Archived Exhibitions

1864: Year of Destiny (Archived)

The year 1864 was a pivotal one in the American Civil War and the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The Union Army had achieved decisive victories in the July 1863 Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg and in March 1864, President Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant commander in chief of all Union armies. Under Grant’s leadership, Union forces won battle after battle culminating in General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Savannah campaign, famously known as Sherman’s march to the sea.

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) (Archived)

Amiri Baraka, known early in his career as LeRoi Jones, was one of the most widely published African-American writers, producing provocative poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism. This exhibit highlights Baraka’s work.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: 50th Anniversary (Archived)

The 1963 March on Washington marked a watershed for this growing movement social movement. This exhibition explores the background, passage, and legacy of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, with particular emphasis on conditions in Delaware.

Nothing is True, Everything Is Permitted: William S. Burroughs at 100 (Archived)

2014 marks the centenary of the birth of the grandfather of the Beats, el hombre invisible, the gentleman junkie: William S. Burroughs (1914-1997).

JFK: Poets Remember (Archived)

When Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, professional and amateur poets immediately began writing verses that expressed the shock and despair shared by millions. A similar thing had happened in 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln was shot to death by actor John Wilkes Booth.

Mario Vargas Llosa: Nobel Laureate (Archived)

The exhibit documents Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas llosa’s literary and political contribution before, during, and after the Latin American Boom. The exhibition displays the author’s key literary publications.

Henry Morris, Printer: The Life and Times of The Bird & Bull Press (Archived)

Throughout his career Henry Morris has printed books which are renowned both for their aesthetic qualities and for the value of their textual content. Early this year (2013), Henry Morris announced his retirement, bringing a close to the Bird & Bull Press. This exhibition celebrates Henry Morris’s long and productive career.

Books Acquired in Memory of William W. Swayze, III (Archived)

As a result of a generous donation from the Delaware Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the University of Delaware Library has acquired a collection of more than seventy historic Civil War era pamphlets and other publications which will be designated in memory of William W. Swayze, III.

In Memoriam: June D. MacArtor, Esquire, Delaware’s Environmental Guardian (Archived)

One of Delaware’s first twenty-five women lawyers, June D. MacArtor (June 3, 1930 – June 13, 2013) leaves a legacy of ardent environmental stewardship and is credited with establishing a body of state court case law supporting coastal zone management and protection of public lands from encroachments.

Earth Perfect: Selections from Special Collections and the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection (Archived)

Earth Perfect: Selections from Special Collections and the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection” is an exhibition of prints, books, artwork, trade catalogs, and sample books that was on display in conjunction with the University of Delaware symposium Earth Perfect?: Nature, Utopia and the Garden.

Fighting for Equality: Remembering Littleton P. Mitchell (Archived)

The items on display highlight the activities of Littleton “Lit” Mitchell as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, his three-decades-long leadership of the Delaware NAACP, his career as a teacher and counselor at Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City, and his involvement in several other local and national organizations.

National Poetry Month: Celebrating the Poetry of Rita Dove (Archived)

This exhibition highlights poetry’s ongoing legacy and numerous cultural achievements of American Poets. In 1996, the Academy of American Poets established the month of April as National Poetry Month to emphasize poetry and its place in American Culture. In 2013, University of Delaware celebrated the poetry of Rita Dove.

Women’s History Month 2013: Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (Archived)

Women’s History Month raises awareness of the essential and influential roles women play in the development of our shared history. The theme for 2013 was Each year, the National Women’s History Project identifies a theme that highlights the myriad ways in which women have contributed to community-building and nation-building. This exhibition reflects Delaware women’s contribution in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: Black History Month 2013 (Archived)

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has dedicated Black History Month 2013 to commemorate two important anniversaries, the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and the fiftieth of the March on Washington. This exhibition celebrates the people who advocated for black emancipation, freedom, justice and equality, and the movements that have sought to achieve these goals.

In Focus: Photography from Daguerreotype to Digital (Archived)

The exhibition In Focus: Photography from Daguerreotype to Digital reflects the technological evolution of photographic processes from 1839 until the present, at the same time presenting themes of photography as an indelible artistic, documentary, social, scientific and educational force since its inception. This online exhibition represents a walk-through of the Special Collections Gallery exhibition. Several themes were interpreted in the gallery, and many types of processes and prints were represented throughout.

Emancipation Proclamation and Its Legacies (Archived)

The exhibition is a documentation of the Emancipation Proclamation and its legacy. It highlights people, organizations, and published material relating to life before and after the proclamation.

This exhibition was originally on display in the Lincoln Case on the second floor of Morris Library from January 22-June 3, 2013.

The World of the Graphic Novel (Archived)

This exhibition illustrates the evolution of the graphic novel in terms of genre. No longer the super hero comic of yesterday, authors have branched out to other fictional literary themes and non-fictional topics such as race, historical events, social commentary, and self reflection.

