March
11, 2005
Mount Holyoke Receives
Rare Book Collection from Alumna
By
Irina Liberman ’06
Katharine Ray ’70 has recently given a collection of rare books to the
College. The collection consists of 31 books and pamphlets and presents a broad
overview of mankind’s intellectual progress from the sixteenth to the
nineteenth century. It includes science, literature, poetry, theater, politics,
history, and education, with such jewels as Boccaccio’s Il Decameron (1665)
and Galileo’s Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche (1638).
"This unique collection of rare books,” said Jennifer King, head of
archives and special collections, “can enrich the academic experience by
providing primary sources, early translations, and different editions for comparison.
The collection joins other cultural treasures that belong to Mount Holyoke and
its students and faculty. The collection also has items unique to the Five Colleges,
strengthening the resources held by all five libraries."
Ray
inherited the collection from her great-uncle Morse S. Allen,
a former professor of English at Trinity College. Along with
the gift, Ray created digital images of the books as well as
impressive research into their relative rarity. King speculated
that Ray’s research, not unlike that done by librarians
and appraisers, might be typical of a Mount Holyoke alumna’s
work.
The new addition to the Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections
is inspiring to faculty. “This gift is indeed impressive,” said
Claudia Chierichini, an assistant professor of Italian. “The two editions
of Boccaccio's Decameron could be incorporated into a course on the Decameron;
Ariosto’s Satires could become a nice little diversion within
a course on Renaissance epics—and both courses, on the Decameron and
on Renaissance epics, are something that I have in mind for the Italian curriculum
here at Mount Holyoke. Early editions of works by Savonarola, More, and Galileo
would be ideal and precious components of a new course on the many facets of
Renaissance culture, including religion, social and political utopia, and science."
"I am happy that we can already see the potential use of this wonderful
collection to enrich the curriculum,” King said. “Special collections
is proud to curate this, and other collections, and seeks to ensure that the
faculty and students are aware of the priceless resources available to them.”
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