Welcome to the Abiblog!

Awful Library Books

2009-06-01T10:15:00.002-05:00

What may not belong in a library any longer, could have a home on my bookshelf. These books are great, in an awful way, as the bloggers so rightly describe. Librarians, send them my way!

Facebook Manners and You

2009-04-30T20:48:00.002-05:00

If you've ever enjoyed ye olde health and hygiene films, you'll enjoy this, with a more modern twist.

Wedding Fashion

2009-04-16T09:50:00.004-05:00

Readers of this site might enjoy this exhibit from the Victoria and Albert Museum, Wedding Fashion. Some beautiful images here! And sorted by "fashion period," so you can read about wedding advice from the past then go look up some pictures, to get a well-rounded experience.

Mr. America

2009-03-17T16:30:00.002-05:00

There's a new biography out, by Mark Adams, about one of my favorite authors, Bernarr Macfadden.

It's called How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet.

The Post had a review today - I haven't read the book yet but plan to pick up a copy!

Birds and the Bees Poll

2009-03-01T23:20:00.002-05:00

My brother's site iBrattleboro.com has a fun poll this week: I learned the most about 'the birds and the bees' from...

My response was "books" of course. Yours?

Birthday Chats with Tomorrow's Man - a little family history

2009-02-28T11:45:00.005-05:00

cover
Originally uploaded by Miss Abigail.

I recently had the pleasure of hearing from a woman named Robin, the granddaughter of Louis Le Claire Jones, author of the 1940 Birthday Chats with Tomorrow's Man. She had done a Google search after finding a photocopy of her grandfather's book and stumbled across this site. She writes "I've known for years that he had created this book for his sons Bob, Dick and Bill Jones (Bob was my Dad. Dick and Billy were my Uncles)... I never got to meet either of my Father's folks. Daisy, his Mom, died while the sons were fairly young, and Louis died a few years before I was born in 1948. I can only assume that the dedication in the front of the book is referring to her...." She told me that he was a musician, as was Daisy. The book is illustrated with some cartoons, and we both wonder if Louis created these (she thinks he might have). She goes on to report: "Here is a fun bit of info for you: beneath the printer's name in the front of the book, you will see Distributors: Richards and Williams 112 S. Scoville Ave, Oak Park, IL. Richard and William were my Dad's younger brothers, and 112 S. Scoville is where they grew up!! I think Louis had a sense of humor."

To get a taste of some of her grandfather's advice, visit Tips for the Turned Down and The Nerve!

Thank you, Robin, for sharing this wonderful information! I love to hear from the families of authors of my books; if there are others of you out there, please get in touch.

New York Public Library Event of Interest

2009-02-05T09:11:00.002-05:00

Looks like this NYPL event could be fun for those interested in vintage craft books (of which I have a few). Too bad I have to work (and live 4 hours away)!

Cataloging in the New Year

2009-01-15T18:13:00.006-05:00

I've been spending the last few weeks adding more of my many, many books to my LibraryThing catalog. I'm up to over 550! Woohoo! About halfway there! (This is a slooow, manual process, since most of my books don't have ISBNs or LCCNs I can't take advantage of their auto-import function.)

My book database originally lived in an old Filemaker database that runs on an old Mac operating system that I no longer have access to. In the spirit of digital preservation (which I live with every day at work), I have been migrating my book collection database to LibraryThing over the past few years. This offers me a better, easier, more fun way to share my collection with you and others, and also allows me to export the books and use them in other new and exciting ways.

Which leads me to point out a database (available by subscription hopefully at your local public or university library) product from Alexander Streets Press called Twentieth Century Advice Literature: North American Guides on Race, Sex, Gender and the Family. I learned about this database from some work colleagues at the Library of Congress. Since there was an obvious connection to my interests and collection, I got in touch with Alexandria Street. We're currently in talks about how we might share information. There is some overlap but they've got stuff I don't, and I have titles they don't, so it'll be fun to compare notes.

And if you can get access through your library, do check it out. They've done a fabulous job scanning the books in full color and providing access. A joy to see (well, I am just a bit biased!).

