Dr. John A. Buchtel, “A Picture of a Book is Not a Book”

February 7, 2018 at the Boston Athenæum. For two centuries the members and proprietors of the Boston Athenæum have pooled their resources, interests, and expertise to create an extraordinary shared collection of rare books. From a hand-colored copy of the monumental 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle to the imaginative sculptural structures of contemporary book artist Julie Chen, the books in the Athenæum's collection are available to each and every member, as well as to a broader community of scholars, learners, and book-lovers. Incoming Curator of Rare Books and Head of Special Collections Dr. John A. Buchtel explores what it means for an athenæum to continue collecting, cataloging, preserving, and providing access to physical books in our increasingly digital age. Books, he argues, convey a range of meaning, emotional and aesthetic power, and historical connectedness that extends far beyond their texts. Drawing on examples he has encountered during two decades in the field, Buchtel meditates on the human presences revealed in books considered as artifacts: their producers, owners, and readers. Offering examples of books he anticipates pulling off the shelves when he takes up his new position at the Boston Athenӕum in June 2018, he reflects as well on the first-hand enjoyment of finely wrought bookbindings, illustrations, and typography.