Credits and Debits: Viewing History through Account Books and Ledgers (Archived)

The nearly 150 volumes comprising the Account Books and Ledgers collection in the Special Collections of the University of Delaware Library provide more than simply financial information about the businesses or individuals that maintained them. Readers can also learn about the day–to–day existence of the people whose names appear in the volumes, including their professions, what they ate, how they dressed, and where they lived or visited.

Remembering The Attack On Pearl Harbor (Archived)

Thomas Francis Jones, Sr., a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, served in the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1937–1940, after which he served in the United States Army Coast Artillery. Jones enrolled in the United States Army and was stationed in Hawaii as a member of Battery C, 15th Coast Artillery. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Private First Class from the Army on July 12, 1945. Many of the items collected by Mr. Jones during his service in the Army, while stationed in Hawaii and during the war, were donated to the University of Delaware Library by his family in February 2012, some of which were displayed in this exhibit.

John Munroe: Delaware Historian (Archived)

Dr. John A. Munroe (1914–2006) was a noted authority on Delaware history and a highly regarded educator who spent over 60 years on the faculty of the University of Delaware. The Wilmington native was also an alumnus, receiving his B.A. in 1936 and his M.A. in 1941. The University of Delaware named Dr. Munroe the H. Rodney Sharp Professor of History in 1962. Over the course of his career he also acted as head of the History Department, co–founded the Hagley Fellowship, and assisted with the establishment of the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. The exhibit displayed his professional achievements through a photograph and his published material.

Casablanca: 70th Anniversary (Archived)

This exhibition is in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Casablanca, one of America’s greatest and most beloved films. or seventy years Casablanca has captivated movie–goers with its timeless themes of love, courage, and sacrifice as experienced through the lives of its characters.

Mario Vargas Llosa (Archived)

Mario Vargas Llosa was born in 1936 in Arequipa, Peru. His diverse body of work includes more than thirty novels, plays, literary criticism, political essays, and other works of non–fiction. Latin American society and politics are central themes in Vargas Llosa’s works. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010.

Motoring Into Archives Month (Archived)

American Archives Month is a collaborative effort by professional organizations and repositories around the nation to highlight the importance of records of enduring value. For 2012, the University of Delaware Special Collections exhibit was “Motoring into Archives Month” with selections that highlight early automobiles and their drivers in Delaware and beyond.

Congress Week 2012: Congress: Chosen by the People: Selections from the Willard Saulsbury, Jr., Papers (Archived)

The selections for the exhibition are from Willard Saulsbury Jr., the last U.S. senator selected by the Delaware state legislature before direct popular elections enacted by the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1913.

Zines! Self-Publishing Youth Culture, Then and Now (Archived)

A form of self–publication, zines are amateur–produced, small–circulation magazines, typically created and distributed by one or two individuals.  Zines are created using cheap, readily–available materials such as staples, tape, and photocopies. Zines often feature amateur artwork or a mash–up of images appropriated from popular culture.

Perfecting Nature: Medicine, Metallurgy & Mysticism (Archived)

Throughout the ancient and medieval time periods, the study and practice of alchemy was deeper and more complex than just the pursuit of turning lead into gold. Alchemy has a long, intricate history that is multifaceted and mysterious. It is both a scientific exploration of chemical substances and a spiritual philosophy seeking personal transformation. There have been approximately four thousand printed books issued between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as several thousand manuscripts, letters and other writings in museums, libraries and private collections all over the world.

Delaware Beaches: Tales from the Deep End (Archived)

Local legends and folklore have historical and cultural significance, and are an intrinsic part of a community’s identity. These stories spark intrigue and curiosity, as well as, provide insight into the past. This exhibition features books that focus on true stories of shipwrecks off the Delaware coast, legends about the Delaware Cape and local lore surrounding the shores of Delaware.

The American Revolution: A War for Independence (Archived)

This exhibition highlights Delaware residents, John Dickinson, Thomas McKean, Charles Herbert, and Ceasar Rodney who were actively involved in the American Revolution, fighting for the colonies’ independence. This exhibit features letters, journals, and pamphlets from these men as well as popular pamphlets of the period.

A Glimpse into the Future Dark: George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (Archived)

First published on June 9, 1949, Nineteen Eighty–Four explored themes of war, nationalism, censorship, and state–sponsored surveillance, as seen through the eyes of a citizen in the totalitarian state of Oceania. Since its publication, the novel has been translated into dozens of languages and adapted into several film, radio, and television productions. Terms such as “Big Brother”, “Newspeak”, and “thoughtcrime” have become synonymous with authoritarian ideals and political manipulation.

The Kelmscott Chaucer (Archived)

William Morris (1834–1896), poet, social reformer, and a leading figure in the Pre–Raphaelite movement, founded the Kelmscott Press in 1891. William Morris’ work had an enormous and beneficial effect on the printers of his time. He led the way back to using unified typography, and he reinstated the book illustrated by one artist and conforming to an overall design.

Virginia Spencer Carr, 1929-2012: A Biographer’s Work (Archived)

Virginia Spencer Carr, the noted literary biographer whose papers are held by the University of Delaware Library, died on April 10, 2012, at her home in Lynn, Massachusetts. Carr’s award-winning 1975 biography of Carson McCullers, the darkly Southern writer of novels and stories featuring memorably isolated characters, was meticulously researched and remains the standard biography of McCullers.

