Here are the Library's lists of new acquisitions for December. For more information on any title, contact us or search our catalogs:
- Library new accessions, December 1-15, 2011 (.pdf file, 32 Kb)
- Library new accessions, December 16-31, 2011 (.pdf file, 23 Kb)
(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)
As winter settles in San Francisco, my mind turns towards all things cold. Arctic exploration is the coldest thing one can do, save for streaking on Pluto. The brave adventurers who set out to the literal ends of the earth to explore frozen landscapes have always been a great interest of mine. What would make someone decide this was a good idea when so few ended well? It's more than the urge to push physical limitations or to be the first at something. No, there must be so much more than the desire for glory or the push of curiosity. I just hope it never calls to me because frankly, I'm freezing right now and it's only about 50 degrees outside. I believe I am half reptile because laying on a hot rock in the sun is way more my style than scrambling over ice shelves, but still--I love to read about polar exploits while wrapped in a blanket safely ensconced in an armchair by the fire.
While perusing our polar section, I came across this wonderful spine:
And cover:
For those who don't know, The Jeannette left San Francisco in 1879 with a crew made up of naval personnel and a few civilians in order to reach the North Pole. Things did not go as planned; when do they in the arctic? Only a handful of her crew were rescued in 1881 after an arduous trek over land and in open sea. Here's a brief account of the expedition.
I've heard of the Jeannette before, but I haven't read anything in depth about her. This book looks to be perfect introduction as it's a combination of personal narratives, documents, and beautiful engravings. Here's one of the ship being abandoned:
It certainly must be the most wretched feeling in the world to see your ship crushed before you. Lieutenant Danenhower, the ship's navigator, had this to say of her sinking:
It was said that the ice first closed upon her, then relaxing allowing the wreck to sink; the yards caught across the ice and broke off, but being held by the lifts and braces were carried down; depth, thirty-eight fathoms, as I remember. The next morning the captain and others visited the spot and found only one cabin chair and a few pieces of wood--all that remained of our old and good friend, the Jeanette, which for many months had endured the embrace of the Arctic monster. (p. 206).
So while winter roars around you, and you retreat to the comforts of woolen socks and knitted scarves, remember those who have endured the embrace of the arctic monster and raise your cocoa mug to them.
Source: Newcomb, Raymond Lee; Bliss, Richard W. Our lost explorers : the narrative of the Jeannette Arctic expedition as related by the survivors, and in the records and last journals of Lieutenant De Long. Hartford : American Publishing Co., 1883, c1882.
(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)
Usually in my posts, I write about hidden or overlooked items in our collection. With a library as rich in material as ours, it's easy for little gems to be lost in the shelves. But sometimes, it's a good idea to trot out an old favorite and give it its due. If you aren't familiar with The Ways of the Sea by Charles G. Davis, then allow me to introduce you to your newest oldest best friend. This slim volume (179 pages of roomy print) is a mixture of encyclopedia, primer, yarns and good old fashioned advice. Reading it is like sitting down at the kitchen table with your sailor uncle--the one who's been everywhere and seen everything and knows just the way to reel in a curious mind. Here's a description of a poker game that was happened upon by a visiting crew in the middle of a chapter about binnacles (on p. 20). It's crammed with wonderful imagery and meaty tidbits about a sailor's life:
A cloud of smoke and smell came out that would have looked as if the entire forecastle were on fire in the daylight. Even in the dim light of the anchor light hanging on her forestay I could see it pouring out. As I climbed down the vertical forecastle ladder I could hear a crowd of men (smell them for that matter, there was no ventilation) and only when I got below the smoke line could I see that there was a game of poker going on with a highly excited crowd watching.
"Hello, you Wrights," was the greeting our boys got as we all landed below. For sailors were called by the name of the ship they came from in those times. And then the gang turned to watch the hand of poker finished.
The Dana's forecastle was the old style, built away up in the "eyes of her" or up on the bow under the deck. Big husky men half stripped--for it was close and hot down there with over twenty men packed into one small room--lay in their bunks; some sat on the edges of them with their legs hanging over and smoking "tar heel" tobacco. Those playing cards with a seachest for a table sat on upturned deck buckets or long sailmaker's benches.
An old coffee pot slush lamp, smoking like a bonfire of green leaves, gave out an uncertain flickering light like a lighthouse in a fog.
Whether you want to or not, you can smell it.
The short, easy to read chapters cover such divergent things as lights, washing down decks, stowing anchors and painting a ship at sea. This is the kind of book that answers questions you didn't know you had, which are my favorite kind of questions. In fact my only criticism of the book is that he sometimes begins intriguing tidbits that he doesn't follow up on. I'd like the book to be twice as long.
The library has two copies available, so come on down and learn a little bit more about the ways of the sea.
This recipe from The Captain's Table : 18 recipes for famous dishes served aboard the S.S. United States and S.S. America follows the one for Porterhouse Soup, and is introduced with the declaration, "Any egg would be proud and happy to end up looking like this."
Wow!
The recipe:
Slice off both ends of 6 hard-cooked eggs. Around the top, middle, and bottom of each egg wrap 3 anchovy filets, to resemble the hoops of a barrel. Put a small slice of truffle in the middle of each egg, to represent the bung of a barrel. Stand the eggs upright and carefully scoop out the yolks. Fill the centers with caviar, shaping it in a peak at the top of the eggs. Stand each egg in a cooked white artichoke bottom, and arrange the eggs in a circle on a platter. Garnish eggs and center of the platter with finely chopped aspic. Serves 6.
