The hurried scratching of pencil on paper as a code-breaker races against time…
The nervous pacing of an actress…
Sibilant whispers of advice into the ears of the powerful…
The crumpled publisher’s rejection letter, together with an annotatedand crossed out draft…
These are the invisible sights and unheard sounds of the moments before the big moments … before the counter-attack is launched, the play performed, an execution ordered, a new bestseller published.
Catalogers are always behind the scenes, where they delight in finding previously lost or hidden secrets and making them available to the public. Join the catalogers of the Kislak Center to learn about their favorite behind-the-scenes moments found between the covers of rare books and deep in the folders of archival collections.
On October 17, 2017, visitors lingered over our selections at the University of Pennsylvania’s Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. In case you were not able to make it in person, please enjoy virtually!