Through the Years: The University of Delaware Through the Yearbooks (Archived)

The first yearbook was published by Delaware College in 1899 as the Aurora. The Blue Hen title was adopted in 1911. Until the implementation of co–education in 1945, the Blue Hen included only the all–male Delaware College. The yearbook of the Women’s College of Delaware, which began operation in 1914, was called the Blue and Gold. In 1946, the Blue Hen became the official yearbook of the newly co–educational institution. In 1948, the Blue Hen began annual publication that continued until it ceased production in 1999.

The War of 1812: America’s Forgotten War (Archived)

The year 2012 marks the two–hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812, which was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire from 1812 to 1815.

Enjoy Magic With Warner Perry (Archived)

Clarence Warner Perry, Jr. (1921–1997) was a lifelong magic enthusiast and an amateur magician. The Warner Perry Collection was donated to the University of Delaware by the estate of Warner Perry and consists of Perry’s personal collection of printed books about stage magic and his own personal papers which documents his own magic practice.

J.M.G. Le Clezio: An Exhibition (Archived)

J.M.G. Le Clézio won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008. In its citation, the Swedish Academy praised Mr. Le Clézio as “an author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy” as well as “the explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization”.

Women’s Education–Women’s Empowerment: Celebrating Women’s History Month (Archived)

The theme for 2012 is “Women’s Education–Women’s Empowerment,” which recognizes the essential role higher education has played in granting women political, economic, and social agency–and the biases, stereotypes, and pseudoscience women have faced to be educated equally with men.

Dickens and the Late Victorians Selections from the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection (Archived)

This exhibition illustrates the literary and artisitc works of Charles Dickens, his contributors, and admirers from the Mark Lasner collection.

Celebrating Black Women in American Culture and History: Black History Month 2012 (Archived)

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has dedicated Black History Month 2012 to exploring African American women’s roles in and contributions to American history. In the face of extreme challenges and oppression due to both their race and gender, these Black female Americans made lasting contributions to American society, politics, history and culture for which we celebrate them.

Dickens at 200: 1812-2012 (Archived)

Victorian novelist Charles Dickens achieved literary super-stardom in his own lifetime and remains widely popular 200 years after his birth. Although he never publicly discussed it, he never forgot the financial instability of his childhood which temporarily led to debtor’s prison for his father and a factory job for the 12–year–old Charles. Beginning as a young man, Dickens’s walked for miles in the city, developing an intimate familiarity with not only the kinds of people who lived there, but London itself.

J. Saunders Redding (Archived)

This exhibition celebrates the life and career of prominent African American author, critic, and educator J. Saunders Redding.

Edith Wharton: Celebrating 150 Years (Archived)

2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of American author Edith Wharton (January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937). Born into a prominent, wealthy, New York City family; throughout her life she rebelled against the high–society leisure lifestyle. Wharton often wrote critically about the societal norms of the upper–class to which she was subjected. Many of her works are well–known for the main characters suffering twists of fate and devastating irony. The exhibition features special copies and best known works.

A Chill in the Air: A Wintry Mix from Special Collections (Archived)

As nature retreats, temperatures fall, and days grow short, winter’s extremes inspire artists and writers alike. More than any other, too, the winter season brings friends and families together. Enjoy a selection of printed works from Special Collections that highlights the beauty of the season.

Coach Dave Nelson: A Tradition of Excellence (Archived)

This exhibition celebrates the career of renowned football rules authority and former University of Delaware coach David M. Nelson.

American Archives Month: The “Merci” Train (Archived)

In the aftermath of WWII, individual French citizens donated enough gifts to fill 49 boxcars, which were then shipped to the United States. Each state received a boxcar from the “Merci Train,” with Hawaii (then a territory) and Washington, D.C., sharing one. A selection of the gifts from Delaware’s boxcar were given directly to the University. Over time the whereabouts of many of the “Merci Train” gifts have been lost, but three of Delaware’s gifts remain in the holdings of the University of Delaware Library’s Special Collections Department (MSS 440). On display are three manuscripts of local history and geography produced by A. Carriere of Millau, Aveyron, France, as well as a letter expressing the thanks of the author and the people of that region.

Congress Week 2011: Congress: Of the People, By the People, For the People: Selections from the Papers of the Hon. Michael N. Castle (Archived)

This selection of documents from the papers of the Hon. Michael N. Castle (U.S. House of Representatives, 1993-2011) illustrates the range of duties performed by a member of Congress: voting, responding to constituent concerns, participating in hearings, serving on committees, providing government oversight, making public statements on the Floor of Congress, and making laws.

Mediamorphosis: Periodicals Across the Pond (Archived)

Periodicals Across the Pond” is an exhibition of magazines and print ephemera from the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection and the University of Delaware Library’s Department of Special Collections that was on display Friday, September 9, 2011, in conjunction with the University of Delaware symposium “Mediamorphosis.”

