Southport, CT - From illuminated manuscripts to illustrated novels, books have always been more than words on the page. Whether meticulously crafted by hand on vellum or artfully produced using an early printing press, books have been utilized by artists and authors as a visual art form for centuries.
Pequot Library showcases unique items in its upcoming exhibit, "Illumination to Illustration: Art of the Book", opening with a reception Feb. 7 at 6:30pm. The showcase will feature items from the Library’s Special Collections including a medieval illuminated antiphonal (musical liturgy); "The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer," printed by the Kelmscott Press in 1896; and a 1946 pop-up edition of "The Jolly Jump-Ups: A Child’s Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Viewers will discover the artistry found in a selection of books from the 15th century to today.
Mellby is the Graphic Arts Curator within the department of Rare Books and Special Collection at the Princeton University Library, where she oversees a collection of prints and printed book ranging from the 8th century to the present. Before coming to Princeton, she was a curator at the Toledo Museum of Art and in the Houghton Library at Harvard University. Current acquisitions and activities are posted at http://graphicarts.princeton.edu
At the opening, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and wine while touring the exhibition. Free and open to the public.
The exhibition will be on view through May 5, 2019.
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