#St. Louis Embroidery Shops | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bluebeards-wife · 6 years ago

Text

The Seven Wives of Bluebeard & Other Marvelous Tales

Written by Anatole France (1920)

Distributed via Project Gutenberg

Produced by David Widger

Edited By James Lewis May And Bernard Miall

Translated by D. B. Stewart

John Lane Company MCMXX

CHAPTER I

THE strangest, the most varied, the most erroneous opinions have been expressed with regard to the famous individual commonly known as Bluebeard. None, perhaps, was less tenable than that which made of this gentleman a personification of the Sun. For this is what a certain school of comparative mythology set itself to do, some forty years ago. It informed the world that the seven wives of Bluebeard were the Dawns, and that his two brothers-in-law were the morning and the evening Twilight, identifying them with the Dioscuri, who delivered Helena when she was rapt away by Theseus. We must remind those readers who may feel tempted to believe this that in 1817 a learned librarian of Agen, Jean-Baptiste Pérés, demonstrated, in a highly plausible manner, that Napoleon had never existed, and that the story of this supposed great captain was nothing but a solar myth. Despite the most ingenious diversions of the wits, we cannot possibly doubt that Bluebeard and Napoleon did both actually exist.

An hypothesis no better founded is that which Consists in identifying Bluebeard with the Marshal de Rais, who was strangled by the arm of the Law above the bridges of Nantes on 26th of October, 1440. Without inquiring, with M. Salomon Reinach, whether the Marshal committed the crimes for which he was condemned, or whether his wealth, coveted by a greedy prince, did not in some degree contribute to his undoing, there is nothing in his life that resembles what we find in Bluebeard’s; this alone is enough to prevent our confusing them or merging the two individuals into one.

Charles Perrault, who, about 1660, had the merit of composing the first biography of this _seigneur_, justly remarkable for having married seven wives, made him an accomplished villain, and the most perfect model of cruelty that ever trod the earth. But it is permissible to doubt, if not his sincerity, at least the correctness of his information. He may, perhaps, have been prejudiced against his hero. He would not have been the first example of a poet or historian who liked to darken the colours of his pictures. If we have what seems a flattering portrait of Titus, it would seem, on the other hand, that Tacitus has painted Tiberius much blacker than the reality. Macbeth, whom legend and Shakespeare accuse of crimes, was in reality a just and a wise king. He never treacherously murdered the old king, Duncan. Duncan, while yet young, was defeated in a great battle, and was found dead on the morrow at a spot called the Armourer’s Shop. He had slain several of the kinsfolk of Gruchno, the wife of Macbeth. The latter made Scotland prosperous; he encouraged trade, and was regarded as the defender of the middle classes, the true King of the townsmen. The nobles of the clans never forgave him for defeating Duncan, nor for protecting the artisans. They destroyed him, and dishonoured his memory. Once he was dead the good King Macbeth was known only by the statements of his enemies. The genius of Shakespeare imposed these lies upon the human consciousness. I had long suspected that Bluebeard was the victim of a similar fatality. All the circumstances of his life, as I found them related, were far from satisfying my mind, and from gratifying that craving for logic and lucidity by which I am incessantly consumed. On reflection, I perceived that they involved insurmountable difficulties. There was so great a desire to make me believe in the man’s cruelty that it could not fail to make me doubt it.

These presentiments did not mislead me. My intuitions, which had their origin in a certain knowledge of human nature, were soon to be changed into certainty, based upon irrefutable proofs.

In the house of a stone-cutter in St. Jean-des-Bois, I found several papers relating to Bluebeard; amongst others his defence, and an anonymous complaint against his murderers, which was not proceeded with, for what reasons I know not. These papers confirmed me in the belief that he was good and unfortunate, and that his memory has been overwhelmed by unworthy slanders. From that time forth, I regarded it as my duty to write his true history, without permitting myself any illusion as to the success of such an undertaking. I am well aware that this attempt at rehabilitation is destined to fall into silence and oblivion. How can the cold, naked Truth fight against the glittering enchantments of Falsehood?

CHAPTER II

SOMEWHERE about 1650 there lived on his estate, between Compiègne and Pierrefonds, a wealthy noble, by name Bernard de Montragoux, whose ancestors had held the most important posts in the kingdom. But he dwelt far from the Court, in that peaceful obscurity which then veiled all save that on which the king bestowed his glance. His castle of Guillettes abounded in valuable furniture, gold and silver ware, tapestry and embroideries, which he kept in coffers; not that he hid his treasures for fear of damaging them by use; he was, on the contrary, generous and magnificent. But in those days, in the country, the nobles willingly led a very simple life, feeding their people at their own table, and dancing on Sundays with the girls of the village.

On certain occasions, however, they gave splendid entertainments, which contrasted with the dullness of everyday life. So it was necessary that they should hold a good deal of handsome furniture and beautiful tapestries in reserve. This was the case with Monsieur de Montragoux.

His castle, built in the Gothic period, had all its rudeness. From without it looked wild and gloomy enough, with the stumps of its great towers, which had been thrown down at the time of the monarchy’s troubles, in the reign of the late King Louis. Within it offered a much pleasanter prospect. The rooms were decorated in the Italian taste, as was the great gallery on the ground floor, loaded with embossed decorations in high relief, pictures and gilding.

At one end of this gallery there was a closet usually known as “the little cabinet.” This is the only name by which Charles Perrault refers to it. It is as well to note that it was also called the “Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses,” because a Florentine painter had portrayed on the walls the tragic stories of Dirce, daughter of the Sun, bound by the sons of Antiope to the horns of a bull, Niobe weeping on Mount Sipylus for her children, pierced by the divine arrows, and Procris inviting to her bosom the javelin of Cephalus. These figures had a look of life about them, and the porphyry tiles with which the floor was covered seemed dyed in the blood of these unhappy women. One of the doors of the Cabinet gave upon the moat, which had no water in it.

The stables formed a sumptuous building, situated at some distance from the castle. They contained stalls for sixty horses, and coach-houses for twelve gilded coaches. But what made Guillettes so bewitching a residence were the woods and canals surrounding it, in which one could devote oneself to the pleasures of angling and the chase.

Many of the dwellers in that country-side knew Monsieur de Montragoux only by the name of Bluebeard, for this was the only name that the common people gave him. And in truth his beard was blue, but it was blue only because it was black, and it was because it was so black that it was blue. Monsieur de Montragoux must not be imagined as having the monstrous aspect of the threefold Typhon whom one sees in Athens, laughing in his triple indigo-blue beard. We shall get much nearer the reality by comparing the _seigneur_ of Guillettes to those actors or priests whose freshly shaven cheeks have a bluish gloss.

Monsieur de Montragouz did not wear a pointed beard like his grandfather at the Court of King Henry II; nor did he wear it like a fan, as did his great-grandfather who was killed at the battle of Marignan. Like Monsieur de Turenne, he had only a slight moustache, and a chin-tuft; his cheeks had a bluish look; but whatever may have been said of him, this good gentleman was by no means disfigured thereby, nor did he inspire any fear on that account. He only looked the more virile, and if it made him look a little fierce, it had not the effect of making the women dislike him. Bernard de Montragoux was a very fine man, tall, broad across the shoulders, moderately stout, and well favoured; albeit of a rustic habit, smacking of the woods rather than of drawing-rooms and assemblies. Still, it is true that he did not please the ladies as much as he should have pleased them, built as he was, and wealthy. Shyness was the reason; shyness, not his beard. Women exercised an invincible attraction for him, and at the same time inspired him with an insuperable fear. He feared them as much as he loved them. This was the origin and initial cause of all his misfortunes. Seeing a lady for the first time, he would have died rather than speak to her, and however much attracted he may have been, he stood before her in gloomy silence. His feelings revealed themselves only through his eyes, which he rolled in a terrible manner. This timidity exposed him to every kind of misfortune, and, above all, it prevented his forming a becoming connection with modest and reserved women; and betrayed him, defenceless, to the attempts of the most impudent and audacious. This was his life’s misfortune.

