Farewell Alice, Welcome Frederick Douglass!

Our exhibit Alice 150 Years and Counting…The Legacy of Lewis Carroll: Selections from the Collection of August and Clare Imholtz has officially closed in Hornbake Library. As we say goodbye to Alice, we look ahead to the next exhibit, Frederick Douglass & Wye House: Archaeology and African American Culture in Maryland. The exhibit will run from September 2016-July 2016. It explores the site of Frederick Douglass’ birthplace on the Eastern Shore, showcasing materials discovered during excavations, along with the testimony of descendants of former slaves at Wye House, providing insights into one of the greatest leaders and spokesman for human equality, Frederick Douglass.

Thank you to August and Clare Imholtz for the privilege of  exhibiting their fascinating collection of Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland items. And thanks to all the folks who visited the Alice exhibit in Hornbake Library and took part in our events and social media celebrating 150 years of Alice in Wonderland. If you are still curious to explore all things Lewis Carroll, be sure to visit the Alice 150 Years and Counting online exhibit.

Follow us for more updates on upcoming exhibits and events in Special Collections and University Archives. View the gallery below for a glimpse into the process of packing away the Alice 150 Years and Counting exhibit.

 

 

Spotlight on Wonderland: Alice

Are you the curious sort? Ever catch yourself daydreaming in class or at work, yearning for more excitement in your day? Then you may have found a kindred spirit in Alice!

Alice is the much-loved protagonist of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She is headstrong, well-mannered, adventurous, intelligent, and imaginative. Her daydreaming leads her to follow a white rabbit with a pocket watch down the rabbit hole and into a vibrant world of talking mice, mad tea party guests, murderous royalty, and petulant insects.

Alice’s Adventures in Hornbake Library are Coming to an End

If you haven’t made it to Hornbake Library to experience our exhibit Alice 150 Years and Counting…The Legacy of Lewis Carroll, now is the time! The final day it is open will be Friday, July 29th.

Over the past two years, we feel like we have become friends with Alice and her Wonderland friends as we have worked to bring her story to life by displaying the collection of two very devoted Lewis Carroll collectors, August and Clare Imholtz.

Alice 150 Featured Item of the Month: July

Alice 150 Years and Counting…The Legacy of Lewis Carroll: Selections from the Collection of August and Clare Imholtz, is an exhibit highlighting the timelessness of Alice in Wonderland and the life and work of Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). Each month, a new item from the exhibit will be showcased.

Spotlight on Wonderland: The Queen of Hearts

Do you have a hot temper? When it comes to overreacting, the Queen of Hearts is, well…the Queen. Whether its because she is losing at croquet, doesn’t like white roses, or simply doesn’t want the Cheshire Cat hanging around, the solution is all the same – off with their heads!

Visit Alice 150 Years and Counting

‘I could tell you my adventures–beginning from this morning,’ said Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.’

If you haven’t visited Hornbake Library’s Alice 150 Years and Counting exhibit, you better hurry! Soon there will be no going back to yesterday. The exhibit will be open until the end of July, so be sure to visit (or re-visit!) while you can.

Can’t make it to Hornbake Library in person? Don’t worry, you can visit the online exhibit anytime!

Alice 150 Featured Item of the Month: June

Alice 150 Years and Counting…The Legacy of Lewis Carroll: Selections from the Collection of August and Clare Imholtz, is an exhibit highlighting the timelessness of Alice in Wonderland and the life and work of Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). Each month, a new item from the exhibit will be showcased.

In June, visit the Maryland Room Exhibit Gallery in Hornbake Library to view a collection of miniature Alice books. Printed in multiple countries including Russia, Italy, the United States and the U.K., these delightful books seem to have sipped from the bottle labeled “Drink Me”. Most are no larger than the palm of your hand!

Spotlight on Wonderland: The Dormouse

Feeling sleepy? You must be channeling the Dormouse, the drowsiest guest at the Mad Tea Party in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alice first encounters the Dormouse napping at the table, with the March Hare and Hatter using it as a cushion.  It initially sparks her sympathy as she approaches the scene:

Curator’s Pick: Favorite Item from the Alice 150 Exhibit

I haven’t counted, but I would guess that at least 10% of people who meet me ask if I play basketball. I haven’t. But when you are almost 6′ tall, that’s a fair question. 

It might seem surprising then that someone who cannot dribble to save her life might choose  Christopher Myer’s Jabberwocky, the Classic Poem from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There as her favorite item in the Alice 150 exhibit. But I have my reasons. Myers’ brilliant recreation Carroll’s most famous poem as a pick-up basketball game is visually engrossing and thought provoking and his striking illustrations pulse with energy. Myers uses his original illustrations in tandem with Carroll’s original poem to create a “Jabberwock” who is the towering king of an urban basketball court…up until now! The oversize, oddly shaped and multicolored font sprawls across the page in between large, fiery-eyed players who seem as if they are somehow inspired to repeat Carroll’s poem.

Alice 150 Featured Item of the Month: May

Alice 150 Years and Counting…The Legacy of Lewis Carroll: Selections from the Collection of August and Clare Imholtz is an exhibit highlighting the timelessness of Alice in Wonderland and the life and work of Lewis Carroll (1832-1898). Each month, a new item from the exhibit will be showcased.