usa Archives - Detroit Book Fest

Win a FREE copy of Gestalten’s ‘Do You Read Me? Bookstores Around the World’ featuring Detroit’s John K. King Used and Rare Books! ($60.00 value)

Gestalten ‘Do You Read Me?’

*Special thanks to Gestalten & Marianne Julia Strauss for this*

We are raffling off one copy of ‘Do You Read Me? Bookstores Around the World‘, a beautiful 272-page book from Gestalten!

*One winner will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*

https://detroitbookfest.com/enter-to-win/

The raffle will run from Monday, June 22 to Sunday, June 28.

Gestalten ‘Do You Read Me?’ (photo courtesy of Gestalten)

Gestalten is an international publishing house founded in 1995 in Berlin, Germany.

Primarily specializing in high-quality visual books on design, travel, art, and lifestyle, Gestalten is well known around the world for publishing gorgeous coffee-table books.

Their newest offering is 272 pages long and was published on June 09, 2020.

Gestalten ‘Do You Read Me?’

Entitled ‘Do You Read Me? Bookstores Around the World‘ this is a beautiful sampling of 62 independent bookstores from all over the globe.

I was honored to be invited by Gestalten to be a contributor for this book, offering some of my photos and information on John K. King Used and Rare Books in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

The book was compiled by author Marianne Julia Strauss and the introduction is by Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfort Book Fair.

John King Books Detroit featured in Gestalten ‘Do You Read Me?’

Exclusive Interview: JOHN KING, owner of John K. King Used & Rare Books in Detroit, internationally voted one of the World’s Best Bookstores!

*Special thanks to Gestalten & Marianne Julia Strauss for this*

We are raffling off one copy of ‘Do You Read Me? Bookstores Around the World‘, a beautiful 272-page book from Gestalten!

*One winner will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*

https://detroitbookfest.com/enter-to-win/

The raffle will run from Monday, June 22 to Sunday, June 28.

Boekhandel Dominicanen bookstore in Maastricht, Netherlands (photo courtesy of Gestalten)

Gestalten blog post on Do You Read Me?

https://us.gestalten.com/blogs/journal/bookstores-rewrite-communities

Buy book form Gestalten

https://us.gestalten.com/products/do-you-read-me

Gestalten’s best selling books

https://us.gestalten.com/collections/all/?sort_by=best-selling

Gestalten

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/gestalten/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/gestalten/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/GestaltenNews

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Some other top-sellers from Gestalten

Two Wheels South (Gestalten)

Blue Blooded (Gestalten)

She Surf (Gestalten)

Highsnobiety Guide to Fashion and Culture (Gestalten)

Scandinavia Dreaming (Gestalten)

I Am Dandy (Gestalten)

One lucky person will Win a FREE Autographed Copy of ‘Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology’ signed by author & historian KEN MILLER! (Retail value $100.00)

Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology by Ken Miller

*Special thanks to Ken Miller and 1870 Publishing Group for this*

We are raffling off only ONE FREE autographed copy of ‘Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology’ by Ken Miller!

*ONE winner will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*

https://detroitbookfest.com/enter-to-win/

The raffle will run from Monday, May 18, 2020 – Sunday, May 24, 2020

Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology by Ken Miller

Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is considered The Roller Coaster Capital of the World.

Repeatedly voted the USA’S best amusement park (with best coaster Steel Vengeance and best amusement park hotel Hotel Breakers), Cedar Point attracts over 3 million visitors per year.

Lucky for us, Cedar Point is only two hours south of Detroit. Every Summer, my mom and grandparents and I used to drive down and join the adrenaline junkies for the great endorphins rush of coaster mania. My favorite ride is probably the Magnum, an underrated, terrifyingly jerky 80’s-tastic coaster. I also enjoy the annual HalloWeekends event.

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Opened in 1870 on Lake Erie, Cedar Point is 364 acres and features 72 rides (18 roller coasters), 5 hotels, Cedar Point Shores waterpark, two marinas, a mile-long sandy beach, and more.

Some of the top coasters are: Steel Vengeance (world’s best coaster; 74 mph straight drop for 30 seconds), Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Raptor, GateKeeper, Wicked Twister, Valravn, etc.

You can also ride the Gondola (aka: Sky Ride) over the Main Midway. It’s 92 feet in the air and offers great views of the entire park. And there’s the classic Railroad ride (built 1963) where you pass through Boneville, an Old West town of 48 animatronic skeletons.

