Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition

Today’s I am continuting the series on art exhibitions I wished I could have attended. The featured exhibition is An Odyssey in Print – Adventures in the Smithsonian Libraries. This exhibition was held at the Grolier Club in New York in 2001 and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C in 2002 - 2003.

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries in located in numerous places throughout the United States and the Republic of Panama. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries in the center of the world’s largest museum complex. The museum contains over 1.5 million books and manuscripts.

The exhibition organized as a 3-part adventure through the magnificent collection. Part 1, Journeys over Land and Sea, concentrated on works that demonstrated how the world was seen and recorded by Europeans and Americans. Part 2 Journeys of the Mind, explored how scientists have provided information that helps us understand the world. The final part, Journeys of the Imagination, presented work created through the imaginations of artists, architects and book designers.

It’s hard to imagine that this exhibition did not include something for nearly every one. If you are a lover of books and libraries, this would have been an excellent exhibition to attend.