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T14:04:00.013-05:00

[Sorry for the delayed post, I tried to put this up Christmas eve but blogger wasn't cooperating, arg]

I picked up a few books at a used bookshop on the Eastern shore of Maryland in early December, and thought I would share a little from two of them on this lovely Christmas Eve.

The image [well, I tried to post it here but am having trouble with Blogger. Click here for the image] is from the 1936 Health by Doing, and the text below is a game from a 1928 book titled Hygiene and Health. So if you're feeling a little bored tonight after dinner, have a little fun with this game!

**********
Night Before Christmas

The players form in a circle and each is given the name of something connected with the story of Santa Claus, as sled, chimney, bells, mittens, fur coat, stockings, candy, etc. One player is chosen to be "it" and stands in the center while he tells a Christmas story in which he uses now and then the words given the players as names. Whenever he mentions the name of any of these things the one who has this name must turn completely around. If Santa Claus is mentioned, all players must turn around. If the one who is "it" can tag any player before he has turned around, the one tagged must be "it" and go on with the story. The game may be made more difficult by having the players sit.

***********

For a list of the other latest purchases, visit me over at LibraryThing (tag=newest).

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

Full

2008-11-29T22:32:00.003-05:00

So we're wrapping up a week in Sanibel, Florida. I'm pretty dang full - of turkey, of sunshine, of family happiness, of grouper, of excitement (at seeing gators and bobcat and birds and dolphin and sunsets), of chlorine from the pool and hottub. Ahhh...

Anyway, just wanted to say happy slightly belated Thanksgiving everyone!

Miss Abigail Officially Endorses...

2008-10-31T18:17:00.007-05:00

Barack and Michelle Obama and Joe and Jill Biden! Based strictly not on their policies, of course, or their ability to govern this fine nation, but on some Miss Abigail-related silliness.

Heck, I just like the Obama courting Michelle story. Michelle fell hard, but not at first. Perhaps she was reading The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Manhunting and wanted to be sure she had the right guy. And I know some people were put off by their fist bump, but I found it endearing.

Obama's VP pick, Biden, passionately caring for his kids after his first wife and daughter die in a tragic car accident. And then had a date with former-model-then-teacher Jill by chance after spotting her in a newspaper ad. They went on to marry and have a daughter, and build their family together. What's not to love?

Now the McCains and Palins. Miss Abigail just can't give a thumbs up on all that's gone on there. I know McCain's first wife forgave him for his affair with Cindy (and the eventual demise of their marriage), but I don't know, seems a bit disgraceful to me. Although you have to give props to McCain for hanging onto a woman 17 years younger. Perhaps he has read Sex till Seventy... and After, by Franz Halda.

Miss Abigail really is having a hard time with the Palins. My goodness. So much to worry about there, particularly with her now-famously pregnant daughter. First of all, I'd recommend that the whole family read What About Teen-Age Marriage by Jeanne Sakol, particularly the chapter on "Babies--they're not dolls." Or perhaps they should have read, maybe a few years ago, Facts of Life and Love for Teen-Agers by Evelyn Mllis Duvall. That might have helped fend off some of their current problems. I guess there is still time to seek out assistance. There's always Dr. Spock to lean on in troubling times.

So that's my official fluffy endorsement. Too late to make it on Meet the Press, but maybe it will be enough to tip the election this week. After all, you never know what the undecideds are waiting for to make their decision.

Go VOTE!!

New Book on Emily Post

2008-10-25T11:03:00.003-05:00

Over the last few years I've been in contact off and on with author Laura Claridge, who just published a book about Emily Post titled Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners. I haven't gotten my copy yet but did spot this write up in Slate this week. If you are an etiquette fan, this book should be on your shelf!

Not exactly GOOD advice...

2008-10-08T19:36:00.002-05:00

I stumbled across this today at work, an exhibit from the Stanford School of Medicine titled Not a Cough in a Carload: Images from the Tobacco Industry Campaign to Hide the Hazards of Smoking. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Actually, browsing some of the "Images by Theme" is pretty entertaining (if not a bit scary). Check out "Brides Smoking" and "Targeting Women" if you want to stay on a Miss Abigail theme... And of course, the "Infants and Children" images! Yikes.

