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Fine Arts & Special Collections Blog
Takejiro Hasegawa and his Fairy Tale Series Books
Among the treasures of the John G. White folklore
collection is a series of small Japanese fairy tales published by Takejiro Hasegawa (1853-1938) in Tokyo. They were published for the Westerners living in Japan to familiarize them with Japanese folklore, and also as a means for the Japanese to learn English.
The series in Special Collections was printed on chirimen-bon, or crepe paper, and highly illustrated by color woodblocks. 
These charming books attracted foreigners by their peculiar texture, and became popular souvenirs. However, with increased mass publication, the chirimen books did not naturally fit in with mass production, and became limited to calendars and special products.
Chess Correspondence Collection
Newly available for researchers to use in the Special Collections Department of the Cleveland Public Library is the Chess Correspondence Collection.
The collection consists of letters written from the late 1800s through the late 1970s. This expansive collection is comprised of letters written by chess players, chess editors, and chess bibliophiles and topics range from chess tournaments, game scores, and book collecting. 
The material in the collection provides insight into the professional and personal lives of the authors of these letters.
This Just In: 2010 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market
The best reference guide for emerging artists who want to establish a successful career in fine art, illustration, cartooning or graphic design. Readers will find complete, up-to-date contact and submission information for more than 1,500 art markets such as greeting card companies, magazine and book publishers, galleries, art fairs, ad agencies and more. Informative interviews with successful artists and art buyers offer advice on how to make contacts and succeed in the competitive art industry. Readers will also discover valuable resources for obtaining grants, marketing and promoting their work, and networking with fellow artists. This title focuses on the US market. There is so much information packed into it. If you are serious in your craft, the information in this book is handy but you will have to sift through what you can or can't use for your particular art business focus. Check the Cleveland Public Library catalog for available copies.
Famous Smile Created by a Special Painting Technique
Austrian neurologists say analysis of the famous masterpiece shows her face
appears to shift depending where a person focuses their gaze. If her eyes are stared at, it appears she has a subtle smile on her lips. But if the onlooker shifts their gaze to her mouth, then the smile disappears. Professor Florian Hutzler, a psychology expert at the Centre for Neurocognitive Research in Salzburg, said Leonardo da Vinci had used clever techniques to trick the viewer. Read the full article here.
Finding Aids for Collections at the Cleveland Public Library
This year several subject departments at the Cleveland Public Library have begun to use both traditional and innovative access tools to encourage patrons and researchers to hook-up with hidden and underused collections and resources. Most recently, in the John G. White Special Collections Department, we have begun creating and presenting Finding Aids using the OhioLINK EAD FACTORy (Finding Aid Creation Tool and Online Repository). Information about the following collections can now be access online. Laszlo Szabo Collection and Library: Collection of Hungarian Chess player, and International Grandmaster (1950), and collector Laszlo Szabo. Included are published texts on the game of chess and personal correspondence and photograph relating to Szabo's life and career. Szabo was the author of a number of books about the game of chess. Schweinfurth House Collection: A collection of photographs, documents, newspaper clippings, and correspondence about the house at 1951 East 75th Street, Cleveland, built by architect Charles Friedrich Schweinfurth, 1856-1919, and his residence from 1894-1919. The materials range from 1872-1995. The Cleveland Public Library Fine Arts Department has included the: Sheet music file: assorted gifts to the Cleveland Public Library Fine Arts Department: Sheet music of popular songs from the late 19th century to the present for piano and voice. And the Cleveland Public Library Social Sciences Department features two finding aids of baseball material, including: Charles W. Mears Baseball Collection: The Mears Collection contains the daily box scores for a period of approximately 40 years, as well as books on all phases of baseball. Included are long runs of annuals and periodicals (some dating from 1858), league constitutions, and baseball fiction. Eugene C. Murdock Baseball Collection: This collection, which focuses on American baseball, consists of major league monographs, serials, photographs, scrapbooks, and programs, covering the years 1905-1976, as well as some minor league programs and photographs. Also included within the collection are oral history tapes of early 20th Century major league players recorded by Eugene C. Murdock. Visit the Cleveland Public Library to view these collections. Cleveland Public, 325 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113. www.cpl.org
Biehle Family Collection: Architectural Details and Posters: A collection of material of August F. Biehle Jr. and the Biehle family were renowned artists and designers based in Cleveland Ohio. This collection covers their works from 1870-1944 and includes murals, drawings, watercolor paintings, decorative architectural details and posters. 
Guide to the Biehle Family Collection: Correspondence and Memorabilia: Collection of correspondence, ephemera, drawings, glass negatives, and photographs by noted Cleveland artists August F. Biehle, J. Also includes books, and sheet music from the Biehle family personal collections. Biographical timelines and gallery exhibition outlines are also included. The collection contains materials by and about other members of the Biehle family, as well. 
Chess Player Portraits Collection: A collection of original photographs of chess players, some with scenes of games being played. It includes original photographs, photographs of book and periodical illustrations, prints, illustrations and clippings of chess players. Some famous players include: Jose Capablanca; Bobby Fischer; Anatoly Karpov; Garry Kasparov; Paul Morphy; Tigran Petrosian; Samuel Reshevsky; Vesselin Topalov. Several children and many female chess players are represented. 
Claude F. Bloodgood Collection: The Bloodgood Collection contains the personal papers of Claude Bloodgood, including legal documents, medical, and other prison records, and chess related items. They document much of his life from the 1970s to his death in 2001. The legal documents relate to the numerous lawsuits he filed or participated in while an inmate in the Virginia Penitentiary system. These include his suits against prison doctors, wardens, and other prison officials, and fellow inmates. 
Gisela Kahn Gresser Collection: A collection of correspondence, ephemera, memorabilia, and serials and periodicals of Gisela Kahn Gresser, was one of the first two female chess players in the United States to gain the title of master in 1950 when FIDE created official titles. She was also the first woman to be inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. 
Louis Penfield House Collection: Collection of copies of architectural drawings, correspondence, articles, and photographs associated with the Louis Penfield House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and located in Willoughby, Ohio. The collection also includes concept drawings and documentation related to a second house designed by Wright, which is referred to as House #2, and the campaign to raise funds to build the second house; correspondence related to a documentary planned by Penfield about his relationship with Wright, his house, and other Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in Ohio. 
Percy Roberts Show Dog Collection: Collection of correspondence, photographs, and ephemera of noted show dog handler, trainer, and judge, Percy Roberts. 
William Sommer Library: William Sommer was a painter, lithographer, and painter who came to Cleveland in 1907. He encouraged growth in Cleveland's artistic community, participated in federal art programs, and exhibited regularly in Cleveland and other cities. The library named after him contains Sommer's personal collection of books, journals, and sketches done by him.
