Decalcomania: October 2026

Posted on by

It’s time for more Decalcomania, this time with a spooky October twist, courtesy of Special Collections at Princeton University Library!

We’ll begin with the charming card-playing skeletons you see above. While these bony boys came from a later reproduction, the original artwork, created by out-of-work artist W.F.E. Liardet, was drawn on a Chiswick wall around 1830. This gang is one of 6 vignettes depicting revived recreational activities, including billiards, drafts, cards, dice, toss, and pitch. (GA 2011.00964, Graphic Arts).

This bat doodle, pulled from the journal of John Knowles Lund, surgeon of the British steamer S.S. Cametense, kept as he traveled from Liverpool, England, to Brazil and back in 1902. On December 4th, the bosun brought Lund a vampire bat he found, which he then exterminated with chloroform. (General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140).

Finally this demon, found by library staff member Fabi Garcia, from an 1803 caricature etching entitled “The Funeral Procession of Buonaparte!!” The procession is led by the devil and his fleet of demons, followed by monkey pallbearers, and the Death and the Commander of the Consular Guard as chief mourners. The merry mourners include Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and the Pope, among others. (GA 2011.01416, Graphic Arts).

Many thanks to Adrienne Rusinko, Casey Reca, and Fabi Garcia for selecting, researching, and sharing these images from special collections!

Wonka Sugar Science

Posted on by

Last Saturday, good little children gathered outside the gates of Frick Chemistry Laboratory at Princeton University. They all had a special invitation to meet the marvelous creator of all things sugar and science, Mister Willy Wonka!

Well, maybe not the Willy Wonka, but it was a marvelous morning of hands-on science tables followed by an auditorium show that included, among other things, screaming gummy bears (we have footage later in the post!).

The Cotsen Children’s Library was delighted to collaborate once again with the Department of Chemistry and Science Outreach at Princeton University to bring this free education event to the community. It began with hands-on tables provided by the undergraduate and graduate students of Science Outreach at Princeton University:

Back Row (left to right): Catherine Hexter (UAF graduate student), Alexander Luna, John Woo, Ashton Marnik, Jack Langan, Catherine Arbaugh, Joanna Lin, Davis Hobley, Danielle Burke, Paryn Wallace (Associate Director). Front Row (left to right): Sophie Wang, Tanya Zhou, Anna Buretta, Shalini Shankar, Ria Tomar

The event tables featured experiments with density, buoyancy, Pop Rock inflated balloons, the centrifugal force of cotton candy, gum drop candy engineering, sugar crystals under microscopes, and oozy non-Newtonian chocolate rivers!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The thoroughly sugared audience then moved to the auditorium, where the talented Angie Miller from the Department of Chemistry wowed them with not just chemistry, but her sheer enthusiasm for all things science!

Angie demonstrated the scientific method, neon rainbows, giant marshmallow men, candy-colored flames, exploding balloons, a tower of carbon, annnnnd as promised…SCREAMING GUMMY BEARS!

Did the great candy maker himself make an appearace? Why yes, he did, courtesy of Angie’s brother Tom, and his adorable twin boys. Who incredibly, look exactly like Oompa-Loompas.

Let’s see the full costume…

A fantastic time was had! We would like to thank Angie Miller, Department of Chemistry and Paryn Wallace and the students from Science Outreach at Princeton University for a job well done. Hats off to you!