Gabrielle Roy en anthologie. Corpus et inventaire

La première partie de ce document évoque brièvement quelques-unes des pistes de réflexion dégagées au cours de l’établissement d’un inventaire des textes de l’écrivaine Gabrielle Roy parus dans des anthologies de langue française et anglaise. L’inventaire lui-même est complété par des graphiques illustrant, au fil des ans, les « fortunes » anthologiques des textes les plus importants de Roy. Une bibliographie des oeuvres de la romancière et de leurs traductions anglaises vient clore le document.The first part of this document briefly evokes some of the areas of reflection that emerged in the course of the project whose outcome is here described: establishing an inventory of texts by Gabrielle Roy in French—and English—language anthologies. The inventory itself follows the introduction and is completed by graphs showing the anthological “fortunes” of Roy’s most important texts over the years. The document ends with a bibliography of the novelist’s works in the original French and in English translation.La primera parte de este documento evoca brevemente algunas de las pistas de reflexión extraídas durante la labor de repertoriado cuyos resultados se presentan aquí, esto es, un inventario de los textos de la escritora Gabrielle Roy publicados en antologías en lengua francesa e inglesa. El mismo inventario sigue a la introducción y se complementa con gráficas que ilustran las ‘fortunas’ antológicas, a lo largo de los años, de los textos más importantes de Roy. Una bibliografía de las obras de la novelista y sus traducciones al inglés viene a clausurar el documento

MS 160 Guide to the D. H. Rankin Medical Artifacts Collection (1800-2000)

The D.H. Rankin Medical Artifacts Collection was donated by Dr. Rankin, a family physician in Austin, Texas. Dr. Rankin had a personal interest in hearing related devices and early twentieth century quack medical devices. Dr. Rankin acquired artifacts from online auction sites, auction houses, and catalogs. Receipts and sale information for some items are included in the control folder. See more at MS 160

Cellulose nitrate objects in collections: history of science and technology hand in hand with conservation of cultural heritage

