National Film Registry Selects 25 Films for 2015

Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the National Film Preservation Board is an advisory body for the Librarian of Congress. The Board helps shape national film preservation planning policy, and also recommends films for the National Film Registry.

Chosen for their cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance, the Board's 25 annual selections for 2015 cover a wide gamut of genres and time periods, from such early films as Edison's Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze and Dream of a Rarebit Fiend to such later works as Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One and The Shawshank Redemption. The full list for 2015 is as follows:

1990s
L.A. Confidential (1997)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Sink or Swim (1990)

1980s
Top Gun (1986)
Ghostbusters (1984)

1970s
Being There (1979)
Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer (1975)

1960s
The Inner World of Aphasia (1968)
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)
Portrait of Jason (1967)
Seconds (1966)

1950s
Imitation of Life (1959)
Winchester '73 (1950)

1940s
John Henry and the Inky-Poo (1946)
The Story of Menstruation (1946)
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

1930s 
The Old Mill (1937)
Our Daily Bread (1934)
Dracula (Spanish version) (1931)

1920s
Black and Tan (1929)
Humoresque (1920)
The Mark of Zorro (1920)

1910s
A Fool There Was (1915)

1900s
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906)

1890s
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)

Further information on the Registry as well as the films themselves can be found on the Library of Congress' web site. All 500+ films selected for the Registry since 1989 can also be browsed online. In addition, the public is encouraged to make nominations for next year's selections to the National Film Registry.

Wapsipinicon Almanac No. 22

The latest annual installment of the eclectic Wapsipinicon Almanac is now available. Published and letterpress printed since 1988 by Timothy Fay of Route 3 Press, the present issue, as with previous numbers, features an engaging mix of essays, reviews, fiction, poetry, art, wit and wisdom.
Number 22 can be purchased at bookstores and other establishments or by writing the publisher directly at Wapsipinicon Almanac, 19948 Shooting Star Road, Anamosa, Iowa 52205. Single copies are $9, plus $2.70 for postage; Iowa residents should also include 63-cents for sales tax.

The front cover shown here was designed by Thomas Agran of Iowa City. A brief history of the publication can be viewed at the Almanac's website, and a video of "Linotype Operator Emeritus" Eldon Meeks in action can be viewed here.

Jackson Pollock's "Mural": The Story of a Modern Masterpiece

The new documentary, "Jackson Pollock's "Mural": The Story of a Modern Masterpiece," was directed and produced by Kevin Kelley, and premiered earlier this fall in Iowa City. Pollock's largest and arguably best work, "Mural" has been owned by the University of Iowa since it was donated by Peggy Guggenheim in October 1951.

Rescued in 2008 from encroaching floodwaters along with countless other artworks from the UI's Museum of Art, the painting later underwent intensive analysis and conservation treatment beginning in 2012 courtesy of the Getty Conservation Institute. The Getty's research was published in the book, Jackson Pollock's Mural: The Transitional Moment, which serves as the basis for much in Kelley's documentary.

For further information, including details on upcoming screenings, visit the documentary's website. A previous Common Curator post may also be of interest: The Value of Jackson Pollock's "Mural".

Get a Jump on 2016 with Heirloom Seeds

The amazing 2016 Catalog from Seed Savers Exchange, featuring heirloom, untreated, non-hybrid, and non-GMO seeds, is now available online as a PDF; alternatively, a copy in print can be requested free of charge.

Founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy, Seed Savers Exchange is now the largest non-governmental seed bank of its kind in the United States. With over 13,000 members, SSE conserves and maintains heirloom seeds for thousands of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Its mission is:

. . . to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

Located on the 890-acre Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa, SSE is open to visitors from April to October, and sponsors special events such as seed starting, grafting, and gardening workshops. It also hosts an annual conference and campout. To learn more about Seed Savers Exchange and the benefits of membership, visit its website.

Kiva Celebrates 10 Years of Microlending

Founded in October 2005, Kiva currently networks with 302 Field Partners in 83 different countries, and has provided $733,911,800 in microloans to 1,787,306 borrowers. To date, the Common Curator has made 142 loans through Kiva to small entrepreneurs in 79 countries. Kiva loans are interest-free and the overall repayment rate presently stands at 98.47%. As loans are repaid, most Kiva lenders choose to reloan their funds to new borrowers of their choosing.

Visit the Kiva website to learn more about microfinance and how the lending process works, as well as the many milestones in Kiva's history as an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty around the world.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Tim Smith (pictured third from right), the owner-operator of the Smith Farm in north-central Iowa, was recognized in Washington, D.C. on October 26, 2015 as one of twelve White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. The event in its entirety is viewable via the White House's YouTube channel. As stated in the White House press release:

These individuals were selected by the White House for their achievements and will be honored for exemplary leadership and innovation in agricultural production and education. The Champions have helped implement agricultural practices that promote soil health and energy efficiency, improve water quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change can no longer be seen as a distant threat. It is already impacting forest, grassland, and cropland systems in the United States, and is threatening agricultural producers and their communities. These Champions understand the challenges our nation is facing from a changing climate and are taking steps to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, which also protects their bottom line. The program will feature remarks by United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Smith's accomplishments were described as follows:

Tim Smith is a fourth-generation farmer who raises soybeans, corn and cover crops on his family’s Century Farm in Wright County, Iowa. In addition to raising crops, Tim is focused on strengthening soil health and improving water quality. He has worked with a number of organizations, including the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soil Health Partnership, to implement new farming methods. Tim travels throughout Iowa and the United States advising farmers on how to approach new sustainability efforts. 

