead, animals, food, marriage, good luck, and more. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Wilde, W. R. (1852). Irish popular superstitions. J. McGlashan.

No online version available.

Squire, C. (191AD). Celtic myth & legend, poetry & romance. Gresham Pub.

For the online version, click here. Please note they may not be exactly the same.

O’Súilleabháin Seán. (1942). A handbook of irish folklore.

No online version available.

Irish Superstitions and Rituals

From Friday the 13th and black cats to tossing salt over one’s left shoulder to ward off evil spirits, superstitions and rituals are rooted in a mixture of religion, mythology, and folklore. They have the power to ward off evil, bring good luck, cure sickness, even stop people from performing certain activities on certain days.

However, every culture is different and what is unlucky in one may be lucky in another. Instead of Friday the 13th, it is Tuesday the 13th that is thought to be unlucky in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Greece, Mexico, and Serbia. For Italy, it is Friday the 17th.

Where a black cat can be thought to mean bad luck, in Ireland it may lead to fortune as “several of the great lake serpents and water-cows of our Irish Fairy Mythology are supposed to guard treasurers; in some instances black cats are similarly employed” (Wilde, 98).

Some of Ireland’s other superstitions and rituals revolve around fairies and goblins, stating,

“…if you cast the dust that is under your foot against the whirlwind at the instant that it passes you, “them that’s in it” (that is, if they have any human being along with them) are obliged to be released” (Wilde, 130).

Then there are those that involve fire, most notably on days of celebration such as May Day and St. John’s Eve or Midsummer’s Eve:

“If a man was to perform a long journey, he leaped backwards and forwards three times through the fire to render himself invulnerable” (Wilde, 49).

“When the fire has nearly expired, and the dancing, singing, and carousing are over, each individual present provides himself with a braune, or ember of the fire, to carry home with him, which, if it becomes extinguished before he reaches his house, it is an omen of impending misfortune” (Wilde, 49).

“Walking around a burning flame during St. John’s Eve or Midsummer’s Eve spares one from being sick the whole year” (Putzi, 196).

Other curious Irish rituals include keeping spiders in a bag to be worn as a pendant or necklace to cure fever. However, if the bag is opened it will cause back luck. To remove a sty on one’s eyelid, the person should point to the direction of a gooseberry thorn nine times while chanting “Away, away, away!”.

But if things still go awry, you find your milk has curdled, you can always blame the fairies!

 

Other superstitions and rituals can be found in:

Putzi, S. (Ed.). (2008). To z world superstitions & folklore : 175 countries – spirit worship, curses, mystical characters, folk tales, burial and the dead, animals, food, marriage, good luck, and more. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Wilde, W. R. (1852). Irish popular superstitions. J. McGlashan.

Family History Month

This October, in celebration of Family History Month, explore the Genealogy Resources the Archives & Special Collections has from Catholic parishes and various Catholic cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Newark, comprising of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties. Find your ancestors and discover clues about their life! While we encourage researching family history with our collections, we do so by asking you to submit a Genealogy Research Request Form where we will perform a FREE 1 HOUR search on your behalf. Please note we do not search for baptismal, communion, confirmation, or marriage records post-1930 because of privacy concerns.

If you have further questions about our collection, or your family history research, please contact Jacquelyn Deppe, the Special Collections Assistant, via e-mail: jacquelyn.deppe@shu.edu or by phone at: (973) 761-9476.

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