A Decade of Donors: 2000-2010 (Archived)

From its very earliest days, the University of Delaware Library has benefited from the generosity of both monetary gifts and donations of materials, including rare books and manuscripts. Many of Special Collections’ most unique items have been gifts, and without the munificence of donors, these items could not have been otherwise acquired.

International Year of Chemistry 2011 (Archived)

The International Year of Chemistry is a year-long, world-wide celebration of the history and achievements in the field of chemistry which is sponsored by IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Fresh From The Garden: Seed Catalogs In Special Collections (Archived)

Special Collections’ holdings in seed catalogs comprise the serial publications of over 700 American and European seed houses and nurseries from the late eighteenth century to the present, with a concentration in the years between 1870 and 1930. These catalogs are just one part of Special Collections outstanding historical horticulture collection.

American Military Pocket Atlas (Archived)

The American Military Pocket Atlas was printed at the onset of the American Revolution to provide British officers with an accurate and portable atlas of all likely theaters of operation in the colonies. Officers would have carried the map into combat either in their pocket or in a holster. As originally issued, the maps would fold in and out of the bound volume, so as to allow for ease of transport; conservation treatment has since required that they be removed from the volume.

Selections from the Otto C. Rentner, Lincoln and Civil War Literature Collection (Archived)

This exhibition celebrates the 2010 gift of the Otto C. Rentner Lincoln and Civil War Literature Collection by his granddaughter and son-in-law, Fran and David Lupardus. The Rentner Collection contains a variety of books, journals, and ephemera focusing on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. The collection is particularly strong for books published in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

400 Years Of The King James Bible (Archived)

The year 2011 marks the four-hundredth anniversary of the printing of the King James Bible. Seven years in the making, the King James Bible was the product of six teams of approximately forty-seven translators drawn from Cambridge, Oxford and Westminster Abbey who represented some of the nation’s best scholarly minds. The volume in this exhibit is a copy of the second printing of the King James Bible.

Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor Typescripts (Archived)

In this exhibition, three versions of the script from the University of Delaware Library Special Collections’ Richard Hoffman — Neil Simon collection are on display: a first draft dated “Spring of 1973,” a final draft dated November 27, 1973, and an undated copy of the screenplay which was produced by the Public Broadcasting Service in 1978 starring Edward Asner, Richard Chamberlain and Marsha Mason.

Global Astronomy Month: One People, One Sky (Archived)

The exhibit features three books on how astronomers shared ideas, observations, findings and theories (even if not always correct) throughout the centuries, building upon each other’s work to make important contributions of their own. The two manuscripts on display are evidence of the enduring and pervasive fascination that studying the sky has had on amateur astronomers and enthusiasts.

From the Past, for the Future: Celebrating Women’s History Month With Selection from Special Collections (Archived)

Poetry Slams: Where Artistic Verbal Creations Compete (Archived)

Slam poetry is a form of spoken word performance poetry, held at a competitive poetry event or ‘slam’. Poets perform their own work which is “judged” on a numeric scale by randomly picked members of the audience. This exhibition highlights slam poetry’s founding father, publicity, women’s contribution to the art and specific poets.

Playwrights, Production and Performance: American Theater in the 20th Century (Archived)

As a powerful and often overlooked medium in a technology driven-world, theater has consistently challenged social, political and cultural norms. Theater played an important role in these movements.  Most playwrights did not limit themselves to one style of writing or participating in only one movement.  The playwrights celebrated in this exhibit experimented not only with their own writing, but also with pushing the limits of what the theater was capable of being.

A State Divided: Delaware During the Civil War (Archived)

During the Civil War, Delaware was one of five border states—in addition to Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and later West Virginia—slave states that remained in the Union but bordered states that joined the Confederacy. Delaware represented a microcosm of the nation as a whole on matters of states’ rights, slavery, and support for the Union cause. The exhibit reflects Delaware’s unique position during the Civil War through letters, sermons, speeches, lithographs, photographs and books.

January 17, 2011: The 25th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Archived)

The exhibit features a version of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is a limited edition that features eight serigraph prints created by artist Faith Ringgold. The inspirational text of King’s letter is interspersed with Ringgold’s unique and colorful illustrations. Ringgold’s serigraphs depict examples of key issues that prompted the necessity of the Civil Rights movement and highlight significant events of the Civil Rights movement, commented on by King in the letter.

Archives Month 2010: Making Connections: Archives and Imagination (Archived)

The Archives Month theme for 2010 is “Making Connections: Archives and Imagination.” Archivists/Librarians assist people from all walks of life to find historical information by knowing collections of original records and by identifying data that may be unknown to the researcher. Thus, they lead the way in exploring the connections among data and documents in researching historical records.

From Oxford to Narnia: The Literary World of C.S. Lewis (Archived)

This exhibition documents the life and career of C.S Lewis. Lewis’s best-loved books, The Chronicles of Narnia children’s series, has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first published in 1950 at a time when children’s literature was dominated by realism. The Narnia books, with portals to imaginary lands, talking animals and trees, giants, fauns, magic, and the lion Aslan, helped restore fantasy as a popular genre for children.

