"Presented at Faulconer Gallery, Grinnell College from October 3 to December 15, 2013." "The exhibition at Faulconer Gallery is an edited version of the 2012 exhibition "Rooms of Wonder: From Wunderkammer to Museum 1599-1899," presented at the Grolier Club in New York."--Preface
Summary:
Exhibition catalog presents almost 100 rare and beautiful books drawn from the collection of Florence Fearrington, a former trustee of Grinnell College. Modern museums and art galleries have their origins in late Renaissance private collections of artifacts gathered for study and admiration. These collections, or "wunderkammers," were the work of scholars, kings and priests, each driven to gather pieces of the world and fashion a personally coherent whole. "From Wunderkammer to the Modern Museum" documents the fascinating intersection of science and art in these collections, and explores the shift from private spaces to public institutions.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.