Before computers and databases became the norm and not a luxury for libraries, the card catalog was the only way to find what you were looking for. Three and a half inch by five inch index cards with a hole punched on the bottom and information about the book at the top. Small rows of doors stacked chest high would slide out with the smell of age, knowledge, and discovery wafting up as your hand pulled the door. These thick wooden cabinets were one of the few places everyone in library was bound to end up at in some point of their visit.
They could be arranged in different ways, but there was three standards that seemed to prevail. For the direct and focused patron they could find what they wanted in either the author or title search. The other class of search led many patrons, including myself, into a great moments of distraction - the subject search. You could have every intention of doing research "prehistorical cultures" then get sidetracked when you accidentally flipped to "pirates."
It was a familiar sensation staring through the window of Carolina Nitsch Project Room on W. 22nd St. Walking by the exhibit by Matthew Weinstein it appeared to be a collage of index card painted pink and black with figures etched into them.
Upon closer inspection a familiar text and format peaked through the artwork.
To further heighten the sense of nostalgia some of the pieces use layered coloring using crayons that I remember from a grade school project. The bottom layer are rows of bright colors. Oranges, yellows, pinks, reds, violets, and greens in stratified layers. On top of that a thick layers of black to bolt out any hint of the kaleidoscope below. Using a straight pin you would remove the black layer making lines and designs to reveal the radiant colors underneath. While I do remember the technique I do not recall mine looking near as good as Weinstein's.
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