Mortimer Rare Book Room: Past Exhibitions | Smith College Libraries



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Past Exhibitions & Events

PAST EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS IN THE LIBRARY

Following is a list of past exhibitions of manuscripts, rare books, and contemporary book arts that were shown in three places in Neilson Library: in the Morgan Gallery on the main floor, in the Book Arts Gallery on the third floor, and in the Mortimer Rare Book Room vestibule.

2009

	Unconquered by Flames:The Literary Lights of Yaddo August - October, 2009 An exhibition celebrating the talents of writers Lola Ridge, Sylvia Plath, Constance Carrier and scholar Newton Arvin, Neilson Library.
	"Dearest Marty": Letters from Sylvia Plath May 14 - July 31, 2009 Letters from Sylvia Plath to her college friend Marcia Brown Stern were on display in the Mortimer Rare Book Room.
	The Meandering Thread: The Work of Enid Mark '54 May 14 - July 31, 2009 An exhibition of the work of Enid Mark who studied literature and art at Smith College and later became a creator of artist's books.
	Darwin & Lincoln: Two 19th-Century Giants January 27 - May 8, 2009 An exhibition heralding the 200th anniversary of the births of these two notable figures of the nineteenth century.

2008

	Inspired Design: The Mentoring Stamp August 10 - December 20, 2008 This set book exhibition featured bindings by members of the New England Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. A fully-illustrated catalogue is available for sale. Order form.
	Werner Pfeiffer: Book-Objects & Artist Books April 1 - July 31, 2008 The exhibition featured 39 objects made by Pfeiffer using real books. View a video clip of the opening reception and book assemblage from April 3.
	Sylvia Plath 75th Year Symposium at Smith College April 25 - 26, 2008 Several of Plath’s friends read and reflected upon letters they received from Plath, sharing their insight with the audience. View a video from the panel discussion. Order notecards or a poster.
	Exhibit Honoring Frank Ellis January - March, 2008 Legendary Professor Emeritus of English Language and Literature and generous library supporter passed away in November 2007.

2007

	“Step by Step: Photographs from Walking Unidos” by Stephen Petegorsky February 5 - March 23, 2008 Images by Northampton photographer to raise awareness about land mine victims in Central America.
	Staff Picks: Library staff and student favorites from the Mortimer Rare Book Room February 5 - March 23, 2008 An exhibition of Library staff and student favorites.
	Poetic Science: Bookbindings by Daniel E. Kelm September 10, 2007 - January 21, 2008 The first solo exhibition featuring twenty-four bookbindings of the Easthampton-based artist.
	The World in a Garden: Botanical Books & Prints April 2 - July 15, 2007 An exhibition featuring many notable books in the history of botany in honor of the retirement of C. John Burk, professor of botany & biology, 1961-2007.
	Printing the Greeks: Technical & Aesthetic Considerations January 25 - March 25, 2007 An exhibition curated by Elaine Chan '07 of classical and Christian texts, ranging in date from 1482 to 2003, and printed using various designs or fonts of Greek types.

2006

	Claire Van Vliet & The Janus Press: 50 Years August 5 - October 31, 2006 An exhibition featuring books and broadsides published by Janus Press in the collections of the Mortimer Rare Book Room. Janus Press was founded by Claire Van Vliet in 1995. A catalogue, The Janus Press: Fifty Years, is for sale in the Mortimer Rare Book Room.
	Drawing from the Past: Maya Antiquity through the Eyes of Frederick Catherwood March 15 - July 31, 2006 An exhibition, available online, of lithographs from Frederick Catherwood's Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan (1844) curated by students in the First Year Seminar, “Making Sense of the Pre-Columbian".
	Poetics of Color: Books by Anne Walker November 8, 2005-February 28, 2006 An exhibition of more than 30 “painted books” recently presented to the Mortimer Rare Book Room at Smith College

2005

	Paper, Bone, Vellum, Stone: Bookworks by Susan Barron September 6 - October 28 2005 Artist's book exploring language and its relationship to music, to image and to the natural world.
	Letterforms as Design April - August 15 2005 Books, prints, and manuscripts from the Mortimer Rare Book Room, and addressing issues of legibility and the historical precedents of the forms of the western alphabet.

	The Artists Book in the 20th Century April - August 15 2005 An exhibition curated by students as part of the final project for the course “The Artists Book in the 20th Century,” taught in the fall of 2004 in the Mortimer Rare Book Room by curator Martin Antonetti.

	Japanese Picture Books from the Collection of George Cash January-February 2005 Books from George Cash's collection of Japanese Picture books (ehon) containing woodcut images by popular ukiyo-e artists.

2004

	Handmade Paper & Hand Papermaking Portfolios November-December 2004 This exhibition showcased six portfolios of handmade papers published between 1994 and 2003 by Hand Papermaking, Inc.

	Girl Printers January 14 - March 28, 2004 An invitational show featuring printing, books & ephemera. "Made by hand, made by machine, made with humor & passion" Curated by Carol J. Blinn, proprietor of Warwick Press, Easthampton, MA, assisted by Meg Sanders.

2003

May through Sept 15 2003	Woolf in the World: A Pen and A Press of Her Own A major exhibition of Virginia Woolf's manuscripts and Hogarth Press first editions from the Frances Hooper '14 and Elizabeth Power Richardson '43 collections in the Mortimer Rare Book Room (Book Arts gallery only)
May through Sept 15 2003	A Story of Their Own: Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Gloria Steinem Using original manuscripts and published biographies, this exhibition examines the various ways women's lives are portrayed (Mortimer Rare Book Room)
May through Sept 15 2003	"Her Novels Make Mine Possible": Virginia Woolf's Influence on Sylvia Plath Curated by Amanda Golden, MA, University of Massachusetts (Mortimer Rare Book Room entrance)
Sept 20 through October	Holding On. Holding In. The Artist’s Books of Martha A. Hall (’71) A personal statement on the therapeutic value of art; one alumna’s artistic response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (Morgan Gallery & Book Arts Gallery)
October through December	Staff Visions Art Exhibition An annual exhibition of arts and crafts created by Smith College Staff members (Morgan Gallery & Book Arts Gallery)

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Last Updated: November 12, 2009