Left an orphan from his early youth, and having rejected, owing to this sort of bashfulness and fear, which he was unable to overcome, the very advantageous and honourable alliances which had presented themselves, he married a Mademoiselle Colette Passage, who had recently settled down in that part of the country, after amassing a little money by making a bear dance through the towns and villages of the kingdom. He loved her with all his soul. And to do her justice, there was something pleasing about her, though she was what she was a fine woman with an ample bosom, and a complexion that was still sufficiently fresh, although a little sunburnt by the open air. Great were her joy and surprise on first becoming a lady of quality. Her heart, which was not bad, was touched by the kindness of a husband in such a high position, and with such a stout, powerful body, who was to her the most obedient of servants and devoted of lovers. But after a few months she grew weary because she could no longer go to and fro on the face of the earth. In the midst of wealth, overwhelmed with love and care, she could find no greater pleasure than that of going to see the companion of her wandering life, in the cellar where he languished with a chain round his neck and a ring through his nose, and kissing him on the eyes and weeping. Seeing her full of care, Monsieur de Montragouz himself became careworn, and this only added to his companion’s melancholy. The consideration and forethought which he lavished on her turned the poor woman’s head. One morning, when he awoke, Monsieur de Montragoux found Colette no longer at his side. In vain he searched for her throughout the castle.

The door of the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses was open. It was through this door that she had gone to reach the open country with her bear. The sorrow of Bluebeard was painful to behold. In spite of the innumerable messengers sent forth in search of her, no news was ever received of Colette Passage.

Monsieur de Montragoux was still mourning her when he happened to dance, at the fair of Guillettes, with Jeanne de La Cloche, daughter of the Police Lieutenant of Compiègne, who inspired him with love. He asked her in marriage, and obtained her forthwith. She loved wine, and drank it to excess. So much did this taste increase that after a few months she looked like a leather bottle with a round red face atop of it. The worst of it was that this leather bottle would run mad, incessantly rolling about the reception-rooms and the staircases, crying, swearing, and hiccoughing; vomiting wine and insults at everything that got in her way. Monsieur de Montragoux was dazed with disgust and horror. But he quite suddenly recovered his courage, and set himself, with as much firmness as patience, to cure his wife of so disgusting a vice, Prayers, remonstrances, supplications, and threats: he employed every possible means. All was useless. He forbade her wine from his cellar: she got it from outside, and was more abominably drunk than ever.

To deprive her of her taste for a beverage that she loved too well, he put valerian in the bottles. She thought he was trying to poison her, sprang upon him, and drove three inches of kitchen knife into his belly. He expected to die of it, but he did not abandon his habitual kindness.

“She is more to be pitied than blamed,” he said.

One day, when he had forgotten to close the door of the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, Jeanne de La Cloche entered by it, quite out of her mind, as usual, and seeing the figures on the walls in postures of affliction, ready to give up the ghost, she mistook them for living women, and fled terror-stricken into the country, screaming murder. Hearing Bluebeard calling her and running after her, she threw herself, mad with terror, into a pond, and was there drowned. It is difficult to believe, yet certain, that her husband, so compassionate was his soul, was much afflicted by her death.

Six weeks after the accident he quietly married Gigonne, the daughter of his steward, Traignel. She wore wooden shoes, and smelt of onions. She was a fine-looking girl enough, except that she squinted with one eye, and limped with one foot. As soon as she was married, this goose-girl, bitten by foolish ambition, dreamed of nothing but further greatness and splendour. She was not satisfied that her brocade dresses were rich enough, her pearl necklaces beautiful enough, her rubies big enough, her coaches sufficiently gilded, her lakes, woods, and lands sufficiently vast. Bluebeard, who had never had any leaning toward ambition, trembled at the haughty humour of his spouse. Unaware, in his straightforward simplicity, whether the mistake lay in thinking magnificently like his wife, or modestly as he himself did, he accused himself of a mediocrity of mind which was thwarting the noble desires of his consort, and, full of uncertainty, he would sometimes exhort her to taste with moderation the good things of this world, while at others he roused himself to pursue fortune along the verge of precipitous heights. He was prudent, but conjugal affection bore him beyond the reach of prudence. Gigonne thought of nothing but cutting a figure in the world, being received at Court, and becoming the King’s mistress. Unable to gain her point, she pined away with vexation, contracting a jaundice, of which she died. Bluebeard, full of lamentation, built her a magnificent tomb.

This worthy _seigneur_ overwhelmed by constant domestic adversity, would not perhaps have chosen another wife: but he was himself chosen for a husband by Mademoiselle Blanche de Gibeaumex, the daughter of a cavalry officer, who had but one ear; he used to relate that he had lost the other in the King’s service. She was full of intelligence, which she employed in deceiving her husband. She betrayed him with every man of quality in the neighbourhood. She was so dexterous that she deceived him in his own castle, almost under his very eyes, without his perceiving it. Poor Bluebeard assuredly suspected something, but he could not say what. Unfortunately for her, while she gave her whole mind to tricking her husband, she was not sufficiently careful in deceiving her lovers; by which I mean that she betrayed them, one for another. One day she was surprised in the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, in the company of a gentleman whom she loved, by a gentleman whom she had loved, and the latter, in a transport of jealousy, ran her through with his sword. A few hours later the unfortunate lady was there found dead by one of the castle servants, and the fear inspired by the room increased.

Poor Bluebeard, learning at one blow of his ample dishonour, and the tragic death of his wife, did not console himself for the latter misfortune by any consideration of the former. He had loved Blanche de Gibeaumez with a strange ardour, more dearly than he had loved Jeanne de La Cloche, Gigonne Traignel, or even Colette Passage. On learning that she had consistently betrayed him, and that now she would never betray him again, he experienced a grief and a mental perturbation which, far from being appeased, daily increased in violence. So intolerable were his sufferings that he contracted a malady which caused his life to be despaired of.

The physicians, having employed various medicines without effect, advised him that the only remedy proper to his complaint was to take a young wife. He then thought of his young cousin, Angèle de La Garandine, whom he believed would be willingly bestowed upon him, as she had no property. What encouraged him to take her to wife was the fact that she was reputed to be simple and ignorant of the world. Having been deceived by a woman of intelligence, he felt more comfortable with a fool. He married Mademoiselle de La Garandine, and quickly perceived the falsity of his calculations. Angèle was kind, Angèle was good, and Angèle loved him; she had not, in herself, any leanings toward evil, but the least astute person could quickly lead her astray at any moment. It was enough to tell her: “Do this for fear of bogies; comes in here or the were-wolf will eat you;” or “Shut your eyes, and take this drop of medicine,” and the innocent girl would straightway do so, at the will of the rascals who wanted of her that which it was very natural to want of her, for she was pretty. Monsieur de Montragouz, injured and betrayed by this innocent girl, as much as and more than he had been by Blanche de Gibeaumex, had the additional pain of knowing it, for Angèle was too candid to conceal anything from him. She used to tell him: “Sir, some one told me this; some one did that to me; some one took so and so away from me; I saw that; I felt so and so.” And by her ingenuousness she caused her lord to suffer torments beyond imagination. He endured them like a Stoic. Still he finally had to tell the simple creature that she was a goose, and to box her ears. This, for him, was the beginning of a reputation for cruelty, which was not fated to be diminished. A mendicant monk, who was passing Gulllettes while Monsieur de Montragouz was out shooting woodcock, found Madame Angèle sewing a doll’s petticoat. This worthy friar, discovering that she was as foolish as she was beautiful, took her away on his donkey, having persuaded her that the Angel Gabriel was waiting in a wood, to give her a pair of pearl garters. It is believed that she must have been eaten by a wolf, for she was never seen again.

After such a disastrous experience, how was it that Bluebeard could make up his mind to contract yet another union? It would be impossible to understand it, were we not well aware of the power which a fine pair of eyes exerts over a generous heart.

The honest gentleman met, at a neighbouring château which he was in the habit of frequenting, a young orphan of quality, by name Alix de Pontalcin, who, having been robbed of all her property by a greedy trustee, thought only of entering a convent. Officious friends intervened to alter her determination and persuade her to accept the hand of Monsieur de Montragoux. Her beauty was perfect. Bluebeard, who was promising himself the enjoyment of an infinite happiness in her arms, was once more deluded in his hopes, and this time experienced a disappointment, which, owing to his disposition, was bound to make an even greater impression upon him than all the afflictions which he had suffered in his previous marriages. Alix de Pontalcin obstinately refused to give actuality to the union to which she had nevertheless consented.

