Animals Are Us: Anthropomorphism in Children’s Literature; Celebrating the Peter J. Solomon Collection
Why do we tell stories to children through and about animals? Are there reasons why we shouldn’t? Animals Are Us invites explores these questions and more through influential historic examples of anthropomorphism in dialogue with contemporary books drawn from the collection of Peter J. Solomon (Harvard College Class of 1960, MBA 1963) and the holdings of Houghton Library. The exhibition invites you to engage critically with animal anthropomorphism, and delight in the artfulness of this enduring literary genre. Catalog of an exhibition on view at Houghton Library, Harvard University, September 1, 2021 - January 7, 2022.
Why do we tell stories to children through and about animals? Are there reasons why we shouldn’t? Animals Are Us invites explores these questions and more through influential historic examples of anthropomorphism in dialogue with contemporary books drawn from the collection of Peter J. Solomon (Harvard College Class of 1960, MBA 1963) and the holdings of Houghton Library. The exhibition invites you to engage critically with animal anthropomorphism, and delight in the artfulness of this enduring literary genre.
Catalog of an exhibition on view at Houghton Library, Harvard University, September 1, 2021 - January 7, 2022.
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GAME CHANGERS<br />
Published almost two centuries apart, this board game<br />
and book reflect cultural shifts <strong>in</strong> publish<strong>in</strong>g for children<br />
<strong>in</strong> different ways. Julián Is a Mermaid was groundbreak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> its imag<strong>in</strong>ative and accessible celebration of gender<br />
nonconformity, while <strong>the</strong> dynamic visual concept of<br />
<strong>the</strong> Royal Game of <strong>the</strong> Dolph<strong>in</strong> was decades ahead of<br />
contemporary children’s literature <strong>in</strong> terms of scale and<br />
use of color. The colorful look of children’s literature was<br />
only made possible by radical advances <strong>in</strong> affordable color<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>t technology <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> second half of <strong>the</strong> n<strong>in</strong>eteenth<br />
century. Today, <strong>the</strong> board game <strong>in</strong>dustry, like children’s<br />
book publishers, is beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to address <strong>the</strong> lack of<br />
cultural representation <strong>in</strong> its products.<br />
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