Since I had never heard of Eggs Muscovite, I did a little searching, and found an interesting variant recipe, "Truffled Eggs a la Muscovite," in The Boston Cooking School magazine of culinary science and domestic economics, Volume 15 (1911), in the "Seasonal Recipes" section by Janet M. Hill, p. 329-330:
Have as many rounds of toast, two inches and one-half in diameter, as there are persons to serve. Spread the toast, while hot, with butter. When cold spread with caviare mixed with a few drops of lemon juice. The smallest sized can of caviare and a teaspoonful of lemon juice will be enough for eight rounds. For each service have ready a small, cold, hard-cooked egg, from which the shell has been removed. Cut a slice from the rounding end of each egg, that it may stand level. To three fourths a cup of mayonnaise dressing beat in one-fourth a cup of consomme, in which a scant tablespoonful of gelatine has been softened and dissolved. When added to the dressing the gelatine mixture must be liquid but not hot. Roll the eggs in the mixture to coat completely, then set one on each round; or set the eggs in place and with a silver knife spread the dressing over them; sprinkle with chopped truffles, or garnish with four or more figures cut from slices of truffles, or leave plain. Chill thoroughly before serving as an appetizer at luncheon or dinner. Three fourths a cup of white sauce, made of rich chicken broth (or half cream), may replace the mayonnaise.
This recipe is accompanied by an image:
What to do with the leftover cooked egg yolks? Many cookbooks suggest them crumbled over salads--sounds delicious!
The Library will have special hours during the holiday season:
- The Library will be closed, Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Dec. 26, 2011.
- The Library will be available by appointment only 1:00-5:00pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 27-29, 2011.
- The Library will be closed Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 and Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.
- Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012
Details on our regular hours can be found on our Plan Your Research page, with more information on our policies and procedures in our Collections FAQ.
In 2012 and 2013, San Francisco will be hosting multiple America's Cup events--want to learn more?
Our reference staff have written a ten page pathfinder (Adobe Acrobat .pdf file, 1.5 Mb) to help you find information on the America's Cup, on the hosting yacht clubs, and on the history of San Francisco Bay racing. Included are links to websites, bibliographic references to publications available in our and other collections, as well as citations to relevant documentary, photographic, and plans collections available in the Park, and even relevant objects held in our Museum Collections. Want to find films? They're listed there, too.
The library's lists of new accessions for November are here--for more information on any title, contact us or search our catalogs:
- November 1-15, 2011 (.pdf file, 32 Kb)
- November 16-31, 2011 (.pdf file, 23 Kb)
Be sure to check out the lead article in the Dec./Jan./Feb. 2011-2012 issue of the Park's Maritime News, "Oceans of Information in the Maritime Library" by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian.
Illustrated with images from the Park's collections, the article includes catalog search hints and describes the broad range of research assistance available to you.
Today we bring you another recipe from The Captain's Table : 18 recipes for famous dishes served aboard the S.S. United States and S.S. America. This is another dish that was served in the dining rooms aboard the S.S. United States, which has been adapted for the home kitchen--it not only gives us a glimpse into what was served underway, but a look at mid-20th century recipes for the home cook. Contemporary recipes are usually presented with ingredients lists followed by the cooking directions, and serve considerably less than twenty!Porterhouse Soup
Have butcher bone a 3-pound shin of beef and a 3-pound shin of veal and cut the bones into very small pieces. Spread the bones in a roasting pan and sprinkle them with a little beef dripping. Roast the bones in a hot oven (400 degrees F), stirring occasionally, until the bones are golden brown. Put the bones in a large kettle. To the roasting pan add a 3- to 4-pound fowl, cut into serving pieces, 1/2 pound lean ham, cut in 1/2-inch pieces, and the boned veal and beef, cut in 1/2-inch pieces. Roast the meat and fowl in a hot oven (400 degrees F) until it is nicely browned. Add the meat and fowl to the kettle. In the roasting pan saute 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped, 1/2 cup sliced carrots, 2 onions, 2 stalks of celery, 1 leek, and 1 parsnip, all coarsely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, crushed, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are well browned and have absorbed the glaze from the pan. Sprinkle the vegetables with 1-1/2 cups flour and stir in 8 quarts chicken, beef, or veal stock. Bring to a boil and pour it over the meat and bones in the kettle. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, and thyme, marjoram, basil, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, skimming constantly until no scum rises to the surface. Lower the heat, cover the kettle, and simmer the soup for 1-1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Strain the soup, measure it, and, for each quart, add 1 glass Madeira or Sherry. Serve the soup hot, garnished with julienne of mushrooms, truffles, quenelles, or small meatballs. Serves 20.
"NOTE--This is the position of greatest danger; there is nothing for it but good lookout, caution and judgment, with prompt action.
If to your starboard RED appears
It is your duty to keep clear;
To act as judgment says is proper;
To Port--or to Starboard--Back--or Stop her!
But when upon your Port is seen
A steamer's Starboard light of GREEN,
There's not so much for you to do,
For GREEN to port keeps clear of you.
All ships must keep a good lookout and steamships must stop and go astern if necessary.
Both in safety and in doubt,
Always keep a good lookout;
In danger, with no room to turn,
Ease her! Stop her! Go astern!"
Another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes, by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571).
