Exhibitions and Events of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library: Spring 2012

English naturalist Mark Catesby (1683-1749) published a groundbreaking two-volume folio study of the flora and fauna of North America beginning in 1732. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands features stunning hand-colored illustrations noteworthy both for their subject matter and for their technique. These images document not only the various species of birds, fish, and wildlife Catesby encountered but, often, the plants or insects associated with them. On display are Penn's two editions: the first (1732-43) and the third (1771), along with full-color reproductions of approximately 40 of Catesby's bird plates. A 2012 thirteen-month wall calendar of Catesby's birds has been produced in conjunction with this exhibition and is available for purchase through the website below.

"Herbert Marcuse taught me that it was possible to be an academic and an activist, a scholar and a revolutionary." Written as a tribute to her teacher – the famous German philosopher who was celebrated as the "Father of the New Left" – Angela Davis composed these words to inspire a new generation of critically engaged intellectuals. Critical Refusals exhibits materials which document the scholarly and activist interventions of Herbert Marcuse and Angela Davis at times of systemic crisis and radical possibility during the past several decades.

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Athough Eugene Ormandy is best remembered for his forty-four-year tenure as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, he was conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Ormandy worked hard to build the orchestra and improve its musicianship, and by 1936, through tours of the East and South and landmark recordings for RCA Victor, he had established an international reputation for the orchestra and positioned himself for his appointment in Philadelphia as Leopold Stokowski's successor.

In 2011, the University of Pennsylvania Libraries acquired a second edition of Francesco Colonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (Venice, 1545), often considered the most beautiful book to appear in the Italian Renaissance. In this symposium, Penn faculty and regional scholars will explore the beauty, meaning, and mysteries contained within the book's text and images. Topics to be addressed include the book's publishing history; gardens and landscape architecture; classical inscriptions and ruins; the language of the text and its sources; and the continuing influence of the Hypnerotomachia on graphic design.

Drawing upon the collection of Karen and Howard Schwartz, this exhibition explores the revolution in observational science facilitated by the invention of the microscope in the late 1600s. It will also emphasize the many ways in which the microscope entered popular culture over the following centuries as a source of instruction and entertainment for a broad public. Displays include rare books, engravings, broadsides, colored images, and a selection from the Schwartzes' collection of antique microscopes.

Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin (University of Greifswald, Germany) will present an illustrated lecture about the work of German Protestant theologian and scholar Gustaf Dalman (1855-1941). Dalman pioneered a massive early twentieth-century effort to collect artifacts and images relating to the Holy Land. Dr. Kokin will also discuss current efforts to catalogue and digitize the Dalman Collection.

Sicily has long been renowned for the quality and diversity of its cakes, pastries, and confections. A result of the early Saracen domination of the island and their introduction of refined sugar, Sicily was one of the first places in Europe to develop the art of confectionery. Many of these sweets still survive in the form of cannoli, candied fruits and even vegetables, and sweets based on almonds and pistachios (another Arab introduction). Where Saracen pastry cooks left off, monastic bakeries quickly followed; each had a sweet specialty. During the nineteenth century, Swiss confectioners arrived in Sicily, bringing with them new techniques and chocolate. The pastry shops of contemporary Sicily embrace remnants of all these traditions and still produce an astounding array of sweets unequaled elsewhere.

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Free and open to the public. RSVPs appreciated but not required. Please email rbml@pobox.upenn.edu

In honor of our colleague Dr. Daniel Traister on the occasion of his retirement, the University of Pennsylvania Libraries will host a symposium examining the worlds of librarians and scholars, and how they intersect with each other. Themes to be addressed by speakers include the history of collections and collecting, encyclopedism, curiousity, and changes in scholarly and library practices in the digital age. Crossing disciplines and time periods, these themes reflect the broad interests that Dr. Traister has brought to his own work at institutions including Penn, the New York Public Library, and Rare Book School.

Ray Evans (W'36) was the lyricist for one of Hollywood's most successful songwriting teams in the decades following World War II. This exhibition tells the story of Evans's remarkable career in Hollywood by focusing on the seven songs nominated for an Oscar from 1945 to 1964.

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In light of the increasing interest in food studies at Penn and in Philadelphia, Penn Libraries is sponsoring the Muriel Pfaelzer Bodek Public Affairs Lecture Series focusing on food policy in the 21st century. The speakers, experts in their fields, will address issues relating to global food security, sustainable agriculture, and food waste in America.

The Gallery Hop begins at the Arthur Ross Gallery and includes a stop at the Kamin Gallery, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, to view the exhibition Wonders of the Microscope. A curator will be at each exhibition site. The Hop concludes at the Institute of Contemporary Art with hors d'oeuvres and dessert.

Join Penn Libraries for a program and reception featuring the collection of music legend Ray Evans.