Mark Twain's Books

 Alan Gribben (R.I.P. 1941-2026)
  In "Mark Twain and Libraries" I wrote about Twain's collections of books. In it, I also  wrote about Dr. Gribben and his quest to locate all of the books that Twain possessed. His was not an easy task and the result was a 2000 page dissertation based on his findings.
  Dr. Gribben passed away and this obituary is found in the New York Times:
  "Alan Gribben, Twain Scholar Who Excised Slur From ‘Huck Finn,’ Dies at 84," Michael S. Rosewald, June 10, 2026. Here is a portion related to Twain's books and Gribben's mission to document them:

  "For his doctorate studies, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley, home to the Mark Twain Papers and Project. The project’s editor hired him as a graduate assistant and tasked him with preparing explanatory notes for Mr. Twain’s handwritten notebooks...."

   He was fascinated by Mr. Twain, especially the mystery surrounding the author’s literary influences. Before Mr. Twain died in 1910, he gave away most of his books, scattering evidence that would have undoubtedly upended his carefully cultivated image as an uneducated “littery man,” as he once joked.

 

For his dissertation, Mr. Gribben set off on what would become a lifelong quest to find and document every book that Mr. Twain had owned. Driving cross-country in his blue Volkswagen Beetle, he visited libraries, rare book collectors and Mr. Twain’s distant relatives....

 

   
The culmination of Professor Gribben’s lifelong project — “Mark Twain’s Literary Resources” — was published in two volumes, in 2019 and 2022, totaling 1,379 pages. In them, he documented nearly 6,000 books, magazines and other materials that Mr. Twain had read. The subjects included sea voyages, French history, hymns, botany, slavery, detective fiction, insects, India, astronomy, birds, bees and the afterlife."

The End

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 35)

 London's Veterinary Science School (?)
  Searching for news about London from long ago, one sometimes comes across advertisements related to the city. This one is from The Sisseton Weekly Standard, Nov. 26, 1909. 

   One thinks of Guelph in relation to vet. schools. Apparently the one located in London was of the mail order type. 

   "In 1896 the Veterinary Science Company of London, Ont. was established and through the London Veterinary Correspondence School ran a course in veterinary medicine and surgery. Besides a home-study course, the school provided a textbook and diploma which it led recipients to believe was qualification to practise anywhere in Canada. Provincial legislation closed the school in 1921, but before then 77 editions of the text were published and diplomas were issued worldwide. For many years the provincial associations had to cope with the demands of London school "graduates" who unsuccessfully sought membership and practice privileges.

Source - "History of Veterinary Medicine," The Canadian Encyclopedia.
 (Searching for Sisseton, I learned that the town still exists and an ad. on the "city's" website indicates that they are looking for a part-time "Municipal Liquor Store Clerk", starting at $18.55 an hour.)

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 34)

 Hurricane - 1909

    Fatality at Aberdeen Public School 

Source: Charlotte Daily Observer, (NC), April 8, 1909.
   Given the date (in April), it is likely this was a tornado and it is listed as such on Wikipedia. ("List of Canadian Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks (pre-2000)".)
  For the first snippet in this series which provides the rationale see, London's Bicentennial (1826-2026).

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 33)

 Financially Embarrassed in London in 1886

But, Perhaps Only Temporarily Deranged
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 8, 1886

Guy Tudor - Bird Illustrator

 Another Passing Worth Noting
   I did not recognize the name "Guy Tudor", but the headline above his obituary caught my eye and he is worth our attention.

"Guy Tudor, Whose Art Brought Obscure Birds to Life, Dies at 91," Guy Trebay, New York Times, July 25, 2026.
   "Guy Tudor, a self-taught ornithologist, wildlife illustrator and MacArthur fellow whose field guides to birds trained generations of naturalists and citizen scientists about how to distinguish a Rufous-breasted Leaftosser from a Lesser Hornero, died on July 14 in Greenport, N.Y. He was 91.
   Digital avian databases like eBird were far in the future when Mr. Tudor first set about documenting swaths of the avian world in watercolors and gouaches renowned for their delicacy and precision, and for the artist’s singular knack for capturing the quiddities of winged creatures with paint and brush….
   It was Mr. Tudor’s ability “to capture the unique behavior, motion and exact plumage of obscure species” that earned him a MacArthur fellowship in 1990, said Terence Clarke, an artist and naturalist who was a friend of Mr. Tudor’s....
   “People claim Guy was a curmudgeon, but it’s really that he was alarmed — and rightly so — by what is happening to the natural world,” Mr. Gwynne added. “He always used to say, ‘The infidels have invaded my church, and they’ve almost reached the altar.’”