Hello from London!

2008-10-02T05:23:00.003-05:00

I'm writing from London, here this week for a work conference and meetings at the British Library. Today's my one free day off, so the musician and I are about to head out for a canal ride and market browsing, and maybe some other low-key sightseeing. I've been here before, once in high school (when I happened to end up in Harrods at the moment when it was bombed), and a few years back, when I had a column (keep reading on page 2 and 3) in the London Times Saturday magazine, I met my editor for lunch as I was heading through town to Scotland.

Anyway, it's fun to be back although London (at least the street that the British Library is on), is quite busy, a bit overwhelming. I guess I've gotten used to the slower pace of D.C.

We've decided to avoid temptation and not travel over to Rochester where there's apparently a fabulous used bookshop. A fan from the U.K. inquiring about Emily Post's publishing history just turned me on to it but I'm afraid I'd end up carrying too many books home on the plane!

These are questions I'd like to understand

2008-08-18T19:09:00.005-05:00

Did you know that...

"Many boys and girls have real difficulty in understanding one another's actions and attitudes when it comes to the subject of sex. Below are some comments that illustrate this point:

Alvin ~ Why do girls where such scanty clothing? They wear only halters, or they go swimming with practically nothing on. Then they are sore - or pretend to be - when boys make passes at them.

Bertha ~ Why do boys so often want to tell girls a sex joke? Is it because their minds are on the subject all the time, or is it that they are trying to see how far the girl will go?

Charlene ~ What does a boy get out of petting? I can't see anything in it.

Jerry ~ How far to go is a real problem. Does a girl want you to kiss on the first date? How far beyond that should one go? Should the boy respond right away if the girl leads him on? These are questions I'd like to understand. "

Don't worry Jerry, these answers and more are available in one of the latest books to hit Miss Abigail's bookshelf, called Understanding the Other Sex. It was written in 1956 by William C. Menninger, M.D. and I found it at the Book Thing in Baltimore. My latest trip earlier this month scored me a few other good books for the collection, found here.

Retro Renovation

2008-07-28T21:01:00.007-05:00

Pam from Retro Renovation left a comment on my last post (which was oh so very long ago, I know, I know - I'm sorry! Summer got the best of me).

Anyway, I finally got a chance to poke around her site, and it's just fabulous! As someone with a pink GE refrigerator from the 50s (I believe), I fell in love with her Pink Kitchens section. Here's mine:

Pink lovers will drool over her other related site, devoted to saving pink bathrooms.

Readers of this site will also enjoy this little film, titled A Word from the Wives.

Thanks, Pam!

Incinerate your Maxi Pads with the Incinerette

2008-05-27T21:02:00.004-05:00

While in Australia for a work trip in early April, a few of us meeting attendees took a couple of days after to hit the road up the coast back to Sydney for our flights home. While in a public restroom in Jervis Bay after a dolphin watch boat ride, I spotted this fantastic machinery, for incinerating sanitary napkins. Burn, baby, burn! Wish I could have seen it in action, but unfortunately it was all rusted...

Handbuch für Verliebte!

2008-05-17T07:54:00.003-05:00

A casual search of the title of the German edition of Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage revealed that it appears to be published!

Handbuch für Verliebte: Guter Rat vom ersten Kuss bis zum Altar is available at your local (in Germany, I guess), bookstores and on Amazon.de.

I love the cover, don't you? I can't wait to see a copy -- the publisher is supposed to send a few but I haven't gotten them yet.

Update on Sears Charm School

2008-04-26T10:02:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it in the comments of this earlier post about the Sears Charm School, reader Stacye just sent along a great link to a recording of "interview" about the Sears School for Young Charmers from 1967...listen to it here.

They mention a tote bag to "carry your shoes" (heels), and anything else they might need to bring to class, a basic make-up kit, charm bracelet when they graduate (They have a party!), and the booklet (maybe that's the one our original Sears graduate was looking for) which "they can refer to at any time." The Charm school representatives say their students can come back at any time after their course for additional help, I guess.

