-Almanacs

Before the invention of satellite weather forecasts, climate and weather predictions were made and distributed through almanacs. On display is the earliest almanac in Lehigh’s collection, detailing astronomical observations, weather predictions, and government court information for New England. This almanac was created by a self-taught astronomer who would later become a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Also on display is a later almanac with hand written marginalia commenting on daily weather predictions. This almanac also provides advice on alcohol consumption, cursing, and other ways to behave properly. Almanacs are worth keeping as they were one of the most widely read and used publications of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, almanacs were often deemed useless after the year for which they were created as the data they contained would become outdated. Much like magazines, almanacs can tell modern researchers about the common concerns of their publishers and readers.