The Curatorial Eye: Discoveries from the Folger Vault

The Curatorial Eye is an exhibition about discovery and interaction—discovery of items new, hidden, or underused in the collection, and interaction between these objects and the staff that works with them. This exhibition explores a variety of different collections at the Folger and shows how the staff members who curated the exhibition came to choose these items for exhibit. Topics including magic, censorship, juvenile drama, pamphlets, manuals, letters, Victorian bindings, and the ethics of conservation and librarianship connect a staff with diverse interests and backgrounds to a collection rich with material—some well-known, and some unexplored. The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the myriad treasures behind the doors of the Folger’s vault.

The Curatorial Eye opened on June 13, 2009 and closed on August 29, 2009. The exhibition was free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Group tours were available.

Curators of the exhibition

Erin Blake, Curator of Art and Special Collections

Ronald Bogdan, Senior Cataloger

Alison Bridger, Senior Manuscript Cataloger

Kathleen Burlingame, Manuscript Cataloger

Stephanie Fell, Manuscript Cataloger

Steven Galbraith, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Books

Jim Kuhn, Head of Collection Information Services

Rosalind Larry, Head of Circulation

J. Franklin Mowery, Eric Weinmann Head of Conservation

Nadia Seiler, Manuscript Cataloger

Bettina Smith, Art Cataloger

Elizabeth Walsh, Head of Reader Services

Heather Wolfe, Curator of Manuscripts

Georgianna Ziegler, Louis B. Thalheimer Head of Reference

Audio tour

To listen to the curators give in-depth insights into selected items from the exhibition, click the linked heading to access the audio tour online, or dial 202.595.1844 from your home or cell phone. This exhibition features prompts 61-78.