In vain did Monsieur de Montragoux press her to become his wife; she resisted prayers, tears, and objurgations, she refused her husband’s lightest caresses, and rushed off to shut herself into the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, where she remained, alone and intractable, for whole nights at a time.

The cause of a resistance so contrary to laws both human and divine was never known; it was attributed to Monsieur de Montragoux’s blue beard, but our previous remarks on the subject of his beard render such a supposition far from probable. In any case, it is a difficult subject to discuss. The unhappy husband underwent the cruellest sufferings. In order to forget them, he hunted with desperation, exhausting horses, hounds, and huntsmen. But when he returned home, foundered and overtired, the mere sight of Mademoiselle de Pontalcin was enough to revive his energies and his torments. Finally, unable to endure the situation any longer, he applied to Rome for the annulment of a marriage which was nothing better than a trap; and in consideration of a handsome present to the Holy Father he obtained it in accordance with canon law. If Monsieur de Montragoux discarded Mademoiselle de Pontalcin with all the marks of respect due to a woman, and without breaking his cane across her back, it was because he had a valiant soul, a great heart, and was master of himself as well as of Guillettes. But he swore that, for the future, no female should enter his apartments. Happy had he been if he had held to his oath to the end!

CHAPTER III

SOME years had elapsed since Monsieur de Montragoux had rid himself of his sixth wife, and only a confused recollection remained in the country-side of the domestic calamities which had fallen upon this worthy _seigneur’s_ house. Nobody knew what had become of his wives, and hair-raising tales were told in the village at night; some believed them, others did not. About this time, a widow, past the prime of life, Dame Sidonie de Lespoisse, came to settle with her children in the manor of La Motte-Giron, about two leagues, as the crow flies, from the castle of Guillettes. Whence she came, or who her husband had been, not a soul knew. Some believed, because they had heard it said, that he had held certain posts in Savoy or Spain; others said that he had died in the Indies; many had the idea that the widow was possessed of immense estates, while others doubted it strongly. However, she lived in a notable style, and invited all the nobility of the country-side to La Motte-Giron. She had two daughters, of whom the elder, Anne, on the verge of becoming an old maid, was a very astute person: Jeanne, the younger, ripe for marriage, concealed a precocious knowledge of the world under an appearance of simplicity. The Dame de Lespoisse had also two sons, of twenty and twenty-two years of age; very fine well-made young fellows, of whom one was a Dragoon, and the other a Musketeer. I may add, having seen his commission, that he was a Black Musketeer. When on foot, this was not apparent, for the Black Musketeers were distinguished from the Grey not by the colour of their uniform, but by the hides of their horses. All alike wore blue surcoats laced with gold. As for the Dragoons, they were to be recognized by a kind of fur bonnet, of which the tail fell gallantly over the ear. The Dragoons had the reputation of being scamps, a scapegrace crowd, witness the song:

“Mama, here the dragoons come, Let us haste away.”

But you might have searched in vain through His Majesty’s two regiments of Dragoons for a bigger rake, a more accomplished sponger, or a viler rogue than Cosme de Lespoisset. Compared with him, his brother was an honest lad. Drunkard and gambler, Pierre de Lespoisse pleased the ladies, and won at cards; these were the only ways of gaining a living known to him.

Their mother, Dame de Lespoisse, was making a splash at Motte-Giron only in order to catch gulls. As a matter of fact, she had not a penny, and owed for everything, even to her false teeth. Her clothes and furniture, her coach, her horses, and her servants had all been lent by Parisian moneylenders, who threatened to withdraw them all if she did not presently marry one of her daughters to some rich nobleman, and the respectable Sidonie was expecting to find herself at any moment naked in an empty house. In a hurry to find a son-in-law, she had at once cast her eye upon Monsieur de Montragoux, whom she summed up as being simple-minded, easy to deceive, extremely mild, and quick to fall in love under his rude and bashful exterior. Her two daughters entered into her plans, and every time they met him, riddled poor Bluebeard with glances which pierced him to the depths of his heart. He soon fell a victim to the potent charms of the two Demoiselles de Lespoisse. Forgetting his oath, he thought of nothing but marrying one of them, finding them equally beautiful. After some delay, caused less by hesitation than timidity, he went to Motte-Giron in great state, and made his petition to the Dame de Lespoisse, leaving to her the choice of which daughter she would give him. Madame Sidonie obligingly replied that she held him in high esteem, and that she authorized him to pay his court to whichever of the ladies he should prefer.

“Learn to please, monsieur,” she said. “I shall be the first to applaud your success.”

In order to make their better acquaintance, Bluebeard invited Anne and Jeanne de Lespoisse, with their mother, brothers, and a multitude of ladies and gentlemen to pass a fortnight at the castle of Guillettes. There was a succession of walking, hunting, and fishing parties, dances and festivities, dinners and entertainments of every sort. A young _seigneur_, the Chevalier de Merlus, whom the ladies Lespoisse had brought with them, organized the beats. Bluebeard had the best packs of hounds and the largest turnout in the countryside. The ladies rivalled the ardour of the gentlemen in hunting the deer. They did not always hunt the animal down, but the hunters and their ladies wandered away in couples, found one another, and again wandered off into the woods. For choice, the Chevalier de la Merlus would lose himself with Jeanne de Lespoisse, and both would return to the castle at night, full of their adventures, and pleased with their day’s sport.

After a few days’ observation, the good _seigneur_ of Montragoux felt a decided preference for Jeanne, the younger sister, rather than the elder, as she was fresher, which is not saying that she was less experienced. He allowed his preference to appear; there was no reason why he should conceal it, for it was a befitting preference; moreover, he was a plain dealer. He paid court to the young lady as best he could, speaking little, for want of practice; but he gazed at her, rolling his rolling eyes, and emitting from the depths of his bowels sighs which might have overthrown an oak tree. Sometimes he would burst out laughing, whereupon the crockery trembled, and the windows rattled. Alone of all the party, he failed to remark the assiduous attentions of the Chevalier de la Merlus to Madame de Lespoisse’s younger daughter, or if he did remark them he saw no harm in them. His experience of women was not sufficient to make him suspicious, and he trusted when he loved. My grandmother used to say that in life experience is worthless, and that one remains the same as when one begins. I believe she was right, and the true story that I am now unfolding is not of a nature to prove her wrong.

Bluebeard displayed an unusual magnificence in these festivities. When night arrived the lawns before the castle were lit by a thousand torches, and tables served by men-servants and maids dressed as fauns and dryads groaned under all the tastiest things which the country-side and the forest produced. Musicians provided a continual succession of beautiful symphonies. Towards the end of the meal the schoolmaster and schoolmistress, followed by the boys and girls of the village, appeared before the guests, and read a complimentary address to the _seigneur_ of Montragoux and his friends. An astrologer in a pointed cap approached the ladies, and foretold their future love-affairs from the lines of their hands, Bluebeard ordered drink to be given for all his vassals, and he himself distributed bread and meat to the poor families.

At ten o’clock, for fear of the evening dew, the company retired to the apartments, lit by a multitude of candles, and there tables were prepared for every sort of game: lansquenet, billiards, reversi, bagatelle, pigeon-holes, turnstile, porch, beast, hoca, brelan, draughts, backgammon, dice, basset, and calbas. Bluebeard was uniformly unfortunate in these various games, at which he lost large sums every night. He could console himself for his continuous run of bad luck by watching the three Lespoisse ladies win a great deal of money. Jeanne, the younger, who often backed the game of the Chevalier de la Merlus, heaped up mountains of gold. Madame de Lespoisse’s two sons also did very well at reversi and basset; their luck was invariably best at the more hazardous games. The play went on until late into the night. No one slept during these marvellous festivities, and as the earliest biographer of Bluebeard has said: “They spent the whole night in playing tricks on one another.” These hours were the most delightful of the whole twenty-four; for then, under cover of jesting, and taking advantage of the darkness, those who felt drawn toward one another would hide together in the depths of some alcove. The Chevelier de la Merlus would disguise himself at one time as a devil, at another as a ghost or a were-wolf in order to frighten the sleepers, but he always ended by slipping into the room of Mademoiselle Jeanne de Lespoisse. The good _seigneur_ of Montragoux was not overlooked in these games. The two sons of Madame de Lespoisse put irritant powder in his bed, and burnt in his room substances which emitted a disgusting smell. Or they would arrange a jug of water over his door so that the worthy _seigneur_ could not open the door without the whole of the water being upset upon his head. In short, they played on him all sorts of practical jokes, to the diversion of the whole company, and Bluebeard bore them with his natural good humour.

