Special Collections is celebrating the Christmas season with a new exhibit, “From Shrieks to Shenanigans: How to Celebrate a Truly Victorian Christmas.” The Victorians loved Christmas carols and tales of Father Christmas, but their festivities also included jokes, games, and ghost stories. The exhibit, which was curated by Dr. Leslee Thorne-Murphy’s English 236 students, showcases …
Many classic works of literature have been adapted for younger readers over the years. At L. Tom Perry Special Collections, where we have large collections of works by American authors Walt Whitman, Louisa May Alcott, and Herman Melville, we’ve collected numerous picture books adapted from their most famous works, dating all the way back to …
Before the Victorian period, leisure time (and the means to pursue recreation) was largely something only the upper classes could afford. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the middle class was able to pursue recreation — and as a group, they wanted their leisure activities to be moral, respectable, and productive. The Victorian middle class was …
Wordsworth’s poetry was rarely illustrated during his lifetime, but after his death, publishers began issuing collections of his poems accompanied by illustration. Some of Great Britain’s top painters and designers, like Albert Henry Warren, Miles Birket Foster and John McWhirter, provided illustrations for these deluxe editions. Here is a very brief sampling of illustrated Wordsworth …
This week marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of British illustrator John Leech (Aug. 29, 1817). As a teenager, Leech studied medicine, but when his father’s business failed, the young man turned to his first love – drawing – to help support his family. Leech’s first success was producing humorous lithographs in the 1830s. …
This week in 1664, King Louis XIV hosted a multi-day party at Versailles. The festival, called Les Plaisirs de l’Île enchantée [The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island], transformed the grounds of Louis’ not-quite-finished palace into a mythical wonderland. Between May 7 and 13, over 600 invitees were treated to banquets, balls, spectacles, parades, recitals, and …
Special Collections has a complete set of books issued by the Limited Editions Club, a publishing venture founded in 1929 to issue selected literary works in finely printed and illustrated editions. Many famous authors, illustrators, and designers of the 20th century worked on producing these books. Some of the most spectacular of the Limited Editions …
Special Collections’ newest small exhibit, The Tale of Beatrix Potter, commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter. The exhibit, which runs through the end of August, was curated by the Spring/Summer Special Collections interns. Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 in the United Kingdom. In her earliest years, she proved to be …
Special Collections’ newest small exhibit features the work of late 19th/early 20th century illustrator Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). Rackham’s art graced the pages of many beloved works of late Victorian and Edwardian literature, such as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and The Wind in the Willows. Arthur Rackham: His Art and Imagination features over a dozen …
April 23 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Spanish novelist Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. Special Collections holds over a dozen rare copies of Don Quixote in Spanish, French, and English, from early 17th century English translations to fine press versions illustrated by modern artists. Here are some of our favorites! The …