The Department of Printing and Graphic Arts recently acquired this hollow-cut silhouette in an oval shape of approximately 3½ x 5”. The inscription below the silhouette identifies the maker as “Williams,” referring to one of the few African-American silhouettists known of the nineteenth century, Moses Williams (1777-ca.1825). An inscription in the same hand on the Read More

Houghton Library recently acquired two autograph letters written by William Morris (1834-1896) the English designer, author, visionary socialist and proprietor of the Kelmscott Press. These letters are especially appealing because they are both hitherto unknown and unpublished, and addressed to an individual not known to have corresponded with Morris until these letters surfaced at auction Read More

André Meyer (1884-1974) began buying music and music-related materials at an early age, and at his death left a spectacular collection, a portion of which was recently sold at Sotheby’s. Houghton Library was lucky enough to acquire ten lots. Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689-1755). Les voyages de l’Amour : ballet en quatre actes. This Boismortier Read More

Melville’s marginalia is a hot topic in American literary studies, and inquiry is kept fresh in the field when annotated books from his library turn up on the market. Sometimes they do so in interesting and surprising ways. Melville’s copy of Boswell’s Life of Johnson, acquired in London in 1849, appeared on the tables of Read More

Finding aids for four newly cataloged collections, and a preliminary box list for one recent acquisition, were added to the OASIS database this month, including movie and television scripts and theatrical portraits. Processed by Ashley M. Nary: Theatrical Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured Portraits, 1812-1848 (MS Thr 933) For more on this collection, see this Read More