Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Princeton University Graphic Arts


As part my on-going series of blogs highlighting important print collections, today we'll look briefly at the graphic arts collection at Princeton University. To quote from their web site, the collection "includes artists' and private press books, as well as materials for the study of paper and papermaking, printing, calligraphy, printmaking, fine binding, typography, and book design. Of special interest are the Sinclair Hamilton Collection of American Illustrated Books; 18th- and 19th-century British artists and illustrators (particularly George and Robert Cruikshank, Thomas Rowlandson, and William Hogarth), and the Charles Rahn Fry Pochoir Collection."

The collection includes a large number of prints (not to mention drawings, paintings and photographs), and an extensive reference collection related to the history of the book and printing. Also a significant collection of printed ephemra such as trade cards, bookplates, etc. The collection is one of the best in the country and though geared for use of students and faculty at the University, Julie Mellby, the Graphic Arts Librarian, is very active in reaching out to scholars and the public in presenting exhibitions both on-line (check out the Cruikshank on-line exhibit) and in the Leonard L. Milberg Gallery on campus.

What prompted this blog, though, is Julie's terrific blog, Graphic Arts which I just discovered last month. I have enjoyed going through past blogs and am now a dedicated follower. Lots of great stuff here and I highly recommend that anyone interested in this blog should visit Julie's blog. Take a look, for instance, at the blog about Edward Orme's transparent prints. I hope that in the future I'll be able to do an interview with Julie, but in the meantime, check out the blog and the graphic arts collection web site.

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