Exhibitions and Programs

Presenting campaign ephemera from the past 164 years: see buttons, lapel pins, ribbons, flyers, pamphlets, music sheets, a candidate’s biography in comic book format, and other intriguing items.

California! (Gallery, Main Floor, Old Wing)
Presented in support of the California Semesters at Occidental College, the exhibit offers a visual feast of the arts, culture, history, landscape and life of the Golden State.

A classical work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, the Tale is written in the style of a novel, with central characters and plot twists. On exhibition are two reproductions of the traditional picture scrolls, an artform which contains illustrations of the novel intermingled with the text itself.

The Flood of 2008! Disaster strikes at the Library (Case by Cumberland Rm, Main Floor, Old Wing)

On Saturday March 1^st2008 a broken pipe in an air-conditioner leaked through the ceiling and inundated the Old Wing Stacks Tower. Over 18,000 on all 5 levels are endangered. Library staff and volunteers from all over the campus responded quickly. Could the books be saved?

If you think picture books are just for kids....think again (Table Case, Third Floor, New Wing)

Children's books have paved the way for some of the great illustrations of all time. Follow the trail from 18th century wood-made Horn-Books to the great works of the 19th century in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland illustrated by John Tenniel, Kate Greenway’s pretty books, and the haunting work of the extraordinary illustrator Arthur Rackham.

Hardboiled L.A.: Raymond Chandler (Table Case, Third Floor, New Wing)

“I used to like this town. A long time ago. ... [It] was just a big dry sunny place with ugly homes and no style, but goodhearted and peaceful," states Philip Marlowe, the L.A. detective created by Raymond Chandler. L.A. Noir exemplified by Chandler, includes the script of Double Indemnity opened to the first scene of Phyllis meeting Neff. These featured works of Raymond Chandler are part the Ned Guymon Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection.

Ernesto Galarza, Social activist and educator (Galarza Room, Main Floor, Old Wing)

Social activist, writer and educator, Ernesto Galarza dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of agricultural workers and labor organizing. Born in 1905 in Jalcocotan, Nayrit, Mexico, Galarza attended and graduated from Occidental College in 1924. This new exhibit is located in the classroom dedicated in 1987 to honor his career. See the new online exhibit dedicated to Ernesto Galarza.

This revolving exhibition features a selection of books from the Braun Room collection. The Braun Room is the gift of the Braun family in memory of the late Carl F. Braun, who cherished a love of fine and beautiful books. Furnished to resemble a typical English home library, the room is dedicated to fine editions of books, ranging widely in subject. Of particular interest currently on display is a Limited Editions Club 1958 printing of The Koran. This display is mounted directly across from the Braun Room.

Robinson Jeffers, Poet, stone mason and environmentalist. (Gallery, Main Floor, Old Wing)

A permanent exhibition highlighting Robinson Jeffers, a 1905 graduate of Occidental College, and one of a handful of great American narrative poets. This display is mounted just outside the classroom named for the poet, stone mason, and environmentalist.

I'm a Graphic Designer/Photographer/Artist, a multidisciplinary human who thinks and interprets our world in abstract oddities. I present this universe of work as is; with no rhyme or reason other than the creation process that draws upon experimental educational and professional studies. My influences range from the modern to antiquity, and though I am on equal terms with both, I am drawn to the new forms that modernity has brought. I live and bathe in the waters of eclectic surrealism and swim in my own stream of consciousness -- Ed Rick.

Artists Alley is a gallery to present works of local community artists. Contact Lindsey Reno, x 2965 for more information.

Books of All Time (Study Area, 3rd Floor, New Wing)

“All books are divisible into two classes: the books of the hour, and the books of all time.” - John Ruskin

Whether your interest is American history (rare edition - Mark Twain’s Life On The Mississippi) or classic poetry (1st edition - Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Renascence), this informative exhibit describes eleven of the department's rare books, from a gripping first edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to a dazzlingly rare print book by A. Rackam, England’s most renowned children’s book artist.

The Library Lounge Gallery is reserved for Occidental College students and recent grads. Contact Laura Serafini, x2594 for more information.

Exhibitions and Programs Visit new and permanent exhibitions for Fall, 2008

Exhibitions and Programs
Visit new and permanent exhibitions for Fall, 2008