Cedar Point hires more than 5,000 seasonal employees from all over the world every year. Workers live on-site in the Commons Campus dorms and also Bayside Campus Apartments.

Ken Miller, the Herodotus of Cedar Point

Ken Miller (image courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

In the back NW corner of the park, in Frontier Town, inside the Town Hall Museum, you can find Ken Miller eagerly explaining park history and memorabilia.

Ken Miller has distinguished himself as a major Cedar Point historian. He is also a high school math teacher and chess enthusiast.

Recently, his company 1870 Publishing Group printed the bible of Cedar Point, a massive coffee table elephant folio sized book entitled ‘Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology’.

Scholarly, informative and action-packed, this tremendous resource took Ken over 7 years to write and compile. He even minutely combed through more than 100,000 newspaper articles.

Lushly inlaid with photographs and historical memorabilia, the book is 392 pages, measures 12 inches x 18 inches, weighs 12 pounds, and contains 75 maps.

1,000 limited-edition signed and numbered copies of the book featuring a special cover designed by Paul Bonifield and Ashley Spedding, quickly sold out.

Biography of Ken Miller

Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology by Ken Miller

“I was born and raised in Michigan. Lived in Livonia from 3rd grade to 11th, then moved to Ohio in high school during the 70’s. I worked sales and marketing after college in the Dungeons & Dragons industry. Switched to teaching math about a dozen years ago.”

“Still read science fiction and fantasy, as well as historical drama. Favorite TV show is MASH. In my free time I play tournament chess, but I haven’t had any free time in years.”

Ken started working at Cedar Point in 2000 and started working at the Town Hall Museum in 2004

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

“I started with Cedar Point running the store inside the Sandcastle Suites Hotel. When the guests were in the park, the store was very slow, so I started reading the Cedar Point books we had there. Learned a lot of trivia and history about the park.”

“A few years later, I was working front of the park when management asked me to help in the museum.”

“The Town Hall Museum is run by Guest Services, so most of my job functions revolve around that. I think I have the best job in the park. I get to work with the guests, share some trivia, tell them where to get funnel cakes, etc. And stay in the air conditioning.”

Cedar Point is fascinating, unique, and worthy of attention

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

“Cedar Point wasn’t designed. It grew organically, gradually into what it is today. The development over the last 150 years has been incredible.”

“The book is loaded with fun facts and trivia about the park. The ‘Did you know?’ pages 186-7 have lots of miscellaneous stuff.”

“One of my favorites is the amount of food the park goes through every season: 190,000 pounds of hamburger, 91 miles of hot dogs, 29,000 gallons of ice cream, 595 tons of french fries, and 800,000 gallons of beverages!”

“As for the coasters, I’m not much of a rider anymore myself. Can’t do circles, otherwise I’d be fine on the Raptor, until the final helix at the end. Favorite coaster is GateKeeper, favorite ride is the Train.”

Ken’s Overview of the Book

Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology by Ken Miller

“’Rolling Through The Years’ is a textbook and the ultimate resource about Cedar Point. It is divided into two main sections.”

“The first section is grouped by subject. For example, if you want to know everything about the Carousels, the information is all together in one place.”

“The second section is by year. Starting in the 1700s, all the major events and developments are listed. Included in this section are over 75 maps of the park, which illustrates the amazing development of the park.”

The Process of Assembling and Publishing the Book

Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology by Ken Miller

“Assembling the book was time consuming and difficult.”

“1,200 images all had to be formatted and laid into the software. Every change on one page could inadvertently change the next page, so we had to be very careful as we put the book together. After the book was assembled, we sent it to three editors, two for content and one for copy. I also had both the current and retired Cedar Point General Manager look through the book.”

“Actually, it was far harder to print the book than expected. There are not many printers that could handle the size and weight. Our first thought was overseas, but they couldn’t guarantee any kind of time frames. We then chose a printer in Cincinnati. We ended up switching printers halfway through the project to a printer in Tennessee. The cover material was special order due to the weight and the new printer had issues with it. They could only handle a small amount of books each week, so we missed our original release date.”