Congress Week 2010: Main Street to Capitol Hill (Archived)

The University of Delaware Library joins the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress to celebrate the first annual Congress Week, September 13-17, 2010. “Main Street to Capitol Hill” recognizes the American voices which are so richly documented in the personal papers of members of Congress found in archives and libraries across the country.

London Bound: American Writers in Britain, 1870-1916 (Archived)

To be “London Bound” was common among turn-of-the-century authors on the other side of the Atlantic. Whether they were American, Canadian, or even Cuban, many made the voyage to Britain, either for short visits or to settle there permanently as expatriates—in some cases, binding themselves to their new homes through marriage to English spouses. Many, too, sent their plays to West End theatre producers, their articles to British periodicals, and their manuscripts to London publishing firms, which issued them as bound books.

Utilizing Wind To Generate Electricity: A Developing Alternative Power Source On The East Coast (Archived)

This exhibition includes information on the economic climate and financial investment required to establish and sustain wind power plants and transmission systems, the technology and engineering concepts to make the process of electricity production and distribution work, wind power’s effect on the environment and human health, and how individuals and organizations during the last century and a half achieved these breakthroughs.

Contemporary African American Literature from the Richard Hoffman Collection (Archived)

In celebration of Black History month (February 2010) the exhibition “Contemporary African American Literature from the Richard Hoffman Collection,” will be on display through June 29, 2010. The exhibition is drawn entirely from material donated by Richard Hoffman, a Brooklyn-based collector and book dealer who assembled a number of literary collections over a period of many years.

Games People Play: A Historical Perspective (Archived)

The exhibition, “Games People Play,” in the Special Collections Exhibition Gallery of the Morris Library will highlight books and manuscripts about sports and games from a historical perspective.

ABC: An Alphabet Exhibition (Archived)

This exhibition in the Special Collections Gallery of the Morris Library displays a wide range of books with an alphabet theme. Included are typography books, calligraphy and writing manuals, children’s books, fine press and artists’ books, and miniature books.

Abraham Lincoln: A Bicentennial Celebration (Archived)

The exhibition in the Morris Library celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Books, manuscripts, photographs, and artwork from Special Collections will be on display.

Building The Future, Remembering The Past: Fifty Years of the University of Delaware Library Associates (Archived)

The exhibition in the Morris Library celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the friends of the library. Examples of important gifts in literature, history, science and art are displayed. Of special interest is a fifteenth-century illuminated manuscript Book of Hours acquired especially for the Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration.

Little Known Histories of Newark, Delaware, 1758-2008: An Exhibition (Archived)

Though still considered a small town in 2008 with a permanent population under 30,000, Newark’s history of growth and change since 1758 is a reflection of significant developments in the history of many American cities over the last 250 years.

The Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy: An Exhibition (Archived)

The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the attempt on the life of Secretary of State William H. Seward, the activities of the conspirators, and the investigation and trials which followed are among the most heavily documented events in history. The Lincoln Collection houses a wealth of material on all of these topics.

Ishmael Reed: An Exhibition (Archived)

Ishmael Reed: An Exhibition celebrates the literary career of the distinguished American author Ishmael Reed. The University of Delaware Library is the official repository for the papers of Ishmael Reed and the exhibit includes books, original manuscripts, photographs, artwork, and other materials drawn from the extensive collection of the author’s books and literary papers in Special Collections.

Avant-Garde Typography in Literature (Archived)

Typography has been used for thousands of years to elucidate and expand upon the narrative of a literary text. From the “shape poems” of the ancient Greeks and the Elizabethans to the well-known playfulness of E.E. Cummings, how a text looks has been as important as what it “means.” This exhibition presents a brief overview of various forms of typographical artistry and innovation.

The Animal Kingdom: Six Centuries of Zoological Illustration (Archived)

“The Animal Kingdom: Six Centuries of Zoological Illustration” is based on the superb collection of books in Special Collections containing scientific and artistic images of animals dating from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries. The exhibition includes images of animals from early printed herbals and travel books of the sixteenth century.

From Verne to Vonnegut: A Century of Science Fiction (Archived)

This exhibit highlights notable authors, works, and themes of science fiction from the 15th century to the 21st.

The American Photographer As Historian (Archived)

As witness to history, photographers endure glorious and unforeseen obstacles to capture a moment that would otherwise be lost. The preservation of a small or monumental instance is the backbone of this visual media. The exhibition is organized in four categories: People and places, nature and human nature, photojournalism, and material culture.

Ezra Pound in His Time & Beyond (Archived)

Ezra Pound was a American poet who played a key role in promoting and helping other artists and writers during the twentieth century. The exhibition is divided into various sections examining the various aspects of Pound’s work.

Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties in Wartime (Archived)

This exhibition showcases documentary evidence of instances where people were affected by Lincoln’s suspension of Habeas Corpus.

