Smithsonian's First Collection Is Subject of Book Discussion

In 1849, the Smithsonian Institution purchased the Marsh Collection – a group of European engravings and art books that formed part of the library of Vermont Congressman George Perkins Marsh. It was the first collection acquired by the institution and was the first public print collection in the United States.

Author Helena E. Wright has just published "The First Smithsonian Collection: The European Engravings of George Perkins Marsh and the Role of Prints in the National Museum" (Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, 2015). Wright will discuss and sign her work on Thursday, Oct. 22, at noon in the Mary Pickford Theater, located on the third floor of the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. This Books & beyond event is co-sponsored by the Library’s Center for the Book and its Prints and Photographs Division. It is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.