He made his request, to which Madame de Lespoisse acceded, although, as she said, it wrung her heart to think of giving her girls in marriage.

The marriage was celebrated at Motte-Giron with extraordinary magnificence. The Demoiselle Jeanne, amazingly beautiful, was dressed entirely in _point de France_, her head covered with a thousand ringlets. Her sister Anne wore a dress of green velvet, embroidered with gold. Their mother’s dress was of golden tissue, trimmed with black chenille, with a _parure_ of pearls and diamonds. Monsieur de Montragoux wore all his great diamonds on a suit of black velvet; he made a very fine appearance; his expression of timidity and innocence contrasting strongly with his blue chin and his massive build. The bride’s brothers were of course handsomely arrayed, but the Chevalier de la Merlus, in a suit of rose velvet trimmed with pearls, shone with unparalleled splendour.

Immediately after the ceremony, the Jews who had hired out to the bride’s family and her lover all these fine clothes and rich jewels resumed possession of them and posted back to Paris with them.

CHAPTER IV

FOR a month Monsieur de Montragoux was the happiest of men. He adored his wife, and regarded her as an angel of purity. She was something quite different, but far shrewder men than poor Bluebeard might have been deceived as he was, for she was a person of great cunning and astuteness, and allowed herself submissively to be ruled by her mother, who was the cleverest jade in the whole kingdom of France. She established herself at Guillettes with her eldest daughter Anne, her two sons, Pierre and Cosme, and the Chevalier de la Merlus, who kept as close to Madame de Montragoux as if he had been her shadow. Her good husband was a little annoyed at this; he would have liked to keep his wife always to himself, but he did not take exception to the affection which she felt for this young gentleman, as she had told him that he was her foster-brother.

Charles Perrault relates that a month after having contracted this union, Bluebeard was compelled to make a journey of six weeks’ duration on some important business. He does not seem to be aware of the reasons for this journey, and it has been suspected that it was an artifice, which the jealous husband resorted to, according to custom, in order to surprise his wife. The truth is quite otherwise. Monsieur de Montragouz went to Le Perche to receive the heritage of his cousin of Outarde, who had been killed gloriously by a cannon-ball at the battle of the Dunes, while casting dice upon a drum.

Before leaving, Monsieur de Montragoux begged his wife to indulge in every possible distraction during his absence.

“Invite all your friends, madame,” he said, “go riding with them, amuse yourselves, and have a pleasant time.”

He handed over to her all the keys of the house, thus indicating that in his absence she was the sole and sovereign mistress of all the _seigneurie_ of Guillettes.

“This,” he said, “is the key of the two great wardrobes; this of the gold and silver not in daily use; this of the strong-boxes which contain my gold and silver; this of the caskets where my jewels are kept; and this is a pass-key into all the rooms. As for this little key, it is that of the Cabinet, at the end of the Gallery, on the ground floor; open everything, and go where you will.”

Charles Perrault claims that Monsieur de Montragoux added:

“But as for the little Cabinet, I forbid you to enter that; and I forbid you so expressly that if you do enter it, I cannot say to what lengths my anger will not go.”

The historian of Bluebeard in placing these words on record, has fallen into the error of adopting, without, verification, the version concocted after the event by the ladies Lespoisse. Monsieur de Montragoux expressed himself very differently. When he handed to his wife the key of the little Cabinet, which was none other than the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, to which we have already frequently alluded, he expressed the desire that his beloved Jeanne should not enter that part of the house which he regarded as fatal to his domestic happiness. It was through this room, indeed, that his first wife, and the best of all of them, had fled, when she ran away with her bear; here Blanche de Gibeaumex had repeatedly betrayed him with various gentlemen; and lastly, the porphyry pavement was stained by the blood of a beloved criminal. Was not this enough to make Monsieur de Montragoux connect the idea of this room with cruel memories and fateful forebodings?

The words which he addressed to Jeanne de Lespoisse convey the desires and impressions which were troubling his mind. They were actually as follows:

“For you, madame, nothing of mine is hidden, and I should feel that I was doing you an injury did I fail to hand over to you all the keys of a dwelling which belongs to you. You may therefore enter this little cabinet, as you may enter all the other rooms of the house; but if you will take my advice you will do nothing of the kind, to oblige me, and in consideration of the painful ideas which, for me, are connected with this room, and the forebodings of evil which these ideas, despite myself, call up into my mind. I should be inconsolable were any mischance to befall you, or were I to bring misfortune upon you. You will, madame, forgive these fears, which are happily unfounded, as being only the outcome of my anxious affection and my watchful love.”

With these words the good _seigneur_ embraced his wife and posted off to Le Perche.

“The friends and neighbours,” says Charles Perrault, “did not wait to be asked to visit the young bride; so full were they of impatience to see all the wealth of her house. They proceeded at once to inspect all the rooms, cabinets, and wardrobes, each of which was richer and more beautiful than the last; and there was no end to their envy and their praises of their friend’s good fortune.”

All the historians who have dealt with this subject have added that Madame de Montsagoux took no pleasure in the sight of all these riches, by reason of her impatience to open the little Cabinet. This is perfectly correct, and as Perrault has said: “So urgent was her curiosity that, without considering that it was unmannerly to leave her guests, she went down to it by a little secret staircase, and in such a hurry that two or three times she thought she would break her neck.” The fact is beyond question. But what no one has told us is that the reason why she was so anxious to reach this apartment was that the Chevalier de la Merlus was awaiting her there.

Since she had come to make her home in the castle of Guillettes she had met this young gentleman in the Cabinet every day, and oftener twice a day than once, without wearying of an intercourse so unseemly in a young married woman. It is Impossible to hesitate, as to the nature of the ties connecting Jeanne with the Chevalier: they were anything but respectable, anything but chaste, Alas, had Madame de Montragoux merely betrayed her husband’s honour, she would no doubt have incurred the blame of posterity; but the most austere of moralists might have found excuses for her. He might allege, in favour of so young a woman, the laxity of the morals of the period; the examples of the city and the Court; the too certain effects of a bad training, and the advice of an immoral mother, for Madame Sidonie de Lespoisse countenanced her daughter’s intrigues. The wise might have forgiven her a fault too amiable to merit their severity; her errors would have seemed too common to be crimes, and the world would simply have considered that she was behaving like other people. But Jeanne de Lespoisse, not content with betraying her husband’s honour, did not hesitate to attempt his life.

It was in the little Cabinet, otherwise known as the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, that Jeanne de Lespoisse, Dame de Montragoux, in concert with the Chevalier de la Merlus, plotted the death of a kind and faithful husband. She declared later that, on entering the room, she saw hanging there the bodies of six murdered women, whose congealed blood covered the tiles, and that recognizing in these unhappy women the first six wives of Bluebeard, she foresaw the fate which awaited herself. She must, in this case, have mistaken the paintings on the walls for mutilated corpses, and her hallucinations must be compared with those of Lady Macbeth. But it is extremely probable that Jeanne imagined this horrible sight in order to relate it afterwards, justifying her husband’s murderers by slandering their victim.

The death of Monsieur de Montragouz was determined upon. Certain letters which lie before me compel the belief that Madame Sidonie Lespoisse had her part in the plot. As for her elder daughter, she may be described as the soul of the conspiracy. Anne de Lespoisse was the wickedest of the whole family. She was a stranger to sensual weakness, remaining chaste in the midst of the profligacy of the house; it was not a case of refusing pleasures which she thought unworthy of her; the truth was that she took pleasure only in cruelty. She engaged her two brothers, Cosme and Pierre, in the enterprise by promising them the command of a regiment.

CHAPTER V

IT now rests with us to trace, with the aid of authentic documents, and reliable evidence, the most atrocious, treacherous, and cowardly domestic crime of which the record has come down to us. The murder whose circumstances we are about to relate can only be compared to that committed on the night of the 9th March, 1449, on the person of Guillaume de Flavy, by his wife Blanche d’Overbreuc, a young and slender woman, the bastard d’Orbandas, and the barber Jean Bocquillon.