Robin Hood: Selected Sources (Archived)

This exhibit showcases books that attest to the continued popularity of Robin Hood and to the variety of editions, chapbooks, and writings about his career. The noted Brandywine illustrators, N. C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle, have contributed to the Robin Hood corpus through the written word and celebrated illustrations. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Errol Flynn, Mel Brooks, and Kevin Costner have all lent their dramatic talents to developing the heroic and comic possibilities of the “prince of thieves.” A sampling of renowned scholars of the Robin Hood legend and of earlier literature also appears in the exhibit.

Franklin and Friends: An Exhibition (Archived)

This exhibit celebrates Ben Franklin as a printer, scientist, statesman, abolitionist and author.

Vietnam in Their Own Words (Archived)

“Vietnam in Their Own Words” is a timely entré to Morris Library’s collection of over 2,000 books pertaining to the war. Other library resources include Special Collections manuscript collections, DVDs and videotapes, maps, U.S. Government documents, Internet resources, databases and electronic journals. This exhibit includes government reports, personal narratives and other works of non-fiction, as well as fiction, poetry, drama and photography by American soldiers and journalists and Vietnamese soldiers and citizens.

A Manuscript Sampler (Archived)

Collecting original manuscripts, autographs, and documents is one of the oldest forms of antiquarian collecting. The University of Delaware Library houses world-renowned manuscript and archival collections in a variety of subject areas with particular strength in English, Irish, and American literature; history and Delawareana; art and architecture, horticulture; and the history of science and technology. “A Manuscript Sampler” displays examples from all of these categories.

American Wood Engravers (Archived)

In conjunction with the major exhibition John DePol: Artist and Engraver currently in the Special Collections Gallery, this small exhibition highlights books in the Morris Library’s collections illustrated with wood engravings and wood cuts. The exhibition focuses on well-known twentieth-century American artists who use these techniques for book illustration. Each of these artists has a distinctive style, but each follows in the four-hundred-year tradition of wood block printing.

John DePol: American Engraver (Archived)

John DePol has been an artist for more than seventy years. He is considered to be one of the great exemplars in the field of wood engraving, having produced thousands of images for commercial graphic design as well as for private presses and fine printers. This exhibit celebrates his career and accomplishments.

Gardeners on Gardening (Archived)

“Gardeners on Gardening” showcases a selection of books by gardeners who have written with passion about the art of gardening and horticulture. Appealing to botanists, landscape architects, and backyard gardeners, the exhibition includes books from the nineteenth through the twenty-first century.

Literature Reimagined: An Exhibition of Illustrated Texts (Archived)

The exhibit offers multiple editions of popular literary works, focusing on the ways in which they have been reinterpreted over time. These books have been transformed by artists, writers, and publishers to conform to their personal visions and the work’s perceived audience.

Mother-Daughter Relationships in Contemporary Fiction (Archived)

All women writers are daughters, and many of them are mothers. Their natural fascination with the emotional bonds between daughters and mothers has led them to create stories about complex and varied relationships, some autobiographical in nature.

Samuel Beckett: A Celebration (Archived)

This exhibit celebrates the life and long and distinguished career of Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), an Irish poet, playwright and novelist.

Defining Her Life: Advice Books for Women (Archived)

Among the most common types of literature found on home bookshelves, over the past three hundred years, has been the advice or conduct book. Since the publication of Gervase Markham’s The English-Housewife in 1615, advice books for women have incorporated both philosophical and practical guidance. These works not only taught the skills of household management, cooking, gardening, etiquette, childcare, and family medical care, but they also conveyed the appropriate role of a woman in society.

Shared Voices: Modern Gay Literature, A Bibliography (Archived)

This exhibition showcased anthologies and diverse selections by gay and lesbian writers.

Recent Acquisitions (2002): Selections From an Exhibition in Special Collections (Archived)

The exhibition, which is curated by the Special Collections staff, presents a selection of rare books, manuscripts, and other materials acquired between 2000 and 2002. The exhibition contains materials representing all of Special Collections’ primary collecting areas, including the history of science and technology, horticulture, American, British, and Irish literature, the history of printing and book arts, art and architecture, and Delaware history and life.

Delaware Cooks: A Selection of Cookbooks Published In Delaware (Archived)

This exhibition showcased cookbooks centered on Delaware cuisine and recipes by Delaware residents.

Personal Visions: Artists' Books At The Millennium (Archived)

The exhibition Personal Visions: Artists Books at the Millennium demonstrates that both traditional and avant-garde book arts remain dynamic. Both give voice to artistic creativity and both challenge the reader to become involved in the reading experience. By focusing on works published since 1995, the exhibition allows for clear comparisons among current works.

Labyrinths and Magic Flowers: Spotlighting Contemporary Latin American Literature (Archived)

This exhibition showcased contemporary Latin American literature.

Picturing Delaware: Maps and Illustrations of the First State (Archived)

For this exhibition, the subject is the landscape of Delaware as portrayed by artists, photographers, and mapmakers. The subtext, however, is the evolution of the state from predominately agricultural to urban/suburban.

