Pablo Alvarez, rare books curator at Rush Rhees Library, will lecture on how rare books bring a unique glimpse into the past and serve as valuable research at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, in the Hyam Plutzik Library of Contemporary Writing, located on the second floor of Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester's River Campus.
Alvarez's talk, titled "Bring Out Your Dead: Rare Books, Collectors, and Research," will address the decisive role of the collectors of books in preserving some of the most treasured pieces of our cultural heritage, and the importance of rare books in aiding academic research. He will discuss a variety of topics, including books and manuscripts.
The talk will include material on Victorian poet Alfred Tennyson from the collection of Roland L. Collins (1934-1985), who was professor of English at the University of Rochester, as well as early books on gardening and architecture from the collection of Elizabeth G. Holahan (1903-2002), historical preservationist.
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections acquired the majority of its collection as gifts. Future projects headed by Alvarez include a conference and exhibit to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of Cervantes's Don Quixote.