They stifled Guillaume with a pillow, battered him pitilessly with a club, and bled him at the throat like a calf. Blanche d’Overbreuc proved that her husband had determined to have her drowned, while Jeanne de Lespoisse betrayed a loving husband to a gang of unspeakable scoundrels. We will record the facts with all possible restraint. Bluebeard returned rather earlier than expected. This it was gave rise to the quite mistaken idea that, a prey to the blackest jealousy, he was wishful to surprise his wife. Full of joy and confidence, if he thought of giving her a surprise it was an agreeable one. His kindness and tenderness, and his joyous, peaceable air would have softened the most savage hearts. The Chevalier de la Merlus, and the whole execrable brood of Lespoisse saw therein nothing but an additional facility for taking his life, and possessing themselves of his wealth, still further increased by his new inheritance.

His young wife met him with a smiling face, allowing herself to be embraced and led to the conjugal chamber, where she did everything to please the good man. The following morning she returned him the bunch of keys which had been confided to her care. But there was missing that of the Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses, commonly called the little Cabinet. Bluebeard gently demanded its delivery, and after putting him off for a time on various pretexts Jeanne returned it to him.

There now arises a question which cannot be solved without leaving the limited domain of history to enter the indeterminate regions of philosophy.

Charles Perrault specifically states that the key of the little Cabinet was a fairy key, that is to say, it was magical, enchanted, endowed with properties contrary to the laws of nature, at all events, as we conceive them. We have no proof to the contrary. This is a fitting moment to recall the precept of my illustrious master, Monsieur du Clos des Lunes, a member of the Institute: “When the supernatural makes its appearance, it must not be rejected by the historian.” I shall therefore content myself with recalling as regards this key, the unanimous opinion of all the old biographers of Bluebeard; they all affirm that it was a fairy key. This is a point of great importance. Moreover, this key is not the only object created by human industry which has proved to be endowed with marvellous properties. Tradition abounds with examples of enchanted swords. Arthur’s was a magic sword. And so was that of Joan of Arc, on the undeniable authority of Jean Chartier; and the proof afforded by that illustrious chronicler is that when the blade was broken the two pieces refused to be welded together again despite all the efforts of the most competent armourers. Victor Hugo speaks in one of his poems of those “magic stairways still obscured below.” Many authors even admit that there are men-magicians who can turn themselves into wolves. We shall not undertake to combat such a firm and constant belief, and we shall not pretend to decide whether the key of the little Cabinet was or was not enchanted, for our reserve does not imply that we are in any uncertainty, and therein resides its merit. But where we find ourselves in our proper domain, or to be more precise within our own jurisdiction, where we once more become judges of facts, and writers of circumstances, is where we read that the key was flecked with blood. The authority of the texts does not so far impress us as to compel us to believe this. It was not flecked with blood. Blood had flowed in the little cabinet, but at a time already remote. Whether the key had been washed or whether it had dried, it was impossible that it should be so stained, and what, in her agitation, the criminal wife mistook for a blood-stain on the iron, was the reflection of the sky still empurpled by the roses of dawn.

Monsieur de Montragoux, on seeing the key, perceived none the less that his wife had entered the little cabinet. He noticed that it now appeared cleaner and brighter than when he had given it to her, and was of opinion that this polish could only come from use.

This produced a painful impression upon him, and he said to his wife, with a mournful smile:

“My darling, you have been into the little cabinet. May there result no grievous outcome for either of us! From that room emanates a malign influence from which I would have protected you. If you, in your turn should become subjected to it, I should never get over it. Forgive me; when we love we are superstitious.”

On these words, although Bluebeard cannot have frightened her, for his words and demeanour expressed only love and melancholy, the young lady of Montragoux began shrieking at the top of her voice: “Help! Help! he’s killing me!” This was the signal agreed upon. On hearing it, the Chevalier de la Merlus and the two sons of Madame de Lespoisse were to have thrown themselves upon Bluebeard and run him through with their swords.

But the Chevalier, whom Jeanne had hidden in a cupboard in the room, appeared alone. Monsieur de Montragoux, seeing him leap forth sword in hand, placed himself on guard. Jeanne fled terror-stricken, and met her sister Anne in the gallery. She was not, as has been related, on a tower; for all the towers had been thrown down by order of Cardinal Richelieu. Anne was striving to put heart into her two brothers, who, pale and quaking, dared not risk so great a stake. Jeanne hastily implored them: “Quick, quick, brothers, save my lover!” Pierre and Cosme then rushed at Bluebeard. They found him, having disarmed the Chevalier de la Merlus, holding him down with his knee; they treacherously ran their swords through his body from behind, and continued to strike at him long after he had breathed his last.

Bluebeard had no heirs. His wife remained mistress of his property. She used a part of it to provide a dowry for her sister Anne, another part to buy captains’ commissions for her two brothers, and the rest to marry the Chevalier de la Merlus, who became a very respectable man as soon as he was wealthy.

1 note · View note

libraryresources · 6 years ago

Text

Wikispaces: Youth Services Librarianship - Makerspaces

(Wikispaces is closing down over the course of 2018. It’s not clear if the information collected there will be archived in any way, so I’m copying pages here for safekeeping! Hopefully I can make the copies interlinked the way the originals are, but it will take time. c: Be advised: Some links may lead to deleted or inactive webpages.)

Makerspaces

(Last revision: Nov 24, 2013)

Overview

What Is a Makerspace? Have you ever envisioned a library where, “Kids gather to make Lego robots; teens create digital music, movies, and games with computers and mixers; and students engineer new projects while adults create prototypes for small business products with laser cutters and 3D printers” (American Libraries, 2013, pg. 44)? Well, many libraries are offering places called “makerspaces,” which are “part of a growing movement of hands-on, mentor-led learning environments to make and remake the physical and digital worlds. They foster experimentation, invention, creation, exploration, and STEM learning” (Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2012, para.1). Makerspaces are also known as, Fab Labs, Hackerspaces, Makelabs, Digital Media Labs, DIY Spaces, Creative Spaces, or Tech Shops. Makerspaces are comprised of or include "a continuum of activity that includes “co-working,” “hackerspace,” and “fab lab”; the common thread running through each is a focus on making rather than merely consuming" (Colegrove, 2013, pg. 3). They can,“be embedded inside an existing organization or standalone on its own. It could be a simple room in a building or an outbuilding that’s closer to a shed. The key is that it can adapt to a wide variety of uses and can be shaped by educational purposes as well as the students’ creative goals” (Behen, 2013, pg. 72).

Makerspace Tools and Materials

Makerspaces can include but are not characterized by:

Workshop or Workspace

Digital Fabrication Equipment (3D Printers, 3D Scanners, Laser Cutter, Laser Engraving, Vinyl Cutter, CNC routers, etc.).

Digital Media Software and Open Source Software Applications (Adobe Photoshop, Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) Programs, etc.).

Open Source Hardware Software (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.).

Electronics and Computers (Robotics, microcontrollers, etc.).

Textiles and Fiber Arts

Different Types of Machines (Embroidery, Espresso Book, Knitting, Laminating, Milling, Sewing, Routing, Stitching, and many more types of machines).

Power Tools (Drill, Jig Saw, Orbital Sander, Table Saw, Belt Sander, Drill Press, etc.).

Metalworking Tools

Welding Tools

Woodworking Tools

3D printers -- printers which produce 3D models from a digital file, generally out of plastics (Abram, 2013).

3D scanners -- scanners which create digital models of physical objects that can in turn be "printed" using 3D printers ("Makerspace," n.d.).

Laser cutters -- machines which have the ability to accurately cut or etch materials from a digital file ("Makerspace," n.d.).

Arduino -- microcontroller boards that have the ability to read input from sensors, control outputs like lights or motors, and connect to computer software (“What is Arduino?,” n.d.).

Raspberry Pi -- affordable computers no bigger than a credit card that plug into monitors and keyboards (“FAQs,” n.d.).

The Educate to Innovate Initiative and Maker Corps

In 2009, President Obama launched the initiative, “Educate to Innovate” (Schulman, 2013). The President said, "I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent—to be makers of things, not just consumers of things" (Obama 2009).

