What: A display at the University of North Texas of the Vann Victorian Collection of rare f first editions of Victorian literature, as well as part-issue editions. This exhibition features a digital version that can be viewed on a smart phone or tablet while viewing the physical exhibit.
When: Through Jan. 9, 2015 (Friday). Exhibition hours are from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Please check the Reading Room schedule online before planning a visit. The exhibit's opening reception will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 3 (Friday)
Where: Judge Sarah T. Hughes Reading Room of the UNT Willis Library's Special Collections Department. The Reading Room is located on the fourth floor of the Willis Library, 1506 Highland Ave.
Cost: Free
Contact:. Willis Library Services Desk at 940-565-2413
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The Vann Victorian Collection held by the University of North Texas Libraries is on display through Jan. 9, 2015 (Friday). The exhibit will be in the Judge Sarah T. Hughes Reading Room of the libraries' Special Collections Department, located on the fourth floor of Willis Library, 1506 Highland Ave. This exhibit is the first UNT Special Collections exhibition to feature a digital video component that can be displayed on a smart phone or tablet.
The exhibit will feature rare first editions and part-issue editions of works by Victorian authors including Charles Dickens George Meredith and William Makepeace Thackeray. Dr. J. Don Vann, UNT Professor Emeritus in the Department of English, a Victorian literature scholar and founder of the Denton Dickens Fellowship, curated this exhibit.
"You can actually walk around and look at each item in more depth with your phone or tablets," said Morgan Gieringer, head of Special Collections. "We have several videos of Dr. Vann that go along with different items and elaborate on how he found them."
Vann and his wife, Dolores, began collecting Victorian books in 1962 when they acquired a first edition of Dickens's Bleak House. They spent the summer of 1965 in London, conducting research in the British Library and buying first editions of works by Dickens and Thackeray. During their subsequent trips to London, the Vanns came to know many of the city's booksellers and were offered first editions the sellers kept hidden from all but their favored customers.
The digital portion of the exhibit features videos of Vann talking about his life as a collector and photos of the rare books from several angles and different page views. The online component can be viewed here.
In 2004, the Vanns established the Vann Victorian Endowment to provide a permanent fund to purchase Victorian books for the Vann Victorian Collection in Special Collections at the University of North Texas Libraries. Since 2004, the Vanns have made additional contributions to the collection, most recently this year.