The Columbia University Libraries Announce New Acquisitions


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Alge, Rivista de Arte Moderna – Publications from the Alge group, which included Mattis-Teutsch, Aurel Baranga, poet and artist Gherasim Luca, artist and designer Jules Perahim, and Paul Paun were acquired by the Area Studies Division.  This group led the Romanian avant-garde and its Surrealist movement during an atmosphere of rabid nationalism and growing anti-semitism in Romania. They encountered shrill criticism and eventually legal prosecution.

African Missionary Photos - A collection of 308 original photographs, six illustrated posters, and 92 postcards documenting Protestant missionary encounters in Africa from circa 1910 through the 1950s have been acquired by Burke Library.

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Burleigh Missionary Diary - An 1888 diary of George Burleigh, who went to South Africa as a Christian missionary to reach out to "the natives" mostly by selling religious tracts and magazines, was acquired by Burke. The diary documents 19th century American perceptions of South African people and society, providing insights into interreligious and interdenominational dialogue among Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and indigenous forms of religion on the African continent.

Empire State Building Drawings – The Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library acquired 22 original interior detail drawings for the Empire State Building including several very detailed drawings of the terrazzo flooring and other decorative elements.

Socialist China Vintage Posters – The C.V. Starr East Asian Library has acquired Socialist China posters from 1949, the beginning of socialist/communist China, through the 1980s. The collection is made up of 10 posters of various types, including international relations, ethnic nationalities, economy, industry, and other subjects.

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Palestinian Posters  - A collection of 106 Palestinian political posters dating from 1978 to 2000 were acquired by the Area Studies Division and will be housed in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Produced and printed in Beirut both during and after the Lebanese civil war, they provide a unique window onto many aspects of Palestinian culture, history, politics, art, and social anthropology during the crucial years the PLO and other resistance movements spent in Lebanon.

Walker Missionary Scrapbook - A missionary scrapbook of the first Episcopalian Bishop of North Dakota, William David Walker, was acquired by Burke. The scrapbook provides a broad and comprehensive history of Christian religious outreach to aboriginal people and Native Americans. It is over 150 pages, including 21 hand-drawn, detailed maps of the Western United States and 50 original engraved and photographic portraits of Native Americans.

William Morris Colles Letters - A collection of some 25 letters written to the London literary agent, William Morris Colles, a prominent figure active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was acquired by the Rare Books & Manuscript Library. The letters are substantial in length, as well as content, and issued from the likes of Arnold Bennett, Israel Zangwill, Kate Douglas Wiggin, and E. G. Allingham.

The Primary Research Acquisitions Program is an initiative designed to encourage selectors to locate and purchase unique resources in their fields. Materials to be considered are newly identified unique materials, beyond an individual selector's budget.  Such materials include rare books, archival collections, or other special opportunities.  They do not include digital resources, which are by their nature not unique, or special reprint editions of even valuable materials that can be purchased by other libraries as well.

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 11 million volumes, over 150,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, and graphic and audio-visual materials. The services and collections are organized into 22 libraries and various academic technology centers. The Libraries employs more than 500 professional and support staff. The website of the Libraries is the gateway to its services and resources: library.columbia.edu.