On October 15, 2015, the staff of the Special Collections Processing Center saddled up for a bibliographic safari in the Kislak Center. Feathered friends, ferocious beasts, and even a cute cat or two leaped, slithered, and flew off the pages of our favorite books, manuscripts, and archival materials.
Here, images of animals discovered in some of our newest acquisitions are displayed in this Abecedarium bestiary, including items from the collection of Dial Books art director Atha Tehon, and the Caroline F. Schimmel Fiction Collection of Women in the American Wilderness, as well as materials from the Kislak Center’s archives, medieval manuscripts and incunabula. You will see St. Jerome’s lion, Agnes Repplier’s cat, and vultures from Penn’s sophomore class cremation ceremony in 1878. You’ll discover the winged Cocodrillo and even see a 16th-century horse wearing pattens!
This extravaganza was part of the 2015 Archives Month Philly.