Sounds like such fun! :)

R.I.P. Rose Grotke

2008-04-07T04:59:00.002-05:00

My grandma, Rose Grotke, lived to 97 and a few days. I am across the world but wish I were in Buffalo right now. I love you, Grandma. Rest in Peace.

Hello from Australia

2008-04-04T17:26:00.003-05:00

After about 32 hours of missed connections, running through LAX, and the long flights themselves, I landed in Canberra, Australia, yesterday. Now it's Saturday morning and I'm feeling a bit more refreshed after a long night's sleep. It's sunny and warm here. I'm here for a 5 day meeting starting Monday at the National Library of Australia (pictured above). Hope to walk around town today and see some sights - it's like the D.C. of Australia, federal buildings and museums. I already spotted a used bookstore. Just need to be careful not to weigh down my suitcase too much!

1902: The Ping Pong Craze!

2008-03-29T13:55:00.003-05:00

I spent the morning cheering on marathoners as they crossed the finish line of the National Marathon in D.C. I was waiting with my friend Molly for our other friend Jocelyn to finish her run (apologies if I'm not using the right marathon lingo!). Anyway, she done good and I admire her for doing such a thing. I can barely run to the bathroom, let alone down the street! Let's just say I never really learned to run or do anything much athletic thanks to the twisted Florida educational system that allowed me to take marching band instead of physical education in junior high - I guess they thought the marching counting as physical enough activity? I regret it now, but at the time I was thrilled to not have to spend an hour in the gym each day, particularly since I was shy of changing in the locker room.

So, in the spirit of physical fitness today, and all of those fabulous runners, I bring you something from a relatively new digital resource provided by my employer, the Library of Congress, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Browsing the newspapers in Chronicling America can be a lot of fun for someone like me, particularly if you use silly keyword searches (try searching for "hair care" (just look at this example), "etiquette boys" (led me to this great page of ads), "dancing girls" gave me this result, among others). And a search on terriers (near and dear to my heart), gave me these two pages: The Society Women and her Pet Dog.

Sorry - almost forgot about to the athletics! I particularly enjoyed this page, sent to me by a friend who works on the project: The Ping Pong Girl in Training. Now that's more my style of athleticism.

Miss Abigail at the Arlington (Va.) Public Library, March 8, 2pm

2008-02-24T17:32:00.005-05:00

I'll be speaking on Saturday, March 8, at 2:00 pm at the Arlington Public Library in Virginia, in the Central LIbrary Auditorium. See the flyer.

Here's the blurb:
Arlington Writes: Miss Abigail's Time Warp Advice on Dating and Matters of the Heart

Take a step back in time as Miss Abigail shares words of wisdom from her collection of about 1,000 classic advice books in a quest to solve modern-day dilemmas. Abigail Grotke, a Library of Congress digital projects coordinator, advice blogger and historian of the art of personal guidance, has collected books from 1822 to 1978 that cover the age-old topics of dating, love, living together, marriage, health, beauty, puberty, sex, etiquette, housekeeping, home economics, and home repairs. Grotke has spent years scouting used book stores and thrift shops to locate these treasures of self help. Learn about how she's built her collection and get time-tested advice to the lovelorn. Refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale and signing. For more information, please call 703-228-6321 or email Deirdre Cross, or see this calendar listing.

If you're in the D.C. area, please stop by!

It's not pornography -- it's etiquette!

2008-02-15T14:37:00.003-05:00

This article is great! And they are digitizing them! Can't wait.

Thanks for the tip, Jurretta!

Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Quirkyalone Day!

2008-02-14T20:48:00.002-05:00

Ah, it's the day of love and roses (for some people at least). This is the first time in a long time that I've had a valentine of my own, but my heart is still with the Quirkyalones (not just for singles, mind you!). That said, I'll try to offer a little bit for everyone today...

Digging into the Miss Abigail archives, here are some tips for:

~~ those seeking some Love Advice
~~ those trying to make love happen in a variety of ways
~~ those all alone but not necessarily minding it

That should cover it, don't you think?