September Midday Program
During the First World War the American Red Cross mobilized fundraising with the slogan “All you need is a heart and a dollar.” It was so successful that it was quickly displayed all over the country on billboards, posters, in newspapers, and more.
That catchphrase was the inspiration of Burton Emmett — a former book agent, newspaper editor, reporter, and theatrical press agent who had become an advertising executive.
But his heart lay in collecting. Art and books. Preferably beautifully designed books.
Some of the Emmett collection will be on display as part of an exhibition called The Touch of Art: American Book Design 1880–1930 at the University of North Carolina’s Wilson Library, but you won’t need to book a trip to Chapel Hill to catch a look at it. Instead, you’ll enjoy a guided tour, with special background about Emmett. All from Tim Gress, who is curating the exhibition.
Gress is a PhD student and Graduate Teaching Fellow whose research focuses in part on the history of the book. He also serves as a graduate assistant in the Rare Book Collection at the Wilson.
If you like stories of collecting, great book design, and hearing the inside scoop about a carefully curated exhibition, then you’ll want to register. No dollar required. It’s free!
Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.
Even if you can’t attend at the scheduled time, if you’re interested, please register. After the program, we’ll send an email to all registrants, asking if you’d like a link to the complete recording. That way you can see the program even if you couldn’t attend live, ran into technical issues, or simply wanted to watch it again.
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