Are books always at the top of your Christmas gift list? If so, you’ll want to take a look at two of Special Collections’ small rotating exhibits. Fine Printing: The Next Generation’s Heirlooms showcases the work of contemporary printers who value traditional methods and produce amazing, well-crafted and expertly-designed books using high-quality materials. These books …
Just in time for summer vacation, we’d like to feature one of Special Collections’ newest acquisitions: an optical toy, or “peep egg.” The peep egg is small, about 4.5” high, and made out of an opaque alabaster which lets light in. Looking through the glass viewer on top reveals three small scenes of Weston-Super-Mare, a …
With all eyes on London for the 2012 Olympics, England’s capital is showcasing the world’s athletic achievements. In 1851, London hosted a world’s fair to highlight cultures and industries. An enormous glass and cast-iron building known as the Crystal Palace was erected in London’s Hyde Park to house the fair. The Great Exhibition brought together …
The History of Printing Collection contains examples of works by some of the top illustrators and book artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Arthur Rackham, Walter Crane, Beatrix Potter, Sir John Tenniel, George Cruikshank, and Aubrey Beardsley. Special Collections owns some especially fine examples of works by three of the leading …