Online Exhibit
A Celebration of Poetry: Selections from Special Collections
The Poetry exhibit
features selections from our Rare Books Collection
of limited, numbered and signed editions of twentieth century poetry.
Two unique smaller collections highlighted are the works of American
poet Kenneth Rexroth and English poet Roy Fuller. Other preeminent
poets represented are Sylvia Plath, E. E. Cummings, Denise Levertov,
James Weldon Johnson, Allen Ginsberg, Maya Angelou, William Everson,
and Robert Frost.
Also displayed are selections from the Library's collection of poetry
from small literary presses. Since the 1950s, a significant amount
of poetry has been published by presses specializing in fine printing.
An example on display is The Patriotic Suite, by the Irish
poet John Montague. This work was published by the highly respected
Dolmen Press (1951-1987), a small Irish firm known for its fine
printing. Other small presses represented:
- Turret Press (1965-1975), a small London press which specialized
in publishing a limited edition series of booklets of contemporary
poets. On display: Ishmael (Peter Straub); He will be greatly missed,
a poem (Alan Bold); Last year, this year now (Jane Deverson);
Six more beasts (Edward Lucie-Smith); Points (Anthony
Thwaite).
- Enitharmon Press, one of Britain's leading literary publishers.
Founded in 1967, Enitharmon is the name William Blake gave to a
character representing spiritual beauty and the inspiration of a
poet. The Press specializes in high-quality artists' books and original
poems in small-format volumes. On display: Walking with Trees (Leonard
Clark).
- Arion Press, an American press known for its printing tradition
and unique integration of art illustrations with texts. Only two
to three limited edition books are designed and produced, mainly
by hand, each year. Andrew Hoyem founded the Press in 1974 and is
also a poet with five books of published poetry. On display: Picture
/ Poems
(Andrew Hoyem).
- Black Sparrow Press / Unicorn Press - two California presses
notable for their fine printing of limited editions of the works
of twentieth century poets. Black Sparrow operated in Santa
Rosa from 1967 to 2002 and was known for publishing avant-garde
work. The
Unicorn Press in Santa Barbara, founded in 1966, publishes contemporary
U. S. and foreign poetry. On display:
(Black Sparrow
Press): Primitive (George
Oppen);
The Leaves (Ron Loewinsohn); A Selection of 65 drawings from
one drawing book, 1952-1956 (Robert Duncan). Unicorn Press: Japanese
Figures (W. S. Merwin); Atlantic Avenue (Robert Hershon);
Twenty Poems (John Haines).
The publications of local and Northeast Florida poets are also well
represented with the works of B. J. Sessions, Nola Perez, Mary Sue Koeppel,
Orville Tyler and the Tyler-Palmer family, Columbus Drew, Laura Gradick,
amongst others. Ye Heroes of Ye Epidemic is a rare volume of
verse immortalizing the "Heroes" of the Jacksonville Yellow
Fever Epidemic of 1888.
DESTINATION: FLORIDA - Featured are
printed materials relating to Florida tourism in the early to mid-twentieth
century. Other items include rare brochures, souvenir pamphlets,
and other unique materials from our Northeast Florida Regional Special
Collection.
The Library is actively and systematically
developing a local history collection relating to Northeast Florida,
with special emphasis on Jacksonville and its immediate geographical
vicinity (Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties). The
collection contains varied and interesting materials: general histories
of the region, early guide books to Florida and Jacksonville, souvenir
albums, historical calendars, rare maps and pamphlets, Jacksonville
Historical Society papers, books
by an early local printer, Drew &
Co., and postcards depicting historic buildings, facilities and
scenes. A representative selection of our local materials have been
digitized and are available online through the Florida
Heritage Collection.
H. & W. B. DREW CO. - On
display are publications printed by this historic Jacksonville printing
company. The founder, Columbus Drew, came to Jacksonville in
1848 and opened the eponymous Columbus Drew Stationery Printing
Company in 1855. Artifacts include a rare Drew stationery box
circa 1900.
The full text
of two Drew publications held by the Library, Proof
of Faith in Florida and Our
Story,
are available at the Florida
Heritage Collection web site.
Horace Rainsford Drew, Jr., a fourth generation Floridian and great
grandson of Columbus Drew, is the author of Our
Story. He documents the saga of the Drew and
Fairbanks families in Florida in the 1920's, 1930's and the World War II era.
Other Drew publications available online via the Florida Heritage Collection:
