Featuring rare and beautiful first editions from the University Library's Lillian Gary Taylor Collection of Popular American Fiction, "Bestsellers" explores American reading habits from the earliest works of popular fiction in the late 18th century to today's blockbusters. Mrs. Taylor compiled a significant collection of bestselling novels and lovingly recorded details of each book in her collecting journals. Mrs.

While the Rotunda undergoes a comprehensive, critically-needed renovation, artifacts typically on view there are on temporary display in the South Gallery of the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature, and Culture. Items on display include the bell from the Rotunda, busts of Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette, and Alexander Galt's statue of Jefferson.

From October 1–26, “Shakespeare by the Book” will become the backdrop for the visiting Folger Shakespeare 
Library exhibition featuring the celebrated First Folio of 1623. First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare is a national traveling exhibition to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. The First Folio contains 36 of Shakespeare's plays, 18 of which were never printed before.

This permanent exhibit offers highlights of the Albert H. Small Declaration of Independence Collection, the most comprehensive collection of letters, documents, and early printings of the Declaration of Independence. The exhibition sheds light on not only the writing and signing of the Declaration, but also on its first printing, distribution across the colonies, and future impact on American history.

This exhibition marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death by celebrating how his works have come to life through innovations in print technology, editorial practice, and graphic design. Books and printing artifacts drawn from Special Collections' eclectic holdings will explain the technology of printed books in the 17th century, narrate the complex editorial history of the plays, and survey the myriad forms Shakespeare's works have taken in print over the last two centuries.

In the decade following the publication of Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique (1963), feminists resorted to other genres to communicate their message. Purchased for a few cents, handed out at meetings, or sent via mail, radical manifestos, pamphlets, and periodicals electrified the woman’s movement. They called for a change in consciousness, urging feminists to work outside the system. They shed light on discrimination in women’s health, education, and labor, as well as discrimination in the women’s movement itself.

Did you know that a small part of the Harlem Renaissance took place in a garden in Lynchburg, Virginia? This exhibition celebrates the legacy of poet, civil rights activist, and gardener Anne Spencer (1882–1975). Her home was a sacred space for the African-American community on the East coast, a space free from Jim Crow. Her garden was Spencer’s own sacred space for poetic creation. View the house and garden as they look today through the eyes of John Hall’s stunning photographs, juxtaposed with artifacts, manuscripts, and books that bring Spencer’s work and times back to life.

Special Collections researcher Sue Rainey used numerous materials from our collections when working on her recent book, Creating a World on Paper: Harry Fenn's Career in Art. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Harry Fenn (1837-1911) played a key role in popularizing periodical and book illustration. The exhibition investigates his contributions to three highly successful serial publications of New York’s D.

Although celebrated today as one of England’s foremost artists and poets, William Blake (1757–1827) worked and died in obscurity. Drawing from Special Collections’ Sandra Elizabeth Olivier and Raymond Danowski Reference Collection of William Blake, presented by the Danowskis to UVA in 2010, this exhibition traces Blake’s artistic achievement as well as the fascinating process by which later generations rediscovered Blake.

This mini-exhibition is drawn from Mildred Abraham’s personal collection of rare books on the Grand Tour. It offers viewers a chance to travel back in time to experience the Italy famous for its classical origins, Carnival, and banditti. Ranging from the earliest account of the Grand Tour in Italy, published in the 17th century, to illustrated accounts of 19th-century tourists and intellectuals such as Henry James, the exhibition is a visual feast for anyone interested in Italy and its history.