From the “Educate to Innovate” initiative came, “The Maker Education Initiative’s” Maker Corps. Maker Corps was created to “empower young adults, makers themselves, to become role models and to help them inspire others in their communities to involve more children in making” (Thomas, 2012b, para.3). In the summer of 2013, The Maker Education Initiative introduced a Maker Corps pilot program. The Mission of this program is that, “Maker Corps will create teams of young makers who can share their enthusiasm for making and their love of learning with younger children and teens, offering support and encouragement that helps introduce them to science and technology in a personal way" (Thomas, 2012a, para.1).

Some of the “Maker Corps Mentors” from this year’s (2013) pilot program include: Arizona State University College of Technology and Innovation (Mesa, Arizona), Free Library of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland), LevelUP Teen Makerspace (Chicago, Illinois), the Children’s Museum of Houston (Houston, Texas), Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI-Portland, Oregon), The Exploratory (Los Angeles, California), The Da Vinci Center for Innovative Learning (Stockton, California), the New York Hall of Science, (Corona, New York), the Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn, Michigan), and many more (Davee, 2013, pg. 1). The goals of the Maker Corps program are to:

“Provide opportunities for makers to gain leadership skills, increase confidence and build career readiness skills” (Maker Corps, 2013, pg. 1).

“Expand the network of maker mentors and community leaders” (Maker Corps, 2013, pg. 1).

“Expose more youth and families to creative problem-solving through making” (Maker Corps 2013, pg. 1).

“Expand the capacity of youth-serving organizations to serve their communities in maker-oriented projects” (Maker Corps, 2013, pg. 1).

Why Libraries and Makerspaces?

Many public, school, and academic libraries have decided to join the “Maker Movement.” By joining the movement, libraries are providing their patrons with opportunities to experience by building, constructing, developing, and working on projects with others in their community and with those who share similar or mutual interests. Makerspaces in libraries can:

“Foster play and exploration” (Britton, 2012, para. 3).

“Facilitate informal learning opportunities” (Britton, 2012, para. 3).

“Nurture peer-to-peer training” (Britton, 2012, para. 3).

“Work with community members as true partners, not as users or patrons” (Britton, 2012).

“Develop a culture of creating as opposed to consuming” (Britton, 2012, para. 3).

“Reorient the library towards greater user engagement, collaborative creative activity, and participatory learning” (Bailey, 2012, para. 4).

“Position the library as a place of building, inventing, and doing instead of a static location of consumption and acquisition” (Bailey, 2012, para. 4).

“Cater to a particular type of library patron: inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, crafters and youth groups. The technology used in these workshops can revolutionize the manufacturing process, allowing designs and creations that can be modified to suit individuals in ways not possible with mass production” (Newcombe & Belbin, 2012, para.5)

“Help cultivate creative interests, imagination, and passion by allowing students to draw upon multiple intelligences” (Wong, 2013, pg. 35).

“Embrace tinkering, or playing, in various forms of exploration, experimentation and engagement, and foster peer interactions as well as the interests of a collective team” (Wong, 2013, pg. 35).

Examples of Makerspaces in Academic Libraries:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh- The Labs (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

North Carolina State University- Open Hardware Makerspace (Raleigh, North Carolina)

North Carolina State University- The Hunt Library Makerspace (Raleigh, North Carolina)

Stanford University- FabLab@School (Stanford, California)

Stanford University- Transformative Learning Technologies Lab (TLTL) (Stanford, California)

The Library As Incubator Project (Madison, Wisconsin)

The University of Mary Washington- ThinkLab (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

The University of Michigan- 3D Lab (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Valdosta State University- Odum Library MakerSpace (Valdosta. Georgia)

Examples of Makerspaces in Public and School Libraries:

Allen County Public Library- The Maker Station (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

Chattanooga Public Library- 4th Floor Makerspace (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Chicago Public Library- CHIPUBLIB MAKER LAB (Chicago, Illinois)

Cleveland Public Library- TechCentral (Cleveland, Ohio)

David C. Burrow Elementary School Media Center- Makerspace (Athens, Georgia)

Detroit Public Library- HYPE Makerspace Teen Center (Detroit, Michigan)

Fayetteville Free Library- FFL Fab Lab (Fayetteville New York)

Madison Public Library- Library Makers (Madison, Wisconsin)

New York Public Library- NYPL Labs (New York, New York)

Northern Onondaga Public Library- LibraryFarm (Cicero, New York)

Oak Park Public Library- Idea Box (Oak Park, Illinois)

Rangeview Library District: The Studio at Anythink Brighton (Brighton, Colorado)

Rangeview Library District: The Studio at Anythink Wright Farms (Thornton, Colorado)

Sacramento Public Library- I Street Press (Sacramento, California)

Salinas Public Library- Digital Arts Lab (Salinas, California)

Skokie Public Library- The Digital Media Lab (Skokie, Illinois)

St. Louis Public Library- Creative Experience Digital Makerspace (St. Louis, Missouri)

Tacoma Public Library- StoryLab (Tacoma, Washington)

Westport Public Library-Makerspace (Westport, Connecticut)

YOUmedia Lab-Chicago Public Library (Chicago, Illinois)

YOUmedia, Learning Labs, and Anythink Library District

Some makerspaces simply provide a space for people to come and tinker. Others provide digital media equipment for people to utilize in the creation of a variety of projects. One example of this is the YOUmedia network (www.youmedia.org). “YOUmedia are spaces where kids explore, express, and create using digital media. YOUmedia’s core philosophy is that youth are best engaged when they’re following their passions, collaborating with others, and being makers and doers, not passive consumers…YOUmedia are transformative spaces—and catalysts—for new kinds of thinking about libraries, museums, and community centers. The sites are open, flexible, and highly creative, with inspiration zones, production zones, and exhibition labs where youth ‘hang out, mess around, and geek out.’ YOUmedia connects three realms of learning—peer groups, interests, and academics—in deliberate ways. One of the most important aspects is that they connect learning directly back to school, careers, and other realms” (“About”).

YOUmedia started in Chicago, and is expanding in different ways across the country. One branch of YOUmedia is the Learning Labs Project, which began in September 2010. It is “an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation...in answer to President Obama’s ‘Educate to Innovate’ campaign, which called on public and private sector partners to work together to improve America’s student participation and performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)” (“Locations”). With a series of grants, the IMLS and the Foundation are working to set up 30 Learning Labs in libraries and museums across the country.

The Studio at Anythink Wright Farms (www.anythinklibraries.org/thestudio), a branch with the Rangeview Library District in Thornton, CO, is a recent addition to the Learning Lab initiative. In 2012, Anythink was awarded a $100,000 grant from IMLS and the MacArthur Foundation to build a digital lab. Built in the spring of 2013, The Studio has three sound-proof rooms (one of which is a recording studio), a green screen, video equipment, and the full Adobe Creative Suite. The idea behind The Studio is to fill teen’s technological needs and help them become contact creators. “At The Studio, it’s not just about what you do, but who you will become. We partner creative community members with teens to help push their creativity to new bounds. These creation labs are places where teens are connected with tools to express their creativity – whether they want to be performers, designers, filmmakers or sportscasters” (“The Studio”). With help from the Tween/Teen Guides (librarians), and the Artists in Residence, teens can learn 21st century technology skills, experiment with a variety of equipment, and fuel their interests.

In the recording studio, which can be used for two hours at a time, teens can record their voices and/or music, make podcasts, sports casts, voiceovers, and create their own beats. This room comes equipped with a computer with Garage Band editing software, a MIDI keyboard, microphones, and a guitar.

The recording studio

Next to the recording studio is a green screen, where teens can experiment with lighting techniques, and take pictures or record images with digital cameras available for check out. There is a nearby editing station where they can upload their videos or images, and substitute the green screen with whatever background they want – stationary or animated. Editing software available to them includes the Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, and the iLife Suite. They can also incorporate their creations from the recording studio into their final product.

Green screen

Computers for editing photos and videos

The Studio also includes graphic design and photo editing software, and two other sound-proof rooms, which can be spaces for video gaming, karaoke, and quiet places for studying. There is also an extra large Windows Surface that teens can use for web browsing, music, news feeds, and apps.

