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While the initial selection process was not organized,
once overarching themes for the works emerged, we were more
deliberate in our curating. For example, when it became clear
that we wanted to include the 1920s French fashion magazine
Trés Parisien and the early 20th century prints illustrating
18th and 19th century Japanese fashions, we identified other
materials, such as the 1927 Cheney Brothers silk catalog, to
complement them.
The exhibition title Unstacked was truly apt. Not only
did the show reveal to the public some of the wonderful
materials owned by the Godine Library; it gave us, the
librarians, an opportunity to rediscover the remarkable
items that have been buried away for years. The exhibition
really shows off the breadth of the library’s special
collections, but it only offers a taste of what we own.
The items that weren’t included are almost even more
telling: works by Gordon Matta-Clark, Richard Long,
and Laurie Anderson; the Andy Warhol-designed issue
of Aspen magazine; an 1866 copy of Paradise Lost
illustrated by Gustav Doré, and the list goes on.
The library looks forward to sharing more of these
treasures, so if you come across items in the online
catalog that say they?re in Special Collections,
please ask and we will be happy to show them to you.
- Rachel Resnik, Technical Services Librarian
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Wall text from Unstacked: Treasures of the
Godine LibraryPresident’s Gallery
October 23 – December 3, 2004
Massachusetts College of Art + Design is the oldest
art school in Boston, but its library is even
older than the college itself.
In 1871 the Massachusetts Board of Education
created a “traveling museum.” Plaster casts, drawings,
paintings, and art books were transported by horse-drawn
wagons to towns across the state. The purpose was to
spread art knowledge throughout the citizenry. It was
the first collection of visual reference materials in the
United States created to support public art education.
The rigors of travel damaged the collection. Within a
year the need for its safe storage became an arguing
point for founding a state art school. Although we can’t
be certain if this was a deciding factor, in 1873 the
legislature did create Massachusetts Normal Art School,
now called Massachusetts College of Art + Design, and the traveling
collection did indeed come to rest under its roof.
As art education evolved, the collection grew; more
books were acquired, and then journals, slides, films,
videos, and digital images. In 1988, the library was
named for the late Morton R. Godine, a vice president
and trustee of the college.
This exhibit celebrates the library’s 133 years
of democratizing access to art and design information.
Unlike the treasures in some libraries, our books and
portfolios are paint-spattered and worn. They have been
used heavily to support research conducted with brushes,
chisels, hammers, kilns, and cameras, as well as with
paper, pencils, and keyboards. While we’re proud our
resources are used vigorously, we also strive to
preserve them for future generations.
In 2003, after several years of increasing
reductions, the state legislature completely
eliminated funding for library collections
in state colleges. In response, the staff
of the Morton R. Godine Library has undertaken
its own fundraising. Our goal is to continue
developing information resources for our
students and faculty and for the people of
the commonwealth. The library is open to the
public; all are welcome to come and explore
our collections.
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