Touching Treasures

Books, prints or photographs, they exist to be read or viewed. But they are so much more.

Discover
A miniature, hidden behind a curtain, a folded piece of paper with religious text, carried as an amulet, or a portrait of a loved one, embellished with a lock of hair or preserved flowers: they are objects that can move you and tell a story beyond the content of the text or the image. There is so much to be discovered about books, manuscripts and images: hidden depictions, flexing parts, pop-up performances. This is the subject of the Touching Treasures exhibition, for those who love reading… and more.

New light
The material composition of the objects from the special collections on view shines a new light on their meaning and value. The objects are special for various reasons. Items have material particularities that display the emotional relationship of makers or users had with an item, or the materiality functions as an additional source of information, about provenance for example. Lastly, sometimes the three-dimensionality of objects requires an interaction, possible only when the physical object is available.

The exhibition is on view from 7 June until 9 September 2018.

Exhibition space of the University Library
Witte Singel 27
Open: Monday until Friday 08.30-24.00 hours, on Saturday and Sunday 10.00-23.00 hours (free access). Holidays closed.