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals who are doing extraordinary things to inspire and empower members of their communities. Previous Common Curator posts about conservation practices on the Smith farm include: Iowa Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year; Cover Crops Reduce Nitrogen Run-Off, Improve Water Quality and The Boone River Watershed: Why Strip-Till and Cover Crops Matter.

The Iowa City Book Festival

One of just eleven UNESCO Cities of Literature in the world and the only one in the United States, Iowa City, Iowa is hosting the seventh annual Iowa City Book Festival, October 1-4, 2015. In partnership with the University of Iowa's International Writing Program and Writers' Workshop, FilmScene, the Mission Creek Festival, as well as other organizations and individuals, the four-day event will feature a Book Fair, readings by numerous authors, and non-stop programming at many venues in and around downtown Iowa City. The 2015 Program can be downloaded as a PDF, and full details can be found at the festival website.

Scenes from Seed Savers Exchange's Annual Conference at Heritage Farm

The above photographs were taken at Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa during the 35th Annual Conference and Campout at Seed Savers Exchange held July 17-19, 2015.

The National Book Festival: "I Cannot Live without Books"

The 15th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The festival is free and open to the public.

To observe the 200th anniversary of the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's personal library by the Library of Congress, the theme of this year's festival is the following well-known quotation from Jefferson's letter of June 10, 1815 to John Adams: "I cannot live without books."

As in prior years, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. More than 170 authors, poets, and illustrators will be making presentations throughout the day in the theme-based pavilions for Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life and Poetry & Prose.

Further information, including a schedule of events and a map of the festival grounds, can be found at the festival website. The 2015 poster, shown here, was designed by Peter de Sève.

An earlier Common Curator post provides more background on the Library of Congress' acquisition of Jefferson's library: The British "Light Up" the Library of Congress.

Tossed in Space

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have grown and consumed produce in space for the first time, a small crop of red romaine lettuce. Further information on the Veggie greenhouse system used on ISS is available in this NASA interview with the developer.

Iowa Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year

Tim Smith, the owner-operator of the Smith Farm in north-central Iowa, has received the 2015 Iowa Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year Award, which has been sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau (IFB) since 1952.

As cited in the IFB news release:

Smith’s Wright County family farm uses many conservation practices to protect the environment and each brings its own set of measureable improvements and added benefits; strip-till and no-till planting and cover crops boost soil organic matter. Grassy waterways, field borders and a bioreactor serve to slow and filter rainfall. And prairie strips, planted with native grasses and forbs not only prevent runoff, they provide habitat for a variety of bird species. Smith also uses a nutrient management plan for all his fields. 

Smith's contributions to conservation advocacy were also noted, as he given numerous field demonstrations, media interviews, and hosted tours for agricultural representatives from Europe, as well as made presentations to middle school students in Des Moines and graduate students from Iowa State University.

Previous Common Curator posts about conservation practices on the Smith farm include: Cover Crops Reduce Nitrogen Run-Off, Improve Water Quality and The Boone River Watershed: Why Strip-Till and Cover Crops Matter.

The Advent of Atomic Weaponry: Hiroshima and Nagasaki

A Day That Shook the World, a short British Pathé film from 1945, briefly describes the dropping of "Little Boy," the first atom bomb to be used as a weapon, on the city of Hiroshima at 8:15am on August 6, 1945 (Japan time). It was quickly followed by the dropping of "Fat Man" on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Both caused unprecedented death and destruction.

A previous Common Curator post, The Legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, discusses, among other matters, Tsutomu Yamaguchi [1916-2010], who at the time of his death was the only nijyuu hibakusha, or "twice-bombed person," officially recognized by the Japanese government. Other resources of interest are Democracy Now's interview with Japanese Nobel Laureate Kenzaburo Oe and the National Archives' photographs and sound recordings documenting the Hiroshima bombing.

Medicare and Medicaid at 50

The video above depicts the signing of the Social Security Act of 1965 by President Johnson on July 30, 1965. The act created the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the signing ceremony was attended by former President Truman who had long supported the development of public health care. Johnson in fact also signed as a witness on Truman's personal application for enrollment, and presented his predecessor with the nation's first Medicare card.

Further information on Medicare can be read in the earlier Common Curator post, Operation Coffeecup and Socialized Medicine, which describes the American Medical Association's 1961 campaign against what it termed "socialized medicine." It enlisted the services of Ronald Reagan and the AMA's Women's Auxillary to mount a grassroots public relations effort to defeat pending legislation intended to create a Medicare-type program.

No Longer "Not Yet Explored"

Issued in 1991 by the United States Postal Service, the 29-cent Pluto commemorative stamp bore the words "Not Yet Explored." The July 14, 2015 flyby of Pluto by the New Horizons spacecraft definitively put to rest the implicit challenge expressed on the stamp. The stamp design at the bottom was proposed several years ago via petition to the US Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee of the USPS in anticipation of a successful mission.

Save Iowa History 3

The President and Executive Director of the American Historical Association (AHA), the leading professional organization of historians in the United States, sent the above letter on June 16, 2015 to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and the leadership of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to protest further cuts in funding for staff, services, and research collections at the State Historical Society of Iowa.

For further information, see earlier Common Curator posts: Save Iowa History (with petition and contact information) and Save Iowa History 2 (with survey).