Dark Romanticism: Bryon, Coleridge, Mary Shelley, and the Pursuit of the Supernatural (Archived)

“Dark Romanticism” is an exhibition featuring the works of English Romantic writers Lord Byron, Samuel Coleridge, Mary Shelley, and John Polidori.

The Art of Botanical Illustration (Archived)

The Art of Botanical Illustration highlights selections from the University of Delaware’s Special Collections which show the development of botanical illustration from early printed books to the present day. The primary goal of botanical illustration is not art, but scientific accuracy. It must portray a plant with the precision and level of detail for it to be recognized and distinguished from another species.

Paul Bowles, 1910-1999 (Archived)

A Morris Library exhibition that was to honor Paul Bowles on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday has become both a memorial tribute to him and a celebration of his genius. Highlights of his career as revealed in his published and unpublished writings are showcased.

Progress Made Visible: American World's Fairs and Expositions (Archived)

The Special Collections Department of the University of Delaware Library holds a wide variety of primary source materials relating to the World’s Fairs and Expositions held in the United States between 1876 and 1939.

Our Forgotten Children: Resources on Child Abuse and Neglect (Archived)

The University of Delaware Library presented an exhibition of books highlighting its resources in the area of child abuse and neglect.

Tradition and the Polish Immigrant (Archived)

This exhibition celebrating Polish-American heritage was held in conjunction with the October celebration of Polish-American Heritage Month. The exhibition consisted of books and Internet resources that illustrate the Polish immigrant experience, their folk art and customs, and their music and dance. In addition, the exhibition highlighted some famous Polish-Americans who have made significant contributions in the fields of science, music, sports, art, and literature.

Forging A Collection: The Frank W. Tober Collection on Literary Forgery (Archived)

The Frank W. Tober Collection is comprised of nearly four thousand books and periodicals, hundreds of manuscripts and papers, and a variety of other materials, including artwork and ephemera. The cornerstone of Dr. Tober’s personal library was his collection on literary forgery. Dr. Tober also pursued such related topics as literary hoaxes, imaginary voyages, counterfeiting, forensics, and the technology of forgery detection. All of these topics are represented in the exhibition Forging a Collection.

Virginia Woolf Turning the Centuries (Archived)

“Virginia Woolf Turning the Centuries,” an exhibition of library materials relating to British author Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), was held in conjunction with the Ninth Annual Virginia Woolf Conference titled “Virginia Woolf Turning the Centuries,” which was hosted on campus by the University of Delaware English Department from June 10-13, 1999.

Lands of Opportunity: Books of the States (Archived)

Lands of Opportunity describes the formation of the United States through fifty books, one for each of the fifty states. The story of five hundred years of American history is developed through the stories of explorers, soldiers, merchants, scientists, farmers, and miners. The dreams of wealth and glory of the early explorers, the destruction of the civilization of the native peoples, the harsh realities of farm life on the prairie, and the rise and fall of the gold mines in California are all described in these texts.

Black, Brown, and Beige: A Centennial Tribute to Duke Ellington (Archived)

This exhibition celebrating the life of Edward Kennedy Ellington consists of books, photographs, printed music, sound recordings, and Internet resources and provides a brief commemorative of his life and work. In addition to addressing the highlights of his career, the exhibition seeks to convey some of Ellington’s many contributions to African American music and culture, and the ways in which he has enhanced the American musical landscape.

Four Decades of Library Support (Archived)

Four Decades of Library Support, which includes some of the rarest and most important books in the Library’s collection, focuses on books acquired with the financial support of the University of Delaware Library Associates.

World of the Child: Two Hundred Years of Children's Books (Archived)

Obedient miniature adult, mischievous free spirit, or mini-consumer–the image of the child in society has changed many times over the past three hundred years. The books given to children are meant to mold or train the young mind to the values of their elders. For this reason, children’s literature is often more reflective of the adult society than of the intended readers.

African American Poetry (Archived)

This exhibition consisted of two separate installments. The first exhibit featured African American poetry of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Well-known authors such as Phillis Wheatley and Paul Laurence Dunbar will be included, but the work of lesser-known figures, such as Jupiter Hammon, George Moses Horton, and Frances E.W. Harper will also be presented. The second display focused on African American poetry during the twentieth century and will include work by Countee Cullen, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Sterling Brown, Gwendolyn Brooks, Amiri Baraka, Ishmael Reed, Audrey Lorde, Maya Angelou, Wanda Coleman, Rita Dove, and a host of other African American poets.

Self Works: Diaries, Scrapbooks, and other Autobiographical Efforts (Archived)

This exhibit features self-consciously created autobiographies or memoirs in which individuals explore life meaning or historical context, as well as private diaries and journals in which authors unintentionally bestow rich personal texture to the fabric of history.

The Underground Railroad in Delaware (Archived)

This exhibition features a selected list of titles that highlight Delaware’s contribution to the Underground Railroad.