Commonalities Among Coaster Enthusiasts & the Legendary Regulars

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

“Sure, just like any fans/enthusiasts in any pop culture milieu, we have our fair share. When I worked in the Dungeons & Dragons industry, there were fans. Football has its enthusiasts, Nascar has theirs, Broadway musicals have theirs, etc. And to anyone on the outside, it’s all weird.”

“Cedar Point has its share of regulars, many of whom come into Town Hall. Most notable was ‘Mean Streak Henry’ Sievers who had the unofficial ridership record for the Mean Streak roller coaster. And I mean thousands upon thousands of rides.”

Ken’s Recommendations on places to check out in Sandusky

“I like Danny Boys Pizza and Berardi’s Family Kitchen. My favorite place to go is the Merry-Go-Round Museum.”

If you have any vintage Cedar Point stories or memorabilia to share, please contact Ken

1870 Publishing Group

PO Box 173

Sandusky, OH 44871-0173

Kmiller@1870PublishingGroup.com

Cedar Point image (courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

*Special thanks to Ken Miller and 1870 Publishing Group for this*

We are raffling off only ONE FREE autographed copy of ‘Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas and Chronology’ by Ken Miller!

*ONE winner will be selected at random. Enter now for your chance to win!*

https://detroitbookfest.com/enter-to-win/

The raffle will run from Monday, May 18, 2020 – Sunday, May 24, 2020

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Order the book here

https://1870publishinggroup.com/about-the-book#e2de80f4-6bd3-4f20-97e9-301ed042afa2

Cedar Point Timeline

https://pointbuzz.com/history

Theme Park Insider

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/

American Coaster Enthusiasts

https://www.aceonline.org/

Cedar Point Food Blog

https://cpfoodblog.com/

PointBuzz: CP News

https://pointbuzz.com/News

Cedar Point Demon Drop image (courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

Cedar Point’s Official List of Rides

https://www.cedarpoint.com/play/rides-coasters

Cedar Point Memories (Facebook Group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/891098047631065/

CP Rundown

https://www.facebook.com/cprundown/

Wicked Twister GWR fastest

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/85489-fastest-roller-coaster-inverted-design

Wicked Twister GWR tallest

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/85487-tallest-roller-coaster-inverted-design

Valravn GWR largest drop

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/85483-largest-drop-on-a-roller-coaster-floorless-design

Cedar Point Boneville image (courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

Cedar Point Ferry image (courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

Cedar Point Facts image (courtesy of 1870 Publishing Group)

Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Boneville railroad @ Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Red Garter Saloon @ Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Beer @ Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Marina @ Cedar Point (image courtesy of Cedar Point)

Thanks for the Shout-Out BooksaleFinder.com!

Booksalefinder

BookSaleFinder.com

https://www.booksalefinder.com/MI.html#X15138

Special thank you to Helen & Tom Oram and the team in Massachusetts at BookSaleFinder.com for listing our event!

Helen & Tom created BookSaleFinder.com in 1994.

Their website is a phenomenal resource for locating over 10,000+ book sales in the USA.

BookSaleFinder.com

Detroit Bookfest @ BookSaleFinder.com

https://www.booksalefinder.com/MI.html#X15138

Booksalefinder

Bookfest Explorer Series # 1: Boston, Massachusetts

Boston waterfront (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Here at Detroit Bookfest we are starting a new series called the Bookfest Explorer Series.

This will be a collection of travel experiences whereby we will periodically document our literary travels, both domestic and abroad, to help highlight the global community of books.

First up, Boston.

Founded in 1630, Boston is the 7th oldest city in the United States. Featuring sunken red brick sidewalks and beautiful old buildings aplenty, the city is loaded with history and rows of opulent townhouses for blocks.

Heading from Logan Airport to the Park Plaza Hotel (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Boston Athenæum

10 ½ Beacon Street

https://www.bostonathenaeum.org/

Open since 1807, non-members can tour the first floor of this exceptional private library for $10.00. All 12 floors are open to members.

The focus of the collection is arts and humanities. World-class paintings grace the walls and there are marble busts of philosophers on stands.

Through the rear window, you can see the grave of Paul Revere in the Granary Burying Ground! This old cemetery opened in 1660 and there are several historical grave sites here.

Also, as a bonus, check out the Paul Revere House (19 North Square). Built in 1680, it’s Boston’s oldest building. Paul Revere’s famous 1775 Midnight Ride started here.

