Library Symposia
The Thomas J. Watson Library sponsors biennial symposia and occasional lectures which provide opportunities to fully examine specific genres of The Museum's special and rare book collections. These synergistic events are a collaboration between Library and Museum curatorial and conservation staff, and other notable experts who offer their perspectives on the history, artistry, manufacture, and preservation of books. These programs are sponsored by an endowment from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation.
A Look at Artists' Books: Developing Collections at The Met, 2018
A symposium sponsored by Watson Library on November 7, 2018, at the Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This symposium on artists' books marks the fifth year that Watson Library has been collecting in this important area. Watson's collection has been built with funds provided by Friends of the Library and through the gifts of generous donors, two of whom will be speaking in the afternoon. Combined with the holdings of artists' books in the Department of Drawings and Prints and the Department of Photographs, The Met now has a collection of considerable depth and international scope. Key topics of the symposium include the history, creation, collecting, and conservation of artists' books.
View the Speakers' biographies
View the Guide to accessing collections and library resources
American Publishers' Bindings Symposium, 2016
A symposium sponsored by Watson Library on May 24, 2016, at the Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This one day symposium celebrated the Library's acquisition of late-nineteenth to early twentieth-century American decorated publishers' bindings. Seven speakers presented on the history, design, manufacture, and conservation of American commercial book covers within the broader fields of the decorative and fine arts.
View the video of Part One (Morning Session)
View the video of Part Two (Afternoon Session)
Read a blog post on In Circulation about this symposium: Artists of the Book: Late 19th- to Early 20th-Century Publishers' Bindings
Journey in Search of Indo-Islamic Papermaking Heritage, 2015
A lecture sponsored by the Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation and the Sherman Fairchild Center for Paper Conservation on July 13, 2015, at the Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Paper historian Alexandra Soteriou charts the migration of Muslim papermakers in tandem with dynastic movements and shares a seldom-seen view of hand papermaking throughout the sub-continent, the Himalayas, and Central Asia. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Sultans of Deccan India, 1500–1700: Opulence and Fantasy, on view April 20–July 26, 2015.
Japanese Illustrated Books Symposium, 2014
A symposium sponsored by Watson Library and the Department of Asian Art on October 2, 2014, at the Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This one day symposium celebrated the acquisition of the Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow collection of Japanese illustrated books by the Department of Asian Art. The five presenters explored current scholarship on the Japanese books of the Edo period and discussed their history, design, techniques, materials, and conservation.
View the video of Part One (Morning Session)
View the video of Part Two (Afternoon Session)
Read a blog post on In Circulation about this symposium: The Art of Japanese Books