SPUDS! University Libraries Celebrate the International Year of the Potato
In observance of the UN International Year of the Potato, the University Libraries showcase collection resources that focus on the importance of this ubiquitous tuber.
The Potato in Art: Symbol, Icon . . . or Just a Potato?
Visual artists in surprising numbers have represented the potato in a wide variety of media. Included in this display of materials selected from the Art Library’s collections is a sampling of potato-related art in a few of its many manifestations.
Art Library
April 14-July 11, 2008
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Biological and Chemical Aspects of the Potato
Potatoes are one of the pre-eminent food crops in the world today and as such they have been the subject of much scientific research. UM Libraries has a significant collection of materials that relate to the science of the humble potato, including its cultivation, evolution, and genetics.
Charles E. White Memorial Chemistry Library
April 1-July 15, 2008
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Potato Harvesting Machinery: A Sample of Patents, 1895-1983
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Library presents drawings of potato harvesting machines. These illustrations are from the library’s vast collection of patents, dating from the 19th Century to the present.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL)
April 4-August 22, 2008
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The Waldron Family Papers: A First Hand Account of Irish History, 1816-1867
The Waldron family of Drumsna, Ireland witnessed some of the most turbulent times in Ireland’s history, including the potato blight and subsequent famines, mass emigration and the Fenian uprisings.
Hornbake Library, Historical Manuscripts
April 1, 2008 - August 22, 2008
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The Potato in Print: Agricultural Publishing in 19th-Century Maryland
Potatoes were one of many products Maryland farmers read about in the widely-circulated new agricultural periodicals that emerged in the early 1800s. This exhibit examines Maryland’s contributions to the agricultural publishing industry during this time period.
Hornbake Library, Maryland Room
March 24-June 30, 2008
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To Produce, Protect, and Provide: The University of Maryland and the Potato
In honor of the United Nations’ declaration of 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, the University Archives showcases the University of Maryland’s potato research and development, designed to sustain this critical crop and facilitate its many uses, from food, to glue, to fuel-grade ethanol.
Hornbake Library, University Archives
March 24-August 22, 2008
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Federal Oversight from Root to Plate
This exhibit explores the depth and breadth of Uncle Sam’s interest in the humble potato--how potatoes are traded between the U.S. and other nations, as well as how they are priced, marketed, harvested, stored, labeled, canned, shipped, frozen, fertilized, irrigated...
McKeldin Library, Government Documents and Maps
April 15-August 22, 2008
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Songs of the Irish Potato Famine
In 1845, an unusually cold year, the Irish peasants began to harvest their potato crops, only to have them shrivel and rot a few days later. The potato blight, caused by bacteria that had travelled from Mexico aboard trading ships, had come to Ireland and the Great Famine began. The Great Hunger had a long lasting effect on Ireland’s history and people, and the songs of this period are a rich expression of the devastation wrought by the blight and the resentment felt by the Irish in the wake of the English government’s failure to effectively relieve the population’s hunger. The Irish famine songs illuminate this terrible period in history, and provide insight into the circumstances that have shaped Irish culture at home and abroad.
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
April 26th-August 22, 2008
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If you would like more information about this exhibit series, please contact Joan Stahl at jstahl@umd.edu or 301-405-9065.
