As the "Next Big Thing," artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off as of late. Using chatbots to help with tasks and answer questions is proving to be quick and convenient. In the Reference Services Department, my colleagues and I are noticing a sharp increase in the use of these tools for creating reference questions and requesting relevant library materials.

It's a bird…It's a plane…No! It's Snuff-Man!Cover of promotional comic book Helme's Snuff-Man

What? You've never heard of Snuff-Man, the greatest comic book hero of all time? That simply can't be! How could anyone ever forget that obscure 1954 comic book about a heroic snuff salesman valiantly teaching two young boys about the plucky origins of tobacco powder.

Drawing of a Ford Model T.

On May 26, 1927, the Ford assembly line produced its last Model T automobile after after 19 years of production, during which around 15 million vehicles had been built.

The final Model T was driven personally by its originator, Ford Motor Car founder Henry Ford, with his son, Edsel Ford, to the Dearborn Engineering Laboratory in Highland Park, Michigan, were it joined the first automobile Henry Ford ever built in 1896 and the 1908 protototype for the Model T.

Poolside black and white photograph from a party at William Pahlmann's home in Bedford, New York

It's a party, and you're invited! This week, we're celebrating a little renovation project in the Hagley Digital Archives, and it's fitting that its for the collection of renowned interior designer William Pahlmann (1900-1987).

Cover for an educational comic book describing the history and production of natural and artificial rubber.

The Hagley Vault is rolling along smoothly this week as we note the anniversary of the invention of the first tubeless tire suitable for mass production, developed on May 11, 1947 by the B.F. Goodrich Company of Akron, Ohio.

The invention, which was patented in 1952 after years of testing, aimed to make cars safer, more efficient, and more convenient. By 1954, the company's LifeSaver and Safetyliner tubeless, puncture-sealing automobile tires had become widely popular. So popular in fact that they soon found company. The B.F. Goodrich competitor Michelin introduced an improved tubeless tire in the mid-1950s; the radial-ply tire, which had walls made of alternating layers of tough rubber cord, a construction that is now considered the standard for automobile tires in most of the world.

To mark the occasion, we're sharing this 1957 educational comic book from the B.F. Goodrich Company describing the history and production of the company and it's production of natural and artificial rubber and rubber products (including the tubeless automobile tire).

Staying local this Memorial Day Weekend? 

Enjoy your staycation at Hagley! We've got a LOT going on! From cannon firings to fishing to the immersive Nation of Inventors exhibition, everyone in the family will discover something amazing.

 

To help celebrate 250 years of American history, Hagley invites you to come to the library and preserve your own history! Bring photos, documents, letters, and other memories. Our staff will use our professional digitization equipment to create digital copies for your personal safekeeping. 

We’d love to preserve additional copies in a special community collection in the Hagley Digital Archives, if you wish to do so. Forms will be provided during the event to help us gather information about your items for the collection.

Step into the heart of history! Experience 25 rare and extraordinary artifacts—from personal journals and pamphlets to tintypes and telegrams—that bring to life 250 years of courage, struggle, and triumph in the pursuit of justice and equality. Join us on a guided journey to uncover the untold stories of local and national figures whose determination shaped our country’s destiny. Reserve your seat for an inspiring trip through America’s remarkable legacy!

$10 for Hagley Members and $20 for Non-Members.

Subscribe to