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Dawson French Collection Exhibit Opens with Lecture by Robert Darnton
An exhibit featuring materials from the Robert L. Dawson French History
and Literature Collection will open February 8, 2008 at 4 p.m. Robert
Darnton, distinguished French historian, will deliver the keynote
address at the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, a division of the
Texas A&M University Libraries. The collection which is part of the
Cushing Library’s rare books and manuscripts holdings, contains over
18,000 books, broadsides, pamphlets, manuscripts, ephemera and works of
art from the 14th to the 20th century. The exhibit will feature about
forty treasures from this remarkable archive of the French 18th
century.
“This extraordinary collection represents over 30 years of collecting
on the part of Bob Dawson and untold research opportunities for students
and scholars,”
explained Steven E. Smith, Director of Cushing Library and Associate
Dean for Collections, Scholarly Communications, and Development. “We
are fortunate to open this event with a historian of Robert Darnton’s
stature and accomplishment. He was acquainted with Bob Dawson and
visited the collection years before its acquisition by Texas A&M,” he
added.
Darnton’s address is part of the Thomas Mayo lecture series, which is
co-sponsored by the Department of English and focuses on books,
libraries, bibliography, or related topics. A reception will follow the
exhibit opening and lecture which is open to the public.