Boston Athenæum (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Image courtesy of James Cole

Boston Athenæum (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Paul Revere’s Grave @ Granary Burying Ground (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

old grave @ Granary Burying Ground (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Granary Burying Ground (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Brattle Book Shop

9 West Street

http://www.brattlebookshop.com/

Open since 1825, this great three-story used & rare bookstore also features an outdoor open-air courtyard full of books.

The third floor is the Rare Book Room. Marvelous stuff. Owner Ken Gloss is impressively knowledgeable.

Brattle Books (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Boston Public Library

700 Boylston Street

https://www.bpl.org/

Open since 1848 and smartly situated in beautiful Copley Square, the BPL was the first large free municipal library in the United States.

Be sure to check out the gorgeous 2nd floor Bates Hall reading room.

Also located on the 2nd floor, the Abbey Room, looks medieval European ornate, walls adorned with giant murals of the Holy Grail tale and 150 life-size figures from Arthurian legend ring the room, staring down at you. Who says paintings can’t talk?

Boston Public Library (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Bates Hall reading room @ BPL (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Abbey Room @ BPL (image courtesy of BPL)

Parker House Hotel

60 School Street

https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/boston-parker-house

This beautiful 14-floor hotel opened in 1855. Charles Dickens lived here on the 3rd floor from 1867-68. He read ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the Last Hurrah Bar inside the hotel for the first time in America. They have his original door (view it in the basement) and gigantic mirror (view it on the mezzanine level) here.

Also, of note, Ho Chi Minh was a pastry chef here 1911-13, Malcolm X was a busboy, the Boston Cream Pie was invented here, and President JFK was a frequent guest!

Parker House Hotel (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Ars Libri

500 Harrison Ave

https://www.arslibri.com/

Cool bookstore specializing in academic library collection development. You can buy books from the private research libraries of art scholars.

I bought a book called ‘Ancient Roman Monuments’ by Pignatorre with 61 beautiful hand drawn plates, very mild foxing and spotting.

Ars Libri (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

The Mapparium @ Mary Baker Eddy Library

200 Massachusetts Ave

https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium/

Located next to the worldwide home of the Christian Science Church (which also houses the world’s 9th largest pipe organ), the Mary Bakery Eddy Library features a one-of-a-kind experience inside The Mapparium.

For only $6.00, you can tour The Mapparium for a delightfully psychedelic experience. The Mapparium is a 30-foot stained glass globe built in 1935 and features 608 glass panels. A walkway bisects the center of it.

At one point, they turn the lights off and there’s a light show around the world. Crazy how sound travels in here, sounds like every whisper is microphone-amplified, incredible.

Please note that photography is not allowed inside The Mapparium.

Mapparium (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Mapparium (image courtesy of Mary Baker Eddy Library)

Hope you get to check out Boston!

Boston (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Exclusive: Touring the Detroit Institute of Art’s Research Library & Archives with Director MARIA KETCHAM!

Detroit Institute of Arts (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a 134-year old Detroit institution.

Founded in 1885, the DIA relocated to its present location in 1927.

Over 65,000 works of art, subdivided into 100 galleries, are spread throughout the 3-story, 658,000-square foot building, which, being made of white Montclair Danby marble streaked with gray veins from Vermont, exudes a very regal vibe.

Attached to the rear of the DIA is a beautiful 1,100-seat theater called the Detroit Film Theatre (DFT).

I’ve watched dozens of great films here over the years: Breathless, The Killing, Sweet Sweetback, Dolemite, Gimme Danger, etc.

Also behind the DIA, is the best place to park your car, the John R parking lot (5290 John R Street) where you can park all day for only $7.00 per car.

DIA Rodin (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Walking around to the front, you’re greeted by a version of Rodin’s The Thinker, a 12,000-lb. bronze sculpture of a contemplating man lost in rapturous thought, which beautifully sets the tone for your DIA visit.

Once inside, you check in and pay the fee or, thanks to the tri-county millage (property tax), if you live in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb Counties, you can enter for free any time you want.

As you pour yourself into the uniquely shaped cup of the DIA with its vaulted ceilings and mesmerizing sweeps of grandeur, you are immediately absorbed into a quasi-alternate dimension of one of the greatest art museums in the United States.

DIA Detroit (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Being at the DIA is very inspiring. You’re surrounded by gorgeous art and this immersion does something positive to your mood, attitude and thoughts.