William Faulkner: A Centenary Celebration (Archived)

William Faulkner: A Centenary Celebration, an exhibition in the Special Collections Gallery of the Morris Library, pays tribute to one of America’s most prolific and profound authors.

Color Printing in the Nineteenth Century (Archived)

Color Printing in the Nineteenth Century documents these changes in color printing technology by displaying some of the finest examples of books illustrated in color, published from the last quarter of the eighteenth century until the beginning of the twentieth century.

Trade Catalogs in the University of Delaware Library (Archived)

“Trade Catalogs in the University of Delaware Library” strove to demonstrate the lasting historical importance of this often overlooked genre. In addition, the exhibition brings to notice the strong collection of trade catalogs housed in the Special Collections Department of the University of Delaware Library.

Contemporary Artists' Prints in Books (Archived)

The exhibition Contemporary Artists’ Prints in Books features fine-press publications from the past two decades that include original prints by contemporary artists. The exhibition draws its selections from Special Collections’ superb holdings in fine-press publications and the book arts, highlighting individual artists through their works in books.

Ernest Hemingway In His Time (Archived)

“Ernest Hemingway in His Time: An Exhibition” serves as an introduction to an important scholarly resource for research and study of one of the most important literary figures of the twentieth century.

Cinema Centenary, 1895-1995 (Archived)

In honor of the centenary of the first film, this exhibition highlights 101 of the “greatest films” in cinema history. All of the selected films are held by the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press.

An American Feast: Food, Dining, and Entertaining in the United States from Simmons to Rombauer (Archived)

The exhibition “An American Feast: Food, Dining, and Entertaining in the United States from Simmons to Rombauer,” focuses on American culture and attitudes toward food and dining from the 1796 publication of the first American cookbook and the 1931 publication of Irma Rombauer’s kitchen icon, The Joy of Cooking.

Delaware In Wartime (Archived)

“Delaware in Wartime,” highlights the effects of war on Delaware and the roles Delawareans have played in time of war from the American Revolution to World War II. Materials on display include books, newspapers, periodicals, manuscripts, letters, documents, photographs, artwork, posters, broadsides, sheet music, and maps. “Delaware in Wartime” affords an opportunity to explore the contributions Delaware and its citizens made during times of war throughout its history.

First Books (Archived)

“First Books” is an exhibition of the first published books by more than one hundred authors. The exhibition includes first editions, pamphlets, and manuscripts of first books by authors from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. All items in “First Books” are drawn from the Special Collections of the University of Delaware Library.

Hugh MacDiarmid: An Exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of His Birth (Archived)

Hugh MacDiarmid: An Exhibition Celebrating the Centenary of His Birth” examines the full range of MacDiarmid’s life and work and is comprised of manuscripts, correspondence, books, and other printed materials drawn entirely from the Special Collections of the University of Delaware Library.

Two Hundred Years Before the Mast: Sea Voyages in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (Archived)

“Two Hundred Years Before the Mast” highlights sea voyages of exploration, adventure, and enterprise in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the second phase of sea travel following the two centuries of exploration after Columbus.

From Liquid to Vapor and Back: Four Centuries of the First Chemical Separation Process (Archived)

This exhibition illustrates one of many research topics supported by the Unidel History of Chemistry Collection. The history of chemical separation, now a highly specialized branch of industrial chemistry, encompasses chemical theory and laboratory practice.

Suitable for Cultivation: Horticultural Collections at the University of Delaware Library (Archived)

In April 1969, with a grant from the Unidel Foundation, the University of Delaware Library acquired a collection consisting of 193 titles relating to the history of American horticulture. This modest group of books, periodicals, trade and seed catalogs formed the core of the Unidel Collection of the History of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, which over the last two decades has been developed into a collection of remarkable depth.

Paul Bowles at 80 (Archived)

“Paul Bowles at 80” celebrates the achievement of Paul Bowles, one of the most distinctive literary voices of the twentieth century, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. The exhibition also affords an opportunity to bring to scholarly notice a distinguished collection that exemplifies the University of Delaware Library’s collecting program in twentieth-century literature.

New Sweden: The 350th Anniversary of the Settlement of the Swedes and Finns in Delaware (Archived)

“New Sweden: The 350th Anniversary of the Settlement of the Swedes and Finns in Delaware,” an exhibition of books, pamphlets and maps relating to the Swedish-Finnish colonization on the Delaware River in 1638.

Seventy Years at the Hogarth Press: The Press of Virginia and Leonard Woolf (Archived)

The exhibition, “Seventy Years at the Hogarth Press,” which coincides with the publication of a new, expanded edition of Woolmer’s Checklist of the Hogarth Press (1986), provides an opportunity to view over seventy selections from this comprehensive collection of Hogarth Press publications at the University of Delaware Library. “Seventy Years at the Hogarth Press” also provides an occasion to celebrate the heritage and achievement of Leonard and Virginia Woolf’s homespun publishing venture.

Treasures of the University of Delaware Library (Archived)

The exhibition demonstrates the richness of the library’s special collections available for students, faculty and friends of the library.

Forged in Fire, Whittled by Water, Worked by Humans