Virtual Visit to the New York Public Library

I might have a bit of a slow blogging week coming up here - unless something leaps out and demands a commentary from me, I think I need to focus on my so-called writing.

However, I thought I would share one of my favorite places with you today before I disappear into the cold garret.


Have you ever been to the New York Public Library? I have not, and I regret that.

I must have passed the lions at least a dozen times on my way to do other things. I always thought there would be another opportunity, and I suppose maybe one day I will get a chance to go back.


In any case, I found the NYPL online while trolling around for images of vintage fashion, and what a trove of treasure this is!

There is a blog, which is not just for book nerds like me. The contributors cover everything from the arts to nature to history and society. You can view or download ebooks, scanned books, music, and other media. And, what is most exciting for me, you can see hundreds of thousands of images that the library has scanned from their collections in the digital gallery. The images are all scanned from books, and can be anything from a line drawing to a painting to a photo. The scans are clear and great for viewing online or printing at home. You can also order prints or high-resolution files from the library.

So far I’ve not come up empty on any of my searches. I got 11 hits on my search for “cairn terrier”, 182 hits for “India clothing”, 31 on “men’s bowler”, and 668 on “women’s fashion 1930s.”

I spent hours ogling at the details of the 1930s fashion illustrations:

The NYPL digital library is worth a visit for any type of research, but I especially recommend it if you’re interested in fashion history.


Enjoy!


Katrina