Surface Pro table top

Sound proof study rooms

Anythink, along with libraries and museums across the country, applied for this grant in a nationwide competition, and was one of the first 12 recipients of the grant. The other 11 locations (four museums and seven libraries) for learning labs included:

San Francisco Public Library (San Francisco, California)

Howard County Public Library (Columbia, Maryland)

St. Paul Public Library (St. Paul, Minnesota)

Kansas City Public Library (Kansas City, Missouri)

New York Hall of Science (New York, New York)

Columbus Metropolitan Library (Columbus, Ohio)

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland, Oregon)

Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology (Allentown, Pennsylvania)

Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Nashville Public Library Foundation (Nashville, Tennessee)

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, Texas) (Institute “21st Century”)

A second round of grants added learning labs to:

Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, Texas)

Madison Children’s Museum (Madison, Wisconsin)

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California)

Science Museum of Virginia Foundation (Richmond, Virginia)

University of Alabama/Alabama Museum of Natural History (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

Rochester Public Library (Rochester, New York)

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

City of Lynn, Massachusetts (Lynn, Massachusetts)

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Parmly Billings Library Foundation, Inc. (Billings, Montana)

Pima County Public Library (Tucson, Arizona)

Poughkeepsie Public Library District (Poughkeepsie, New York) (Institute “New Grants”).

The Maker Movement

Even if a library can’t afford or doesn't have room to have a designated “makerspace,” there are other ways to get involved in the Maker movement. The Maker movement doesn't just include makerspaces, but all kinds of maker opportunities.

When looking into the Maker movement, Maker Media is a good name to know. Maker Media has been the driving force behind the Maker movement, beginning with the first publication of MAKE Magazine in 2005 (“Maker Media,” 2013). Maker Media produces the Maker Faire and Makezine, an online zine that offers makers project ideas, as well as Maker Shed, an online store that sells kits and other supplies for makerspaces.

Not having a “space” for your “Makerspace” doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to the Maker movement. For instance, a “Pop up Makerspace” is a temporary makerspace set up in an alternative location, like a classroom (Houston, 2013). Mobile makerspaces, which are able to be moved easily to and from a space and probably lower tech, are always an option (“Teen Makerspaces,” 2013). Makerspaces don’t have to have high tech tools like 3D printers. They can get started with as little as a few craft supplies and a rolling cart.

Another alternative is for a library to get involved in a Maker Faire. Touted as the “Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth,” the Maker Faire is an annual celebration of the Maker movement (“Maker Faire,” 2013, para. 1). Maker Faires allow makers to share their creations and let others know about the Maker movement. Traditionally, the main Maker Faire is located in the Bay Area, as that is where the Faire started in 2006 (“Maker Faire,” 2013). But since the Maker movement has spread, so have Maker Faires, with a “World Maker Faire” taking place in New York City and “Mini Maker Faires” popping up around the world (“Maker Faire,” 2013). Mini Maker Faires are getting more popular as the Maker movement spreads. Even Urbana-Champaign, IL holds its own Mini Maker Faire to showcase makers in the community.

It is also possible to involve a local maker group, many of which have popped up around the country (i.e., Makerspace Urbana in Urbana, IL). Getting a community group involved in the library’s efforts may draw in extra interest, especially if they are well known.

Resources

Directories of Active and Operating Makerspaces Throughout the World

Hackerspaces Meetup Groups List

Hackerspaces Wiki

Labs, Fab Foundation Directory

Maker Community Groups

Maker Education Initiative Directory

Maker Faires Around the World List

Makerspace Directory

Makerspaces Meetup Groups List

MIT Fab Lab List

Mobile Makerspace Directory

National Tool Library Google Group

TechShop Locations

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation- Learning Labs Project Location Directory

The International Fab Lab Association: List of Fab Labs

The Maker Map- Find or Locate Maker Resources

The National After School Science Directory

Tool Lending Libraries Directory

YOUmedia Location Directory

Makerspace Project Ideas, Videos, and Tutorial Sites

Adafruit Learning Systems has tutorials on topics such as, how to use “Arduino,” and “Raspberry Pi.” It also provides project ideas, tools, trinkets, and so much more.

DIY.org allows members to share with others what they create. It also contains a variety of different projects and challenges.

FabLab@School Blog provides makerspace and project photos, videos, project ideas, tutorials, resources, and more.

Howtoons- “D.I.Y. Comic Website.”

Instructables has illustrated “DIY” guides on a variety of topics, such as, “Make an Electronic Music Box Powered by Arduino.”

K-12 Digital Fabrication Labs Discussion Group is a K-12 forum that discusses different “Digital Fabrication” topics.

Make It @ Your Library provides librarians with “Maker” project ideas.

Make It @ Your Library in partnership with the American Library Association and Instructables has launched a new website makeitatyourlibrary.org, which provides librarians with project ideas and resources.

Make: Makezine.com-"Contains a collection of projects, video, blogs, and so much more for makers and hackers."

Make: Projects contains a collection of different project ideas, such as “Make a Disney- Inspired Changing Portrait With a Raspberry Pi.”

Make: Videos contains a collection of how to make videos, such as “Star in a Jar.”

Makerspace.com contains a collection of how to make projects.

Sparkfun contains tutorials on many different categories, as well as, curriculum pages that presents educators, parents, students, etc. with curriculum “presentations and handouts.”

Teens Turning Green contains DIY programming ideas created by teens to encourage sustainable, healthy living.

The Exploratorium (San Francisco, California) provides different activities, videos, and more.

The Exploratorium’s Tinkering Studio contains different project ideas and a listing of past “events, workshops, and more.”

How to Start a Tool Lending Library

Tool Library Toolkit via Sharestarter provides a how-to guide on starting your own tool lending (or any other lending) library.

Grants, Scholarships, and Crowd-Sourced Fundraising Sites For Makerspaces and Makers

Grant Sites

Cognizant Technology Solutions- Making The Future U.S. After-school and Summer Program Grants

DARPA

Lego Children’s Fund

GCAA Makerspace Grant Program

Grants for Makerspace Schools

PG&E- Bright Ideas Grant

STEMgrants.com

STEM Grants and Resources

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)- Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grant

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation-Learning Labs In Libraries And Museums Grant

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)- List of Grant Applicants

Scholarship Sites

Cognizant Technology Solutions- Making the Future U.S. College Scholarship Program for MakersING Unsung Heroes: Education scholarship for innovated classroom projects

Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity

MindGear Labs

Crowd-Sourced Fundraising Sites

Crowdfunder

Crowdrise

GoFundMe

Indiegogo

Kickstarter

RocketHub

Budget and Funding Articles and Blog Links

Garcia, L. (2013). 6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace. Edudopia.

Hlubinka, M. B. (2013). Funding School Makerspaces. Make.

Hlubinka. M. B. (2013). Stocking up School Makerspaces. Make.

Mt. Elliott Makerspace. (2013). "Make A Makerspace".

Print and Electronic Resources

Books on Makerspaces

Anderson, C. (2012). Makers: The New Industrial Revolution. New York: Crown.

Frauenfelder, M. (2005). Make: Technology on Your Time. Sebastopol, CA: Dale Dougherty/O'Reilly Media.

Gabrielson, C. (2013). Tinkering: Kids Learning by Making Stuff. Sebastopol, CA : Maker Media

Hatch, M. (2013). The Maker Movement Manifesto: Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters, Hackers, and Tinkerers. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.

Honey, M., & Kanter, D. (2013). Design, Make, Play: Growing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators. New York, NY: Routledge.

Kemp, A. (2013). The Makerspace Workbench: Tools, Technologies, and Techniques for Making. Sebastopol, CA : Maker Media, Inc.

Lang, D. (2013). Zero to Maker: Learn (Just Enough) to Make (Just About) Anything. Sebastopol, CA : Maker Media, Inc.

Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G, (2013). Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Torrance, CA: Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.

Preddy, L. (2013). School Library Makerspaces: Grades 6-12. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Roberts, D. (2010). Making Things Move : DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists. New York : McGraw-Hill

Roslund, S., & Rodgers, E.P. (2013). Makerspaces. Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Publishing.

Books on Arduino and Raspberry Pi

Baichtal, J. (2013). Arduino for Beginners: Essential Skills Every Maker Needs. [S.l.] : Que Publishing.

Margolis, M. (2011). Arduino Cookbook. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

McComb, G. (2013). Arduino Robot Bonanza. New York : McGraw-Hill.

Monk, S. (2013). Raspberry Pi Cookbook. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

O’Neill, T., & Williams, J. (2013). Arduino (21st Century Skills Innovation Library: Makers As Innovators). Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Publishing.