Celluloid is a notoriously challenging material for conservation science due to its fast, danger- ous, and complex degradation. The conservation of celluloid heritage continues to be at risk and it is urgent to develop sustainable and efficient preservation strategies. This doctoral pro- ject innovatively addresses this challenge by adopting an interdisciplinary approach combin- ing conservation science with the history of science and technology. By focusing on early in- dustrial formulations and using the first products made with celluloid as case studies, billiard balls and dentures, this project contributes to a new understanding of celluloid’s materiality, historical significance and conservation needs. The history of celluloid billiard balls and celluloid dentures has long remained shrouded in mystery. Historians deemed celluloid billiard balls as an impractical failure. This perception was largely due to a lack of understanding of the billiard balls’ composition. Using a multi- analytical approach to analyze billiard balls from the National Museum of American History (NMAH, Washington, D.C., EUA), it was found that they were made with a bone-cellulose nitrate composite (75%/25% by wt.), patented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1869. By correlating this material information with written sources, the bone-cellulose nitrate composite was found to be consistently employed in celluloid billiard ball production from the 1870s to the 1950s and played a crucial role in bringing the decline of ivory in billiard balls. Similarly, celluloid dentures have been considered a product with limited success and likely insignificant after the 1880s. This study aimed at characterizing the early celluloid-ver- milion (mercury sulfide, HgS) compositions of denture collections from the NMAH and the National Museum of Dentistry, Baltimore, USA. The results of these analysis, combined with source research, revealed an unexpected finding, namely that celluloid remained a significant material in dental prosthetics production up until the 1940s. These findings offer valuable in- sights into the evolution of celluloid billiard balls and dentures manufacture and highlight the importance of continued efforts to identify and understand the various formulations of celluloid, in all its material dimensions, as this knowledge significantly contributes to the con- servation of its cultural heritage. In Portugal, celluloid has entered oblivion since research on early plastics is very scarce. Therefore, a vital objective of this thesis was to contribute to a broader understanding of its historical significance in Portugal. Two comb collections from Casa da Memória de Guimarães and Sociedade Martins Sarmento (Guimarães) were analyzed, revealing the presence of cellu- loid, horn, cellulose acetate, and polystyrene. The results were used, in conjunction with writ- ten and statistical sources, to examine the impact of celluloid on the evolution of the Portu- guese comb industry. The case study of Portugal offers a compelling illustration of the inter- play between horn and celluloid in the shift from traditional industries to modern plastic man- ufacturing sectors. It is now of outmost importance to establish preservation strategies for these collections due to their importance in the history of plastics in Portugal. The experience of analyzing different heritage collection in the USA and Portugal with handheld Raman MIRA DS, demonstrates the efficacy of this technique to characterize cellu- loid and plastics. The device's portability and versatility facilitated in-situ analysis producing high-quality spectra validated through reference comparison and supplemented by μFTIR. This thesis strongly advocates for the broader implementation of handheld Raman spectros- copy in studying plastics heritage. Finally, in response to the need for effective methods to study celluloid degradation, this thesis presents an innovative approach to address this critical research issue. Synchrotron Deep UV multispectral micro luminescence spectroscopy (DUV-PL) was employed for the first time to investigate celluloid heritage, taking advantage of its high sensitivity and spatial resolution. This approach proved essential for detecting early degradation markers and char- acterizing the heterogeneous environments of zinc oxide, which are linked to the manufactur- ing or degradation history. Overall, this thesis shows the considerable potential of DUV-PL for the study of plastics heritage and for the development of innovative methods for its preser- vation.O celulóide é um dos materiais mais desafiantes para as ciências da conservação devido à sua rápida, perigosa e complexa degradação. Apesar