An article by Greg Cook in the Providence Phoenix details the Brown University Library’s work digitizing the Garibaldi Panorama.

“Two years ago, Brown University’s John Hay Library received an enormous gift: a 273-foot-long 19th century panoramic painting depicting the dashing exploits of Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi. Historic panoramas, often of battles, were popular in the 19th century, but few have survived. So this was not only a big gift, but a rare one. The problem with an enormous piece of art, though, is where to do you put it?”

For the full text of the article visit http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid52461.aspx. To see the Garibaldi Panorama visit http://dl.lib.brown.edu/garibaldi/.

The Providence Journal has published an article highlighting the Brown Library’s work digitizing the Garibaldi Panorama, one of the largest paintings in the world.

“The crowd that first saw the 273-foot-long painting unfurled was likely crammed in a church hall somewhere in Nottingham, England. It would have been sometime in 1860, just after the painting, known as a panorama, or “moving picture,” was finished.
Like modern-day moviegoers, the audience would have paid their admission and taken their seats to see and hear the exploits of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian who at the time was making headlines across Europe and the subject of the painting.”

For the full text visit: http://www.projo.com/art/content/GARIBALDI_PANORAMA_12-10-07_1K84NF2_v43.1420d1b.html

A volume of John James Audubon’s master work, The Birds of America, is on display on the main floor of the John Hay Library. Each plate will be on display for only one month. This month’s bird is the Brown Pelican. The library is open 9 to 6, Monday through Friday and 1 to 5PM on Sundays.
This elephant folio edition of The Birds of America, bound in six volumes, was presented by Albert E. Lownes to the Library on the occasion of his 50th class reunion in 1970.
For more information please contact Hay@brown.edu

The Library’s Latin American Travelogues project has been featured by the Internet Scout Project’s Scout Report:
“The John Hay Library at Brown University has an impressive array of collections related to Latin America and the Caribbean. These collections include the Schirmer Collection on Anti-Imperialism and the Paul R. Dupee Mexican History Collection. Recently, Professor James Green and Patricia Figueroa, the librarian and subject specialist for Iberia and Latin America worked together to create this compelling digital library of Latin American travel accounts which span the 16th through 19th centuries. Visitors can browse through these accounts at their leisure, and they will find everything from Louis Aggasiz’s “A Journey in Brazil” to Johann Baptist von Spix’s “Travels in Brazil in the Years 1817-1820″. Additionally, visitors can also read some rather thoughtful essays offered by Professor Green’s students that draw on these travel narratives for academic inspiration and contemplation.”
We will soon be adding several hundred titles to this collection — Stay Tuned!