Thursday, May 15th, Tredway Library (2nd floor, south end)
3:45-5:00 p.m.
“A Vibration in the Soul” - The Ernest and Mary Belle Espelie Collection of Children’s Books
Book collecting, as famously defined by A.W. Pollard, is “the bringing together of books which in their contents, their form or the history of the individual copy posses some element of permanent interest, and either actually or prospectively are rare, in the sense of being difficult to procure.”
The Ernest and Mary Belle Espelie collection of children’s books, held in Augustana’s Special Collections, contains 109 titles, most of which were published between 1930 and 1950. A somewhat unusual and pioneering collection based mainly on individual taste and interest, it provides an in-depth look at the types of illustrated children’s books published over the time period it covers.
Please join Special Collections Librarian Sarah Horowitz on Thursday, May 15th for a discussion of Espelie’s collection in the context of the history of children’s book collecting and the rare book market during Espelie’s time, as well as various unique aspects of the collection, including letters to Espelie from some of the authors and illustrators whose works he purchased.
Refreshments and conversation will begin at 3:45.
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This is the eighth and final presentation in the year-long “Book Studies” lecture series, part of “From Parchment to Pixels: The Year of the Book.” Many thanks to all who have shared their ideas with the Augustana community through these talks, and also to those who have attended the presentations and shared in the discussions!