Waltzing through grand hallways and great rooms, you encounter Egyptian mummies, Hindu sculptures, ancient Sumerian statues made of diorite, William Randolph Hearst’s collection of suits of armor, Diego Rivera’s entire room of Detroit Industry murals, and thousands upon thousands of paintings.

The paintings include Van Gogh’s 1887 Self-Portrait, the first Van Gogh painting ever purchased by an American museum, which the DIA smartly acquired at auction in 1922.

Van Gogh-Self Portrait (1887) DIA

DIA Research Library & Archives: 191,000 Volumes on Tap

Maria Ketcham @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

In the North Wing, on the 3rd floor, the Kirby Street side, lays one of the hidden gems of the museum, the DIA Research Library & Archives.

I myself was unaware of the existence of this incredible resource until a recent BCD tour, thanks to Frank Castronova, DIA functionary and president of The Book Club of Detroit.

The library is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment-only.

DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

It consists of the lovely Reading Room (open to the public) with its row of skylights and book elevator (aka: 1970’s-era dumbwaiter) & the Mezzanine Stacks (closed to the public), a secret sub-level between floors 2 and 3 where thousands of books are held. People can discover and request materials from the stacks via the online catalog.

I’m here meeting with Maria Ketcham.

She is the Research Library, Archives & Collection Information Director and has graciously agreed to subject herself to a kaleidoscope of questions and give yet another tour.

DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Maria explains:

“Here at the DIA Research Library & Archives, we have 191,000 volumes, 100 journal subscriptions, thousands of bound periodicals and auction catalogs, and 7,000 cubic feet of archival materials.”

“In comparison to other libraries worldwide, about 30% of our collection is considered rare or unique to our institution.”

“Some of our archival holdings include thousands of photographs, blueprints, slides, color transparencies, oral histories, recorded lectures dating back to the 1970s, the business papers of former directors & curators, and an amazing collection of reel to reel recordings of our LINES poetry series (1980-1991) and our Jazz at the Institute series (1977-1987).”

“Our most popular requests are for information on the Diego Rivera Detroit Industry murals, the For Modern Living (1949) Exhibition, and Dragged Mass (1971) Michael Heizer.”

“We also have thousands of Artist Files, which are manila file folders containing news articles, ephemera, small exhibition catalogs, anything less than 30 pages long, about a particular artist and are especially useful for research on local artists. These are in our online catalogue as well as in WorldCat, the world’s largest online network of libraries.”

DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“The Archives serves the museum as a repository for anything DIA-related that has enduring historic value. We’ve begun digitizing some of our archival materials and early DIA Bulletins, exhibition catalogues and finding aids, which can also be found in the DIA Research Library online catalog.”

“Some university professors bring their classes here on tours and we also represent at conferences and events.”

“On average, we get about 1,200-1,500 requests per year, mostly via phone or email from all over the world. Many researchers find us via WorldCat. And since this is a noncirculating reference collection, depending on the size of their request, we can often help researchers remotely, such as emailing them scans of relevant materials for their reference.”

“We get visitors from all over the world. We even hosted Japanese royalty when Princess Akiko from Japan visited last summer. We were very honored that she chose to spend some of her time at the DIA with us in the library.”

“Our library is in the top 10 largest museum libraries in the USA. The largest is the Getty Research Institute, which is the Getty Museum library. They have over 1 million books and 100 librarians. Some other large ones are The Met, Philadelphia, and Nelson Atkins.”

Quick Biography

Maria Ketcham @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“I’m a native Detroiter. I grew up on the Northwest side near Joy and Southfield. A product of the Detroit Public School system, I attended Renaissance High School, then graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and later a Masters in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives.”

“Before coming to the DIA, I was an Archivist for Ford Motor Company. I used to live in the Alden Park Towers on the riverfront for several years. The “new Detroit” has changed drastically since I’ve lived here. It’s exhilarating.”

DIA Detroit

“I have a library family. My husband is a librarian at a local public library. My two sisters are also librarians. One is a children’s librarian in California. The other is a senior medical informationist at a university medical school.”

“I started working at the DIA in 2001 as the reference librarian. In 2003, I was laid off. Came back in 2005 and I’ve been here ever since.”

“I’m the only full-time employee overseeing the Research Library & Archives. James Hanks is our part-time archivist. We have 2-3 interns at a time, usually grad students in the process of earning their Masters of Information Science.”

