Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Exhibit Preview

The library's summer exhibit opens June 27th and I am happy to give you a sneak peek into the exhibit. Decorated Publishers' Bindings 1840 to 1930: Collections from the State Library of Massachusetts is an exhibition exploring the artistic development of publishers' bindings, their styles and reflections upon the events of the time, with examples from our collections.

At left is one example from the exhibit, which will include over sixty books spanning ninety years of publishing history. The subjects of the books vary widely, including Boston and New England history, the arts, farming, industry, society and travel writing.

Can't wait for the exhibit to open? Check out the library's Flickr set of Decorated Bindings. This set has grown over time, but only six of the books were chosen to be included in the exhibit. Additional images from the summer exhibit will be added to the Flickr set after the exhibit opening. Can you guess which six made the cut?

Image: Adams, John Coleman. Nature Studies in Berkshire. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1899.

- Lacy Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian