The Indicator

This column takes its name from the popular printer's mark shown above. Leigh Hunt used the indicator mark, also called a fist, hand director, or index to sign his column in the Examiner and later chose the Indicator as the title for his new journal that ran from October 1819 through March 1821. In an epigraph, Hunt explained that the African indicator bird, when looking for honey, would issue "a cheerful cry" to indicate sweets to its followers. The editors hope that this column will serve a similar purpose. The Indicator will be used to direct special attention to various topics, including forthcoming programs and speakers, exhibitions, and news of selected acquisitions.

The University of Iowa Libraries Exhibitions Program for 1991

THE PEOPLE, THE PLACE: NATIVE AMERICANS IN IOWA

At least 11,000 years ago humankind first entered the territory we know as Iowa, following closely behind the retreating glaciers of the last ice age. The exhibition covered the history of the American Indian in Iowa from these first inhabitants to the present. Making extensive use of the University Libraries' collections, the exhibition began with the archaeological record and explored Indian responses to the intrusive European-American culture during the past 300 years. It celebrated the current vitality of the Indian communities in Iowa and observed activities relating to the American Indian presence at The University of Iowa. Sponsored by the Friends of The University Libraries this exhibition was mounted in the North Lobby of the Main Library from February through late March and was created by library staff members Grace Fitzgerald and David Hudson.

IOWA'S AUTHORS

The Iowa Authors Collection consists of more than 10,000 volumes in all genres by some 2000 authors who were either born in the state or who lived here for more than twenty years. Prominent authors of fiction and poetry include Richard Bissell, Ellis Parker Butler, Paul Engle, Hamlin Garland, MacKinlay Kantor, Wallace Stegner, and Ruth Suckow. Many of these authors have contributed manuscripts for their works as well as photographs and other materials. The exhibition will draw from a variety of works, famous and lesser known, to display the talent and diversity of our state's authors. To be presented during April and May of 1991, the exhibition is being prepared by Sandra Ballasch, David Schoonover and Timothy Shipe.

"DON'T THROW IT AWAY!" OR, PRINTED EPHEMERA

Printed ephemera is a category of materials such as greeting cards, posters, playbills, pamphlets, advertisements, or calendars prepared for a specific, short-term purpose. As it happens, many of these items are collected quite deliberately by research libraries to provide historical and artistic information about particular businesses or social activities. Ephemera is often visually distinctive to compete for a reader's attention. One point of our exhibition will be to emphasize the importance of collecting and studying objects which are usually meant to be discarded.

Many examples will be chosen from our Libraries' individual collections, including stationery letterheads, Civil War envelopes, calling cards, stock certificates, Vaudeville posters and programs, and maps. This array, to be prepared by Richard Kolbet and Judith Macy, will be on display during the summer of 1991.

WOMEN OF COURAGE

Women of Courage is an exhibition of photographs based on the Black Women Oral History Project. Photographer Judith Sedwick traveled throughout the United States during the early 1980s to assemble a portfolio of portraits of African-American women who had been interviewed by Project staff during the previous decade. Ms. Sedwick spent hours with each subject, attempting to capture "the character and personality of each participant" as related to individual accomplishments.

The Black Women Oral History Project was an undertaking of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Radcliffe College. The participants, who were all in their 70s, 80s, or 90s, were selected for extensive interviewing by Project staff because of their contributions in service, communities, or professions.

Selected portraits from Sedwick's portfolio will be accompanied by appropriate materials from the University Libraries' collections, including the Black Women Oral History Project, a ten volume collection of oral history transcripts from Schlesinger Library which was published this year by Meckler Publishing Company. This presentation, being prepared by Mark Anderson and William Welburn, will be on display during September and October of 1991.