de vários esforços passados, a conservação dos objetos históricos de celulóide continua em risco e é urgente desenvolver estratégias de preservação que sejam eficientes e sustentáveis. Este projeto de doutoramento aborda o desa- fio da conservação do celulóide de uma forma inovadora, adotando uma abordagem multi- disciplinar que que combina as ciências da conservação com a história da ciência e tecnologia. Ao focar-se nas formulações industriais primordiais e usando como casos de estudo os pri- meiros produtos fabricados com celulóide, bolas de bilhar e dentaduras, este projeto contribui para uma nova compreensão da materialidade, significância e conservação do celulóide. A história das bolas de bilhar e dentaduras de celulóide há muito que permanece envolta em mistério. As bolas de bilhar de celulóide têm sido consideradas pelos historiadores como um fracasso, sobretudo devido à falta de conhecimento sobre a sua composição. Usando uma abordagem multi-analítica para analisar bolas de bilhar de celulóide do National Museum of American History (Museu Nacional da História Americana, Washington, D.C., EUA), foi des- coberto que estas eram produzidas com uma mistura de osso moído e nitrato de celulose (75%/25% em peso), processo patenteado por John Wesley Hyatt em 1869. Correlacionando esta informação com fontes históricas, esta tese demonstra que este material compósito foi utilizado na produção de bolas de bilhar de celulóide, de forma consistente, desde 1870 até 1950, e desempenhou um papel crucial na abolição do marfim em bolas de bilhar. Do mesmo modo, historicamente, as dentaduras de celulóide têm sido consideradas como um produto com sucesso limitado e provavelmente insignificante após 1880. Este estudo teve como objetivo a caracterização das composições de celulóide-vermelhão (sulfureto de me- cúrio, HgS) encontradas nas coleções de dentaduras do National Museum of American His- tory e do National Museum of Dentistry (Museu Nacional da Odontologia), Baltimore, EUA. Os resultados desta análise, juntamente com análise de fontes escritas, revelaram uma desco- berta inesperada, nomeadamente que as dentaduras de celulóide permaneceram um material significativo na produção de próteses dentárias até 1940. Estes resultados são fundamentais para uma nova perceção sobre a evolução industrial das bolas de bilhar e dentaduras de celu- lóide e destacam a importância de estudar as diversas formulações do celulóide, em todas as suas dimensões materiais, uma vez que este conhecimento contribui significativamente para a conservação da sua cultura material. Em Portugal, existe um risco sério de que o celulóide caia no esquecimento, uma vez que a investigação sobre os chamados pré plásticos é escassa. Por essa razão, esta tese procura também contribuir para uma compreensão mais alargada da significância deste material neste país. Duas coleções de pentes da Casa da Memória de Guimarães e da Sociedade Martins Sar- mento (Guimarães) foram analisadas, revelando a presença de celulóide, chifre, acetato de ce- lulose e poliestireno. Os resultados foram utilizados, em conjunto com fontes escritas e esta- tísticas, para examinar o impacto do celulóide na evolução da indústria portuguesa de pentes. O caso português é ilustrativo da interação entre o chifre e o celulóide na transição de indús- trias tradicionais para a indústria moderna dos plásticos. É urgente estabelecer medidas de preservação para estas coleções dada a sua importância na história dos plásticos em Portugal. A análise de diferentes coleções, tanto nos EUA como em Portugal, com o espectrómetro portátil Raman MIRA DS, demonstrou a eficácia deste equipamento para caracterizar o celu- lóide e plásticos no geral. A portabilidade e versatilidade do equipamento facilitaram a análise in-situ, produzindo espectros de alta qualidade validados por comparação com referências materiais e complementados por μFTIR. Esta tese recomenda a implementação mais ampla da espectroscopia Raman portátil no estudo dos plásticos históricos. Finalmente, em resposta à necessidade de métodos eficazes para estudar a degradação do celulóide, esta tese apresenta uma abordagem inovadora: tirando partido da sua alta sen- sibilidade e resolução espacial, microespectroscopia multiespectral de luminescência UV de sincrotrão (DUV-PL) foi usada pela primeira vez para investigar a degradação do celulóide em objetos históricos. Esta abordagem é demonstrada como essencial para detetar marcadores de degradação nas fases iniciais de degradação e caracterizar os ambientes heterogéneos do pigmento óxido de zinco; ambientes esses ligados à história de manufatura e/ou degradação. Esta tese mostra o grande potencial do DUV-PL para o estudo dos plásticos em geral