   I wondered if the Western Libraries had any of his books and took a look. Here are some works where you can find Tudor's illustrations:

1.The Birds of South America
2.Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: The Passerines
3.A Guide to the Birds of Columbia
4.A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela
5.Ornithology
and there is even one about butterflies- 
6.Butterflies of the East Coast : An Observer's Guide.
   "Here is an accessible, informative, and highly illustrated book that offers a fresh view of butterflies in America's Ease Coast states, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Appalachians. In addition to providing a wealth of facts and photos, this book is the first to furnish detailed and up-to-date photo-illustrated information on the host plants favored by particular species. With 234 full-page species accounts and accompanying range maps, plus nearly 900 large-size color photos, it is an essential reference work for field observers, gardeners, educators, and conservation managers - or anyone interested in appreciating the lepidopteran world close at hand."
   Check the catalogue of the Western Libraries. These books are either in the Taylor Library or the storage facility. 
   I have written other posts about bird books that can be found in the Western Libraries. (Once again, check before you go to campus.)
Bird Art - John Gould
Bird Illustrators - Louis Agassiz Fuertes
 If you are more interested in FISH have a look at Western's ANGLING BOOKS.

The Bonus: Don't Forget About AFAR - The Advanced Facility for Avian Research-

For the Birds.

George Bowering's Library

 IS NOW IN THE UBC LIBRARY

The source for the photo above is: "A Reading Room Fit for a Literary Giant: Poet Bowering's Personality Showcased Along With Thousands of His Books," John Mackie, Vancouver Province, June 28, 2026. Here is some text from it:

   "Canada's first Parliamentary Poet Laureate, has written so many books of poetry and prose that it's hard to count, and has given readings and lectures all over the world.

   His latest honour is close to home: His personal library has been set up as a reading room at the University of B.C.'s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.

    It isn't a replica of his home study, like you might find in a museum. But an estimated 5,000 volumes from Bowering's vast collection now line the shelves of the reading room, with more to come....
    It's not just books, though. Bowering's personality comes through in the improbable memorabilia that is displayed alongside the volumes, such as baseball bobbleheads, a puppy penholder and Hello Kitty collectibles....

Alas, George isn't young anymore - he's 90. His health hasn't been great, and he now uses a wheelchair. His sight is limited, to the point where he can no longer read or write.

   That said, he's just released two books. Pearl (Talonbooks) is billed as his final book of poetry, and Barefoot Gringo (UBC Press) is a Boweringesque take on his travels to Mexico.

   He still has enough energy to power a small city. Maybe Penticton, where he was born on Dec. 1, 1935, or Oliver, where he grew up.

   Bowering remains as engaging as ever, laughing and telling a dizzying number of stories and anecdotes during a visit to the space, which is officially known as the George Bowering Modernists and Post-modernists Collection."

   If you curious about UBC acquiring such a collection see: "UBC Library Achieves Funding Goal for the George Bowering Reading Room," Library Communications, March 3, 2025. Remember also that in MM there was a recent post about the University of Miami acquiring Jackie Gleason's library and that Philip Roth's library can be found in the Newark Public Library!

   If you noticed the word "Poet" in the headline and are not interested, remember that Bowering wrote many books, including some about baseball. It takes a while to scroll through the list of works written by Bowering in his Wikipedia entry.
   If you associate Bowering with B.C., don't forget that he studied at UWO and was a writer in residence there. Among his books, you will find this one: The Moustache: Memories of Greg Curnoe. 
   There are over 100 works by Bowering in the Western Libraries and the LPL has around 20, including this one: 

If you are now interested, here is a good place to begin for more about Bowering: Georgebowering.com.

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 32)

 RICHARD BERRY HARRISON (1864-1935)

   The image here is from the Atlanta Daily World, Nov. 3, 1933. The caption has been enlarged for clarity. It is about Richard Harrison who was starring in the play, Green Pastures. Harrison, the son of slaves, was born in London, Canada West. He died two years after this performance.   

The photograph below is from the plaque found in Richard B. Harrison Park which is located near the newly renovated Clark's Bridge on Wellington Road between South Street and Watson Street. There is a good Wikipedia entry for Richard Berry Harrison.  This brief bio is from On This Spot:

   "Richard B. Harrison (1864-1935) was a London-born actor, whose parents, both former slaves, escaped to Canada in the 1850s. The family remained in London until 1880 when they moved to Detroit, where Harrison trained as an elocutionist. His stage work, which took him all over Canada and the United States, was comprised of dramatic monologues, as well as readings of poetry and literature.

   The role that would make him famous was that of "De Lawd” in a play called the Green Pastures. Seen today as somewhat patronizing and fostering African-American stereotypes, the play at the time was well received. It won the Pulitzer Prize for author Marc Connolly in 1931 the same year that Harrison received the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal, presented annually for outstanding achievement by a Black American. Harrison toured with a production of the Green Pastures to over 200 cities including London, his hometown.

   In 2019, London playwright and actor Jeff Culbert, created a one-man theatre piece entitled "Elocution: The Life of Richard Berry Harrison” starring legendary Canadian actor Walter Borden. It can be heard at www.jeffculbert.ca."