In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the John Hay Library, a new exhibit showcasing highlights from the library's collection is on display in the David Winton Bell Gallery.
"Pictures from the Hay: Celebrating the John Hay Library at 100" features some of the rare books, engravings, carvings and photographs usually hidden away in the Hay's archives.
According to Maya Allison, a curator at the Bell Gallery, the exhibit was planned as a collaboration between the library and the gallery. Allison said Jo-Ann Conklin, director of the Bell Gallery, worked closely with the specialized librarians of the Hay to select appropriate pieces for the show that would highlight the diversity and uniqueness the trove of exceptional books has to offer.
The Hay houses the University's compilation of rare books and manuscripts, the University archives and several other prominent collections including the Abraham Lincoln Collection and the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, which showcases one of the world's largest sets of toy soldiers. This quirky combination of objects sets the stage for a seemingly never-ending array of entertainment for resident bibliophiles.
The Bell Gallery has taken selections from each collection and created an enticing glimpse into a unique world of paper and pen. Allison said she hopes this exhibit will inspire students to walk around the corner and explore the Hay for themselves.
The expert librarians at the Hay serve almost as curators over their collections, Allison said. With their intimate knowledge of the Hay collection, the librarians were also essential in the process of selecting works to display, advising Conklin and the other curators on which pieces would be appropriate and interesting. The result is a thematically organized display with six sections, each drawing on material from collections within the library.
The Sciences section, for example, includes a copy of Galileo's "Dialogo," which has recently been thought to contain marginal annotations by the scientist himself. This amazing discovery stands beside engravings by Swiss naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, antique Chinese diagnostic dolls and other writings and visual studies by scientists the world over.
Other highlights include a scrapbook kept by political cartoonist Thomas Nast; a copy of "Three Poems" by Octavio Paz, which includes lithographs by Robert Motherwell; and several interactive displays, including a digitized version of a paper doll.
Because the exhibit is so varied, even those well acquainted with the Hay archives should be able to find something new. "One librarian worked (at the Hay) for 25 years, and there were things she'd never seen before on display," Allison said.
Every piece in the exhibit is a one-of-a-kind work with the potential to induce curiosity and wonder. The Hay may be the one celebrating a birthday, but it seems it's also the one giving out the gifts.
"Pictures at the Hay" will be on exhibit through Oct. 31 at the David Winton Bell Gallery.
