The Rare Books Collection has emphasized American literature since
1971 when Harry L. Dalton donated his copy of the first edition of Walt
Whitman's Leaves
of Grass. In the years since then, the collection has grown to include
works by such authors as Phillis Wheatley, James Fenimore Cooper, William
Gilmore Simms, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain,
William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. In November 1991, Mary Dalton
donated a copy of the first edition of Herman Melville's Moby Dick as
the library's 500,000th volume.
The collecting of children's books began in 1978 with the purchase
of the Evelyn Bottome Lewis Collection, which is particularly strong
in early 19th century American publications. These books provide a rich
source for researchers to use in analyzing social and religious attitudes,
educational theories and sexual stereotyping. More recently, collecting
has emphasized Louisa May Alcott, children's books published in the
South and 19th century periodicals for children.
Another major collecting area is English drama of the 17th, 18th and
early 19th centuries. This interest developed as the result of the 1971
donation by the American Credit Company Foundation, then chaired by
Mr. Dalton, of funds to purchase a collection of more than 800 plays
published from 1618 to 1826. The plays had originally been collected
by Princess Augusta Sophia, a daughter of King George III and Queen
Charlotte of England. The collection includes works by almost 300 dramatists,
including Henry Fielding, David Garrick and John Gay.
The history and literature of North Carolina also receive particular
attention, especially books for children and works that support research
in the Manuscript Collections. In addition, donations have resulted
in a variety of smaller concentrations, including engravings by 18th
century Italian architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi, examples of fine
printing from some of the most renowned presses of the last hundred
years, books and paintings by Russian artist Nicholas Roerich and early
20th century erotica.
Rare Books receive standard library cataloging and are listed in the
Library Catalog .
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