True picture of the Man of Letters, Defender of Liberty and Human Rights, Corliss Lamont. I painted this picture in Mexico in the month of July of the year 1954.
–Diego Rivera
Corliss Lamont ‘20 was an alumnus of the Academy who went on to become a well-known socialist philosopher and philanthropist. His donations to the Academy were numerous and generous, and included this portrait of himself painted by Diego Rivera.
The oral tradition around this painting explains the calla lilies in the portrait as a tribute to Frida Kahlo. Kahlo died while this portrait was still a work in progress, and Rivera completed it, saying that working on his art was good therapy. The story goes that he included the lilies because they were her favorite flowers, and that all his paintings from the time after her death included the lilies for that reason.
The painting was displayed in the library from the time of the gift in 1979 until 2007. While it was being rehung after a water leak that had required moving it, the frame came apart, revealing that the original frame had been covered up by a second frame. The decision was made to have the painting professionally restored and returned to its original frame, and it recently arrived back in the Lamont Room on the fourth floor of the library.
We have a bit of snow around campus and it’s getting rather chilly around here. While hanging out in the nice warm Library is always a good choice for escaping the cold, it can lead to a certain sense of cabin fever. Before DVDs and the internet, Academy students had little choice but to embrace the outdoors, even in depths of winter. From the same film we’ve shown clips from before (please see our posts Breathing New Life into Old Films and More Video from the Archives), we bring you a little taste of Exeter winter fun 1940s-style. This silent video features academy snowplows, on-campus cross-country skiing, and even a little local downhill and tobogganing on a nearby property in Kensingston that unfortunately is no longer host to such activities.
While it’s still undergoing revisions, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek at the Library’s upcoming exhibit (the working title is “Gone but not Forgotten: Exploring Exeter’s Missing Past”). Made up mostly of archival images, the show focuses on Academy halls, homes, and interior spaces that either no longer exist, or have been radically transformed over the years. We hope to have it completed later this month. [Update: an Abraham Lincoln Exhibit will precede the show discussed here]. In the meantime, here are four images from the exhibit:
The old gymnasium which was used from 1886 until 1918.
A classroom in the third Academy Building, which was lost to fire in 1914.
Abbot Hall (built 1855), the Academy’s first permanent dormitory, still exists, but it originally had a dining hall on a bottom floor.
An interior view of the now lost chemical lab building, circa 1890.
After having taken the fall term off for a sabbatical , the Academy Librarian, Jacquelyn H. Thomas has returned to work, but sadly, only until the end of the school year. Having held the position for over 30 years, Thomas’s value to the Library, as well as to the Academy as a whole, cannot be overestimated.
Thomas will work on special projects through the spring, while Academy Archivist Edouard Desrochers will handle the day-to-day duties of running the Library.
Google Books has begun to partner with publishers to digitize the back issues of magazines and offer them online. As part of this initiative, the entire run of Life magazine—over 1,860 issues from 1936 to 1972—has been digitized. Even though the library has issues of Life in bound volumes, it’s really fun to browse through this online collection and see the variety of topics covered by the magazine (the Berlin Airlift, the Olympics, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the Beatles to name just a few) as well as view the many photos that were the hallmark of Life. Issues are searchable, and, through thumbnail view, you can see all the pages in a given issue.
Since many students will have homework assignments due the day after they return from winter break, the library will be open from 8:00am until 9:30pm on Tuesday, January 5th. While it’s certainly not an excuse to procrastinate, hopefully it will help student breathe a bit easier about getting those last minute projects done before classes on Wednesday.
As a special thank you, the Friends of the Academy Library recently received a new brochure on our magnificent building. In a letter to members, Robert N. Shapiro ‘68, chair of the Friends, shared his thoughts on the new publication:
“[The brochure] features the story of the philosophy and design of the building, insights about the great architect Louis Kahn, explanations of the original construction and renovations over time, schematic diagrams and enthralling photos. The brochure meets a constant need, as visitors arrive from around the world to see the structure and understand its iconic power. Over a decade ago, in 1997, the building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with its important Twenty-Five Year Award for the “enduring significance” of its design and its contribution “to American life and architecture” – if there were a thirty-five year award, it would be residing in Exeter as well, as would some day a fifty year award. I found that reading the brochure yielded fresh discoveries about the Academy and the design process that turned educational principles and aspirations into both an extraordinary structure and a vibrant home of thinking and learning.”
You can find out more about the Friends of the Academy Library on our main website.
To see this page from the new brochure, please click the image.
As part of Junior Studies, the required course that all ninth-graders take, all 17 sections heard a 50-minute presentation on the Academy Archives. Students enjoyed a rare opportunity to view first-hand items such as the original deed of gift, early trustee minutes, faculty minutes, school catalogs and view books, sheet music for school songs, club records, student diaries, and scrapbooks, as well as first copies of student publications like The Exonian, The PEAN and the E-Book. The period ended with excerpts from student letters and a selection of images from the vast collection of archival images.
Last July we reported that after replacing 120 films missing from the CinemExeter collection, we would embark upon a large-scale project to replace all VHS films in the Library with DVD (where available and appropriate.) We are happy to report that the first stages of this project – replacing VHS films in the ever-popular CinemExeter collection – are nearing completion. After evaluating titles to determine recent demand as well as availability in the DVD format, we ordered close to 300 DVD replacements for a variety of great films. Many of these DVDs have already made their way onto the shelves, with many more to appear in the coming months as they are processed. Most will be reshelved in the CinemExeter collection, but some will find new homes in Classic Films (now housed behind the circulation desk) or the Lawrence Room /1M collection. We are hoping that patrons will rediscover old favorites as well as make new ones!
We anticipate that the VHS replacement project will continue throughout the school year and into next summer, as we work our way through the video collection on 1M (above the circulation desk) and in Lawrence Room/1M (above the old card catalog.)
The NoodleBib servers will be down for an upgrade on Friday night, Nov. 6th, starting at 8:00 pm. Most likely the servers will still be down on Saturday morning, Nov. 7th, for testing. Students should plan accordingly.
Google Books has begun to partner with publishers to digitize the back issues of magazines and offer them online. As part of this initiative, the entire run of Life magazine—over 1,860 issues from 1936 to 1972—has been digitized. Even though the library has issues of Life in bound volumes, it’s really fun to browse through this 
Since many students will have homework assignments due the day after they return from winter break, the library will be open from 8:00am until 9:30pm on Tuesday, January 5th. While it’s certainly not an excuse to procrastinate, hopefully it will help student breathe a bit easier about getting those last minute projects done before classes on Wednesday.
As part of Junior Studies, the required course that all ninth-graders take, all 17 sections heard a 50-minute presentation on the Academy Archives. Students enjoyed a rare opportunity to view first-hand items such as the original deed of gift, early trustee minutes, faculty minutes, school catalogs and view books, sheet music for school songs, club records, student diaries, and scrapbooks, as well as first copies of student publications like The Exonian, The PEAN and the E-Book. The period ended with excerpts from student letters and a selection of images from the vast collection of archival images.
