Research shows that a form of Halloween was first celebrated in Ireland and that it featured a blending of two worlds, ours, and the world of the spirits or dead.  The celebration was held at the end of the harvest, just before the storms of winter.  Their celebrations included costumes, mainly creatures from the natural world.  

The Special Collections Department at the Cleveland Public Library has become the recipient of recent transfers of items that feature illustrations of costume from various countries.  Many of the works contain plates that have examples of regional costume illustrated in pochoir, a French technique of stenceling.  Others offer examples of theatrical ensemble used for performance or masque balls.

Works by artist Émile Gallois include, Costumes Japonais et Indonésiens;  Costumes de L'Union Fran,caise; and Le costume en France des Merovingiens à Françoisier ; and also available is Domini e Maschere, by G. Palanti which features 16 illustrated plates. 

To see these and other books on costume, visit the Special Collections Department on the 3^rd Floor of Main Library.

William Sommer's library of approximately 600 books, journals, and other miscellaneous publications was received in 1999 as a gift to the Cleveland Public Library from Joseph Erdelac of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Erdelac acquired the library around 1984 as part of the William Sommer estate which Erdelac attained directly from the artist's son, William Sommer Jr. At that time the library was being stored in the damp basement of the son's house in Macedonia (Ohio), and Bill Junior (as Erdelac referred to him) was glad to see them go. Erdelac remembered that Bill Junior was a great woodworker and cabinet maker. Mr. Erdelac also predicted that there would be drawings in the books because wherever Bill was, he always had a pencil in his hand and was sketching. William Sommer (1867-1949), designer, lithographer, and painter, was born in Detroit, Michigan. After an apprenticeship, study abroad, and work as a lithographer in New York, he came to Cleveland in 1907. In addition to working at the Otis Lithograph Company, Sommer developed an interest in modern approaches to painting. Over four decades, he vigorously pursued his calling as an artist, encouraged growth in Cleveland's artistic community, participated in federal art programs, and exhibited regularly in Cleveland and other cities.  To view this and other items in the Special Collection Department, visit us on the 3rd floor of the Main Library Building.

The Special Collections Department of the Cleveland Public Library owns a collection of historic campaign memorabilia that includes political items from the 1840 to 1968.  The collection includes buttons and bumper stickers from various campaigns including: the Cleveland Sesquicentennial Shield, 1796-1946; buttons for Hoover, Nixon, Perk, Rockefeller, and Taft; and bumper stickers for Hoover, Wilkie, and Dewey; and others.  The collection include convention ribbons, tickets and other miscellaneous items.  To view Political Campaign Memorabilia, and other material in the Special Collections Department, visit us on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library Building.

A recently cataloged item to join the treasures of the John G. White Special Collections Department is a Metropolitan Opera Autographed Fan, (Circa 1899-1909).  The dealer's description describes it by indicating that it is a, "dismantled silk fan signed by 59 performing artists, most of them stars of the Metropolitan Opera.  Mounted flat with the guards and inner sticks removed," it is in a circular frame with a mirrored center and signed by many noted opera singers including David Bispham, Emma Calve, Enrico Caruso, Antonio Scotti, and Edith Walker, and other stars such as Sarah Bernhardt, John Drew, and Henry Irving.  "In October 1883 the Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors with a performance of Gounod's Faust.  Under the able leadership of Leopold Damrosch it became a center for German opera, but audiences soon wearied of the predictable repertoire.  Maurice Grau, a shrewd student of public taste and impresario of London's Covent Garden took over the management of the opera in 1891 and brought back its popularity....

Our autographed fan is a remarkable and unique artifact from the Metropolitan Opera's heyday."  To view this and other treasures, visit the Special Collections Department of the Cleveland Public Library on the 3^rd Floor of the Main Library Building.

The Literature Department and Special Collections of the Cleveland Public Library  hosted a reception for the 103rd International Dickens Fellowship Conference in the Treasure Room of the Special Collections Department on August 3, 2009 . The 65-plus attendees traveled by RTA's Healthline from their conference home base at Case Western Reserve. Welcomed by Holly Carroll, Jean Collins and Amy Dawson, the group feasted on a desert-and-snack buffet in the Treasure Room, then divided into two groups: one to follow the brochure's guide through the three-floor display, and the second to hear Ms. Dawson's talk on the Special Collections Dickens material, to view the Special Collections, and to socialize in the Treasure Room.

After 45 minutes, the two groups switched places. At 4 pm, all attendees met again for the cake-cutting and good-byes in the Treasure Room. The Dickens fans were very impressed with the display, the Library's vast collection of Dickens material, and the welcoming staff. Steve Capuozzo, Doug Westerbeke (from Literature Department) and Rhonda Green (Special Collections) assisted Dawson and Collins with directing, catering, and entertaining the 65-plus attendees, and, as one Dickensian stated: "We were charmed!"

Many attendees also talked about how taken they were with the city itself.  People attended from all over the world, and all first-time visitors Collins spoke to, praised the beauty and friendliness of the city, and planned to come back and spend more time here. A display of items that highlight the life and works of Charles Dickens will remain on view in the Main Library Building through February, 2010.  Call the Literature Department (216) 623-2881 or the Special Collection Department (216) 623-2818, for details.