The DIA Library is a True Community Resource

DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“Being a Librarian and Archivist is all about connecting people with information and being able to manage that information in a way to make it as accessible as possible. We acquire materials, provide access to the public, create indexes and inventories and more. Our mission is preservation for future exploration.”

“The DIA has 7 curatorial departments. We support museum staff including curators, conservators, and educators, helping them obtain the research materials they need for their respective research projects.”

“We interface with a lot of people. We get information requests from institutions, artists foundations, big auction houses (Christies and Sotheby’s) about things like exhibition installation photos, fact-checking, etc. We assist where we can with research on artists, exhibition history, and provenance, which is tracing the ownership history of artwork.”

“We frequently get questions from people who have a piece of art they’ve inherited. We might be able to help them with biographical information on the artist and sometimes exhibition history, but we are unable to do valuations. The Appraisers Association of America can direct you to a qualified appraiser near you. There’s also DuMouchelles auction house in Downtown Detroit. These are just a couple of suggestions from the list on our FAQ page”

Maria Ketcham @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“Not many people know this but the DIA has about 700 puppets, it’s one of the largest puppet collections in the United States and one of our special collections here at the library is the papers and books of legendary local puppeteer, Paul McPharlin.”

“We also have a collection of Albert Kahn’s personal books. Lawrence Tech has the larger part, which is housed in its own dedicated room at their library.”

“In terms of new acquisitions, we acquire roughly 700-1,000 books per year.”

“We purchase books from a restricted fund. On average, I purchase 10-15% of the books, which are usually recommendations from the curators. The others are donated to us by institutions, private owners, galleries, and other museums.”

“Our older books are still catalogued in Dewey. Everything else is Library of Congress style classification. Our interns help update access to these older books in our collection by conversion cataloging to LoC.”

Maria Ketcham @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“As an example of our books, we have Verdute di Roma (Views of Rome) from the Venetian engraver, Piranesi.”

“Published in 1835, this is a beautiful 29-volume set of over-sized folios, featuring etchings produced from his original plates, including his Imaginary Prisons series (La Carceri d’Invenzione). This was gifted to the DIA by the estate of former Michigan senator James McMillan in 1905.”

“And yes, in addition to digital offerings, we also still have the old index card catalogs.”

Piranesi’s Views of Rome @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Maria’s Final Thoughts for Now

Maria Ketcham @ DIA Research Library & Archives (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

“I really enjoy working with all the different people, the curators, researchers, general public, giving tours, etc. As much as I think I know as a librarian & archivist, I find there’s always more to learn.”

“The challenges are coming up with creative ways to use what resources we have. There’s also so many hidden parts of the collection. I’d like to make them more well-known and help people discover something new, something they didn’t even know they might be interested in.”

“For about 90 years, the DIA used to have an annual Michigan Artists Exhibition. It stopped in the early 90’s due to financial difficulties. I wish the DIA would bring it back.”

“At some point, we might start a Friends Group for the DIA Research Library & Archives. I would like that very much.”

“This work keeps me busy. I still have about 200 boxes of books to sort through and catalog. This work is thoroughly enjoyable, I love it. Come visit us sometime and explore the collection.”

Detroit Museum of Art, aka: the original DIA Building (image courtesy of DIA Research Library and Archives)

Donate your books

The DIA selectively accepts donations of art and art history books & associated materials.

Contact

libraryadmin@dia.org

DIA Research Library & Archives

3rd floor

Monday-Friday (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

Open by appointment-only

(313) 833-3460

libraryadmin@dia.org

Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry Murals @ DIA (photo by: Ryan M. Place)

Homepage

https://www.dia.org/art/research-library

WorldCat

https://www.worldcat.org/libraries/46836

ArchiveGrid

https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/?q=contributor:7141&sort=title_sort+asc&limit=100

Map of the DIA

https://www.dia.org/sites/default/files/map-dia.pdf

Become a member of DIA

https://www.dia.org/membership

When visiting the DIA, what eateries are within walking distance?

Kresge Court (inside the DIA)

Located on Level 1, this beautiful eatery is designed like an open-air Italian medieval palace courtyard. They have coffee, wine, beer, liquor, sandwiches, salads, etc.

Try the Woodward Avenue Sandwich.

Hours: Tues-Thurs 9am-3:30pm, Fri 9am-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4:30pm