Partner, K. (2013). Raspberry Pi for Beginners. [S.l.] : Dennis Publishing.

Richardson, M., & Wallace, S.P. (2012). Getting Started with Raspberry Pi (Make: Projects). Sebastopol, CA : O'Reilly Media.

Severance, C. R., & Fontichiaro. (2013). Raspberry Pi (Makers As Innovators: 21st Century Skills Innovation Library). Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Publishing.

Electronic Resources

Makerspace. (2012). High School Makerspace Tools & Materials. O'Reilly Media.

Makerspace (2013). Makerspace Playbook. O'Reilly Media.

Makerspace. (2013). Makerspace Playbook: School Edition. Maker Media. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US.

Young Makers. (2012). Maker Club Playbook. O'Reilly Media.

Additional Web Resources

ACRL TechConnect Blog

Arduino.cc

ALA Online Community- Digital Media Labs

ALA Online Community- Makerspaces

Creative Commons

Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century

Fab Central

Hackerspaces Wiki

Institute of Museum and Library Services- Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums

Learning Labs In Libraries and Museums Resource Information

Library as Makerspace Blog

Libraries & Maker Culture: A Resource Guide

MAKE magazine

MakerBot.com

Maker Faire.com

Maker Media.com

Maker Shed

Makered.org

Makerspace.com

Makerspaces and the Participatory Library- Facebook group

Makezine.com

Mt. Elliot Makerspace

Open Education Database (OEDb)- “A Librarian’s Guide to Makerspaces: 16 Resources”

Raspberry Pi.org

ShopBot Tools

SparkFun Electronics

Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning Blog

Teen Makerspaces @ Your Library

The MakerBridge Blog

Thingiverse- "Digital Designs for Physical Objects"

Young Makers.org

YOUmedia Network: Reimagining Learning in the 21st Century

References

Abram, S. (2013). Makerspaces in Libraries, Education, and Beyond. Internet@Schools, 20(2), 18-20.

“About.” The YOUmedia Network. Web. 14 Nov. 2013 www.youmedia.org/youmedia-network

Anythink: A Revolution of Rangeview Libraries. (2013). Anything Brighton Awarded Grant to Design Teen Makerspace. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.anythinklibraries.org/news-item/anythink-brighton-awarded-grant-design-teen-makerspace

Bagley, C. (2012) What is a Makerspace? Creativity in the Library. ALATechsource. Retrieved on November 10, 2013 from http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2012/12/what-is-a-makerspace-creativity-in-the-library.html

Bailey, J. (2012). From Stacks to Hacks: Makerspaces and LibraryBox. Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://metro.org/articles/from-stacks-to-hacks-makerspaces-and-librarybox/

Batykefer, E. (2013). The Youth Maker Library. Voice Of Youth Advocates, 36(3), 20-24.

Behen. L.D. (2013). Recharge Your Library Programs with Pop Culture and Technology: Connect with Today’s Teens. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

Britton, L. (2012). Making Space for Creation, Not Just Consumption. Library Journal. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/

Colegrove, T. (2013). Editorial Board Thoughts: Libraries as Makerspace?. Information Technology & Libraries, 32(1), 2-5.

Davee, S. (2013). Celebrating Our Maker Corps Mentor Class of 2013. Maker Education Initiative: Every Child A Maker. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.makered.org/tag/maker-corps/

Education Innovator. (2013). Maker Education Initiative. Retrieved on November 9, 2013 from http://blog.nwp.org/educatorinnovator/partners/maker-education-initiative/

FAQs. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from Raspberry Pi website: http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs

Garcia, L. (2013). 6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace. Edudopia. Retrieved on November 11, 2013 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/6-strategies-funding-makerspace-paloma-garcia-lopez

Graham, R. (2013). Bring Back Home ec! The Case for a Revival of the Most Retro Class in School. Boston Globe. Retrieved on November 19, 2013 from http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/10/12/bring-back-home/EJJi9yzjgJfNMqxWUIEDgO/story.html?s_campaign=sm_tw.

Hlubinka, M. B. (2013). Funding School Makerspaces. Make. Retrieved on November 11, 2013 from http://makezine.com/2013/09/05/funding-school-makerspaces/

Hlubinka, M. B. (2013). Stocking up School Makerspaces. Make. Retrieved on November 11, 2013 from http://makezine.com/2013/08/21/stocking-up-school-makerspaces/

Houston, C. (2013). Makerspaces @ your school library: Consider the possibilities!. Kentucky Libraries, 77(3): 26-28.

Institute of Museum and Library Services. “National Competition Selects 12 Libraries and Museums to Build Innovative Learning Labs for Teens.” IMLS. Institute of Museum and Library Services, 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. www.imls.gov/national_competition_selects_12_libraries_and_museums_to_build_innovative_learning_labs_for_teens.aspx

Institute of Museum and Library Services. “New Grants Help Museums and Libraries Connect Youth with Friends, Learning, and Mentors to Link Their Passions to Future Success.” IMLS. Institute of Museum and Library Services, 8 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013 www.imls.gov/new_grants_help_museums_and_libraries_connect_youth_with_friends_learning_and_mentors_to_link_their_passions_to_future_success.aspx

Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2012). Talking Points: Museums, Libraries, and Makerspaces. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Makerspaces.pdf

Kroski, E. (2013). A Librarian’s Guide to Makerspace: 16 Resources. Open Education Database (OEDB). Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/a-librarians-guide-to-makerspaces/

“Locations: Learning Labs Project.” The YOUmedia Network. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. www.youmedia.org/locations/learning-labs

Maker Corps. (2013). Maker Education Initiative: Every Child A Maker-Maker Corps. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.makered.org/makercorp

Maker Faire: A Bit of History. (2013). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from Maker Faire website: http://makerfaire.com/makerfairehistory/

Maker Media (2013). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://makermedia.com

Makerspace. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from NSCU Libraries website: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/spaces/makerspace

Manufacturing MAKER SPACES. (2013). American Libraries, 44(1/2), 44.

Markham, D. (2013). Kids' Museum Challenges Throwaway Mentality with Repair Exhibition. Tree Hugger. Retrieved on November 19, 2013 fromhttp://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/kids-museum-challenges-throwaway-mentality-repair-exhibition.html.

Mt. Elliott Makerspace. (2013). Make A Makerspace. Retrieved on November 11, 2013 from http://www.mtelliottmakerspace.com/makeamakerspace/

National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007). Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and Technology. Washington D.C.: National Academies Presses.

Newcombe.P., & Belbin, N. (2012). Fab Labs at the Library: Community ‘Makerspaces’ Give Access to Cutting-Edge Tools. Government Technology. Retrieved on November 9, 2013 from http://www.govtech.com/e-government/Fab-Labs--at-the-Library.html

Obama, B. Remarks by The President at The National Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting. The White House Blog. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-the-National-Academy-of-Sciences-Annual-Meeting

Plemmons, A. (2012). Opening the Space: Making the School Library a Site of Participatory Culture. Knowledge Quest, 41(1), 8-14.

Schulman, K. (2013). White House Hangout: The Maker Movement. The White House Blog. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/27/white-house-hangout-maker-movement

Stoll, C. (2013). Makerspaces: Surveying the Scene in Illinois. ILA Reporter, 31(2), 4-9.

Teen makerspaces @ your library. (2013). Retrieved November 24, 2013, from Teen Librarian Toolbox website: http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2013/08/teen-makerspaces-your-library.html

“The Studio.” Anythink Libraries. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. www.anythinklibraries.org/thestudio

Thomas, A. (2012a). Introducing: Maker Corps. Maker Education Initiative: Every Child A Maker. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.makered.org/introducing-maker-corps/

Thomas, A. (2012b). Maker Corps Empowers The Next Generation of Innovators. Maker Education Initiative: Every Child A Maker. Retrieved on November 8, 2013 from http://www.makered.org/maker-corps-empowers-the-next-generation-of-innovators/

What is Arduino?. (n.d.) Retrieved November 24, 2013 from Arduino website: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Introduction

Wong, T. (2013). MAKERSPACES TAKE LIBRARIES BY STORM. Library Media Connection, 31(6), 34-35.

[Tumblr Transcriber: Camilla Y-B]

#library resource #makerspace #STEAM #Wikispaces #STEM education

0 notes