University Libraries - Digital Collections

Belle W. Baruch Institute Library Collection

Published for the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research by the University of South Carolina Press, c1985.

Carolinian Florist of Governor John Drayton of South Carolina

A remarkable regional botanical guide authored by South Carolina's fortieth governor in 1888 and published for the first time by the South Caroliniana Library in 1943. This book is freely available online, but may also be purchased through the USC Press AccessAble Book Program.

Charles Darwin's The Foundations of the Origin of Species

A sketch written in 1842 and published in 1909.

Charleston Earthquake, 1886

On August 31, 1886, Charleston and surrounding towns suffered extensive damage from the largest earthquake to ever hit the southeast. The photographs in this collection show the aftermath of the earthquake shortly after it occurred. George LaGrange Cook, a prominent Charleston photographer created the series "Cook's Earthquake Views of Charleston and Vicinity" which featured a total of 200 photographs that could be purchased as souvenirs. A portion of this series, along with earthquake photographs from photographers William Wilson, W.H. Fairchild, J.H. Wisser, and Joseph Hall are featured here. Also, reports, maps, and geological surveys conducted by The U.S. Department of the Interior and The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commisson published in 1888, 1977, 1983, 1986, and 1991 are contained within the collection.

Ethelind Pope Brown Collection of South Carolina Natural History

This collection is comprised of 32 opaque watercolors, or gouaches, on paper created in the late 1700s. Each depicts at least one species of flora and fauna (primarily birds, trees, and flowering plants) found in the American Southeast.

Henry William Ravenel's Papers, 1859 - 1860

Humboldt's Atlas of Latin America, 1799-1804

The German scientist Alexander von Humboldt and his expedition partner, botanist Aimé Bonpland, traveled through Central and South America between 1799 and 1804. Under a Spanish warrant, they explored the Orinoco in Venezuela, surveyed and gathered plant and animal specimens, and studied the geology and mineralogy of Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. They climbed Chimborazo, the highest summit in Ecuador and what was then thought to be the highest summit on Earth, reaching the highest altitude of any human before succumbing to oxygen sickness near the summit.

Hurricane Hugo Elevation Maps

This series of 31 maps of the South Carolina coastline depicts water-surface elevations, high water marks, and landward extent of storm-tide inundation caused by Hurricane Hugo, September 21-22, 1989.

James Glen Papers, 1738 - 1777

The papers of colonial governor James Glen (1701-1777), who served as Governor of South Carolina from 1738 to 1756, include official government documents, papers concerning relations with Native American Indians, business papers relating to his ownership of a South Carolina rice plantation, and correspondence between Glen and South Carolina planter, John Drayton (1713-1779).

James Kershaw Papers, 1786 - 1825

This collection contains diaries of James Kershaw, 1791-1825, with meteorological observations, recipes, and home remedies, including advice for treatment of pimples, boils, baldness, and unwanted hair. The papers record observations, 17 September 1811, of a solar eclipse, accounts of debts paid, January-April 1812, including prices of cotton, molasses, and sugar, and typed abstracts of recipes, 1936, copied from the diaries.

Maxcy Gregg Papers, 1835-1888

Maxcy Gregg's Sporting Journal (1839-1860) describes hunting and fishing expeditions, a record of game animals taken, weather conditions and Fisher's Pond. Other entries discuss a trip to the mountains (17 July - 12 August 1843), attending "the Washingtonian lecture" in Winnsboro, South Carolina, a mention of David Johnson (1782-1855), who served as governor of South Carolina, 1846-1848, and unsuccessful efforts to convince William Waters Boyce to assume editorial duties at the South Carolinian (a newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina).

Micajah A. Clark Journals

In 1847 and 1857, Micajah Adolphus Clark (1822-1905) traveled from Mississippi to South Carolina and kept detailed accounts of his journeys. He recounts the hardships of travel, miscellaneous expenses, weather patterns, making acquaintances, and overnight stays in various locations. His journals from these expeditions are now housed at the South Caroliniana Library and are presented here in digital form.

Phosphates in South Carolina, 1870 - 1890

During the late 19th century the discovery of phosphate deposits in the Charleston and Florence areas marked the beginning of a rapidly growing industry in South Carolina. Phosphates are rocks formed from the fossilized remains of sea creatures found in areas once covered by oceans. In South Carolina, phosphates were used as fertilizers to extend the life of crops. Freedmen flocked toward the industry seeking employment, and with the financial support of Northern financiers, Carolina farmers began production of this highly sought-after material. 

Primary Sources for K-12 , Pilot Project

In collaboration with a pilot group of South Carolina teachers, USC Libraries has made these primary resources available online. We want to build on this effort. Please let us know what you think.

Robert B. Ariail Collection of Historical Astronomy

In 2011 Robert B. Ariail donated an extraordinary collection of historical astronomy to the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina State Museum. Over the past half-century, Mr. Ariail built a collection that encompassed both historic telescopes and astronomical instruments, now at the State Museum, and more than 5,000 rare books and other published items, now housed in the University's Irvin Department of Rare Books & Special Collections.

Roman Vishniac: The Subject is Nature

These hundred images are a portion of the many scientific and naturalistic images that Vishniac took in his life time and that the University of South Carolina holds. More will be added to this collection in the future.

Tri-Daily Meteorological Records,1878

Tycho Brahe's Instruments in the Blaeu Grande Atlas

In the late 16th century, the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) established two observatories on the island of Hven, near Copenhagen.  This section from Jean Blaeu’s Grande Atlas, from the French version issued in 1663, describes and illustrates Brahe’s astronomical instruments. Blaeu’s handcolored copper-plate engravings were revised from wood-cuts originally published in Brahe’s own Astronomiae Instauratiae Mechanicae (1598), with the descriptions in Latin; an English translation from Brahe’s 1598 text is available from the Danish Royal Library.  The section also gives a map of Hven and plans and descriptions of Tycho’s two observatories, Uraniborg and Stelleborg.