Exhibits

A listing of online and physical exhibits that featured materials from the Baldwin Library. If you have an idea for an exhibit, please contact Special Collections.

2020

Let's Talk about Sex

August 2020 – November 2020 – SMATHERS LIBRARY GALLERY, 2ND FLOOR

Let's Talk about Sex

Children’s literature illustrates the changing attitudes towards sex education over time. Early unscientific and superstitious conversations were largely fear-based and focused on controlling urges and very specific gender roles. Curated by Hunter McDaniel.

2018

Illustration from Two is a Team

August 13, 2018 – October 5, 2018, Smathers Library Grand Reading Room

Racism, Representation, and Resistance in Children’s Literature 1800 – 2015

Racism, Representation, and Resistance explores the long history of racism in children’s literature by examining the dehumanization and colonization of people of color, primarily Africans and African Americans. It also explores how self-representational children’s books by African American authors resisted and subverted racist ideologies. Curated by Suzan Alteri, Stephanie Birch, and Dr. Hélène Huet.

2016

'Capturing Nature' exhibit cases

March 15 – June 16, 2016, Marston Science Library, 2nd Floor

Capturing Nature: The Insect World in Children’s Literature

This selection of books from the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature represents the diverse perspectives with which children, and indeed many adults, see the hidden world of insects. Curated by Andrea Lucky, Brielle Jenkins, and Tara Cataldo with assistance from Suzan A. Alteri.

2015

Subverting the natural order graphic

November 2 – December 18, 2015, Smathers Library Gallery, 2nd Floor

Subverting the Natural Order

Modern science and scientific knowledge flourished in the 19th century, but what did people actually know about sciences and how did they know it? The answers to these question are complex, but one thing is certain, the so-called rising generation of the 19th century gleaned most of its knowledge about animals, plants, geology, physics, and natural philosophy from books written by female authors. Curated by Suzan A. Alteri and Dr. Alan Rauch

2013

Arthur Rackham Alice in Wonderland illustration

November 12 – December 13, 2013, Smathers Library Gallery

When Phantasie Takes Flight: the Art & Imagination of Arthur Rackham

This exhibit explores the breathtaking artwork of Arthur Rackham and also places his work within the border context of children's literature from 1823-2010.

Maurice Sendak illustration

2013

Maurice Sendak: Vision of the Child

This exhibit traces some of Maurice Sendak’s most influential children’s books in an effort to answer the question: “Why him?” Sendak’s vision and presentation of children in his work would permeate literature and pedagogy during and well after his lifetime.

2012

Grimm Changes poster

October 4 – December 14, 2012

Grimm Changes: From Folk Tale to Fairy Tale

Focusing on the transformations, changes, and various editions of beloved fairy tales, the Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature celebrates 200 years of the Brothers Grimm. Curated by Suzan A. Alteri and Jasmine Tran.

2011

Humpty Dumpty

November 11, 2011 – January 13, 2012, Smathers Library Exhibition Gallery

Catalogers Give Access: The Dr. Robert L. Egolf Collection

Highlighting the Dr. Robert L. Egolf collection, Catalogers Give Access focuses on Caldecott Award winners, autographed books, the art of Maurice Sendak, game books, death in children's literature, foreign language books, and Snow White books from the collection.

Anomalies and_Curiosities brochure cover

August 1 – September 15, 2011, Smathers Library Exhibition Gallery

Anomalies and Curiosities of the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature

Anomalies and Curiosities focuses on the many examples of marginalia, doodles and inscriptions, bookplates, prize books, crayon scrawl, hand-colored plates, love notes and book anathema within the Baldwin Library. Curated by Krissy Wilson.

2009

banned & Challenged books photograph

September 16 – November 4, 2009, Smathers Library Exhibition Gallery

Banned and Challenged Children's Books, 1990-2008

This exhibit highlights children's books that have been banned or challenged between 1990 to 2008. Curated by Rita Smith.

2008

Pop-Up books exhibit cover

September 2 – October 31, 2008, Smathers Library Exhibition Gallery

Pop-Up, Spin, Pull, Fold: Toy Books from the Baldwin Library

Pop-up, Spin, Pull, Fold features pop-up and movable books from the Baldwin Library. The exhibition is a chronological display of children's books which foster an interactive experience between the reader and the book, including the complex pop-up books of current paper engineers such as Robert Sabuda.

Videos from the exhibit: Preservation of Pop Up and Movable Books, Conserving the Past, Always Jolly, Movable Book by Lothar Meggendorfer, Cock Robin, Movable Book, Moving Animals, Movable Book, Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Toy Book, version 2.

 2007

The Afterlife of Alice exhibit

October 15 – December 15, 2007, Special Collections exhibit area

The Afterlife of Alice in Wonderland

This colorful exhibition traces the continued presence of the text and images of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in American culture, by presenting a variety of editions, illustrators, media and artifacts, and showcasing the 1969 portfolio edition illustrated by Salvador Dalí.

2004

'Funeral for a friend' cover

October 25 – December 17, 2004, Exhibit Gallery Smathers Library

Help is on the Way! Comic Books and Superheroes in Special Collections

This exhibit mainly focuses on popular superheroes/comic books that appeared in DC comics published during the so-called “Silver Age”, roughly from the late 50s through the early 70s. (Hosted by ImageText, UF Department of English).

2003

A British general on a horse rides between a long line of Beefeaters

2003

Cover Story: 19th Century Cloth Book Covers

During the first years of the 19th century, most books produced in the United States were still being bound individually in leather or paper, but the late 1820’s saw the introduction of cloth covered boards as bindings for books. Initially, the covers were quite simple, but as the century progressed they became much more ornate. Michael Sadlier, in The Evolution of Publisher’s Binding Styles, calls it a "movement from dignified utility to decoration for decoration’s sake." This site, highlighting of the holdings of the Baldwin Library, is a chronologically arranged visual trip through 19th century American children's books cloth covers.