Boston Athenaeum History Essays

Stanley Ellis Cushing, curator, rare books, Boston Athenaeum
James Reid-Cunningham, chief conservator, Boston Athenaeum

Conservation concerns are frequently heard in libraries, as time and use take their toll on treasured holdings. Collections assembled over decades, or centuries as in the case of the Athenaeum, offer daunting challenges. Few libraries can boast of the long history of tackling these problems that is apparent in the history of the Athenaeum. This lecture tells the story of the rise of book conservation as a profession not only at the Boston Athenaeum but also at American libraries in general, and outlines the conservation issues facing the library at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Rare books curator Stanley Cushing discusses the development of the artists' books collection over the last seven years, building upon the library's earlier acquisitions of fine bindings, printing, and illustrated books. He discusses examples of avant garde design, structure, and materials that are pushing the accepted limits of the concept of the book.

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