"Thrice Precious Tube!" Negotiating the visibility and efficiency of early hearing aids

In the nineteenth century, acoustic hearing aids (such as ear trumpets or conversation tubes) became ubiquitous attributes of deaf people from polite society. These prostheses were a visible sign of otherwise invisible deafness. Although some deaf people used hearing aids openly and proudly, and constantly attempted to convince others that using them was nothing to be ashamed of, others wanted to hide these stigmatizing devices. Therefore, they were equally (or even more) concerned with their visibility than with their performance when buying these devices. For this reason, manufacturers tried to design instruments to meet the needs of their customers. This article investigates two design strategies that were used by ear trumpet producers to maneuver between the troubling visibility of these instruments and their performance: the first is hypervisibility—designing hearing aids as luxurious objects of conspicuous consumption; the second is invisibility, which was achieved with miniaturization and camouflage. Both these aesthetic strategies are considered in the context of Victorian technophilia and regimes of the body. As hearing aids became more accessible to the middle class, design patterns spread beyond elite consumption

ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF MACHINE LEARNING TO DIGITIZED NATURAL HISTORY DATA

Natural history collections are a valuable resource for assessment of biodiversity and species decline. Over the past few decades, digitization of specimens has increased the accessibility and value of these collections. As such the number and size of these digitized data sets have outpaced the tools needed to evaluate them. To address this, researchers have turned to machine learning to automate data-driven decisions. Specifically, applications of deep learning to complex ecological problems is becoming more common. As such, this dissertation aims to contribute to this trend by addressing, in three distinct chapters, conservation, evolutionary and ecological questions using deep learning models. For example, in the first chapter we focus on current regulations prohibiting the sale and distribution of hawksbill sea turtle derived products, which continues internationally in physical and online marketplaces. To curb the sale of illegal tortoiseshell, application of new technologies like convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is needed. Therein we describe a curated data set (n = 4,428) which was used to develop a CNN application we are calling “SEE Shell”, which can identify real and faux hawksbill derived products from image data. Developed on a MobileNetV2 using TensorFlow, SEE Shell was tested against a validation (n = 665) and test (n = 649) set where it achieved an accuracy between 82.6-92.2% correctness depending on the certainty threshold used. We expect SEE Shell will give potential buyers more agency in their purchasing decision, in addition to enabling retailers to rapidly filter their online marketplaces. In the second chapter we focus on recent research which utilized geometric morphometrics, associated genetic data, and Principal Component Analysis to successfully delineate Chelonia mydas (green sea turtle) morphotypes from carapace measurements. Therein we demonstrate a similar, yet more rapid approach to this analysis using computer vision models. We applied a U-Net to isolate carapace pixels of (n = 204) of juvenile C. mydas from multiple foraging grounds across the Eastern Pacific, Western Pacific, and Western Atlantic. These images were then sorted based on general alignment (shape) and coloration of the pixels within the image using a pre-trained computer vision model (MobileNetV2). The dimensions of these data were then reduced and projected using Universal Manifold Approximation and Projection. Associated vectors were then compared to simple genetic distance using a Mantel test. Data points were then labeled post-hoc for exploratory analysis. We found clear congruence between carapace morphology and genetic distance between haplotypes, suggesting that our image data have biological relevance. Our findings also suggest that carapace morphotype is associated with specific haplotypes within C. mydas. Our cluster analysis (k = 3) corroborates past research which suggests there are at least three morphotypes from across the Eastern Pacific, Western Pacific, and Western Atlantic. Finally, within the third chapter we discuss the sharp increase in agricultural and infrastructure development and the paucity of widespread data available to support conservation management decisions around the Amazon. To address these issues, we outline a more rapid and accurate tool for identifying fish fauna in the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, the Amazon. Current strategies for identification of freshwater fishes require high levels of training and taxonomic expertise for morphological identification or genetic testing for species recognition at a molecular level. To overcome these challenges, we built an image masking model (U-Net) and a CNN to mask and classify Amazonian fish in photographs. Fish used to generate training data were collected and photographed in tributaries in seasonally flooded forests of the upper Morona River valley in Loreto, Peru in 2018 and 2019. Species identifications in the training images (n = 3,068) were verified by expert ichthyologists. These images were supplemented with photographs taken of additional Amazonian fish specimens housed in the ichthyological collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. We generated a CNN model that identified 33 genera of fishes with a mean accuracy of 97.9%. Wider availability of accurate freshwater fish image recognition tools, such as the one described here, will enable fishermen, local communities, and citizen scientists to more effectively participate in collecting and sharing data from their territories to inform policy and management decisions that impact them directly

THE ANALYSIS AND CONSERVATION OF A 1930s THEATRICAL MAKE-UP KIT

A 1930s theatrical makeup kit in the collection the Buffalo Museum of Science was analyzed and treated at the Garman Family Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College. The kit, comprised of a tinplated-steel L. Leichner expandable makeup box, was packed tightly with 105 individual items including: greasepaints; paper, metal, and glass containers of powder- and cream-based cosmetics; wool crepe hairs; makeup-stained cotton balls; several plastic objects; and paper documents. The kit was gifted in 1983, where it had remained since in storage. Approaching treatment began with research into the history of theatrical cosmetics to lend context to the historical moment from which the items emerged, a time of technological evolution in stage and film production. To characterize colorants and binders in several components, six pink greasepaints were selected for analysis using X-ray fluorescent analysis (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (transmission-FTIR), optical microscopy (OM), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and selective pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (py-GC-MS). In addition, solid-phase microextraction headspace analysis (HS-SPME) was performed on the unopened box and a select number of components to investigate the volatile and semi-volatile compounds present. Experimentations with the evolved gas analysis GC-MS (EGA) to characterize volatiles from select objects was performed in tandem. Following conversations with the museum’s curator, a treatment philosophy was developed that would approach the kit as an “archeological artifact,” with minimal treatment to maintain its appearance upon arrival to the museum. Treatment, restoration, and preventive conservation strategies were employed in tandem to stabilize the object group for display and storage

Sartorial Practices and Daily Life: Examining Black Womanhood in Nineteenth-Century Boston

During the nineteenth century, the northern slope of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood was home to a free African American community. Central to the Beacon Hill neighborhood was the African Meeting House, which operated as a Baptist church, home, school, and meeting space for Black community members. Archaeological investigations have revealed the story of not just the African Meeting House, but the surrounding vicinity and larger community. The African Meeting House collection provides a case study to understand the ways racism, sexism, and classism impacted the quotidian lives of Black women in freedom. Using Black feminism as a theoretical framework, this research analyzes objects of personal adornment and clothing-related advertisements placed in the newspaper, The Liberator. Sartorial practices provide insight into the everyday, lived experiences of the Black women occupying Beacon Hill. The cultural materials analyzed in this research are used to highlight the lives of Black women as they performed economic labor, maintained their households, and participated in political life