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.
3 Johann Amos Comenius (Czech, 1592–1670, author) Alexander Anderson (American, 1775–1870, illustrator) Charles Hoole (English, 1610–1667, translator) Orbis sensualium pictus . . . or, A Nomenclature, and Pictures of All the Chief Things That Are in the World . . . New York: T. & J. Swords, 1810 18 x 11 cm Houghton Library, Educ 253.1.62.5* By exchange, 1936 This is a later edition of the first illustrated book for teaching children, published in Europe in 1658. Comenius’s child-friendly approach, marrying word and image, was innovative for the time. The book enjoyed enormous success, and numerous translations rapidly followed. The page on view in the first US edition shows some of God’s inventory of the animal kingdom and the sounds they make. Humans and animals are integrated, and the latter demonstrate remarkably human attributes. 34
4 Charles Perrault (French, 1628–1703, author) Unknown illustrator Histoire ou contes du temps passé: avec des moralitez Paris: Chez Claude Barbin, 1697 (2nd edition) 16 x 10 cm Houghton Library, FC6.P4262.697hb2 Gift of Peter J. Solomon, 2019 Charles Perrault was not the first to publish fairy tales, but his were the most entertaining, ensuring longevity and influence. Le Chat Botté, or Puss in Boots, tells of an anthropomorphic cat who achieves power and wealth through manipulative trickery to arrange an advantageous marriage for his lowborn master. Perrault encourages boys to be heroic and witty despite their low social status. Using animals to convey such lessons became an important feature in future tales. 35
- Page 1: ANIMALS ARE US Anthropomorphism in
- Page 5 and 6: ANIMALS ARE US Anthropomorphism in
- Page 7: Table of Contents Foreword Thomas H
- Page 10 and 11: another throughout history, childre
- Page 12 and 13: x
- Page 14 and 15: focusing on children’s literature
- Page 16 and 17: finance, two areas in which I have
- Page 18 and 19: 6
- Page 20 and 21: E. B. White his Garth Williams, to
- Page 22 and 23: in 1760, “We don’t form a true
- Page 24 and 25: figure 4. Garth Williams. Frontispi
- Page 26 and 27: William B. Osgood Field; John McAnd
- Page 28 and 29: 16
- Page 30 and 31: Stories with anthropomorphized anim
- Page 32 and 33: called for their censure, and libra
- Page 34 and 35: does not support the normalization
- Page 36 and 37: irds—play a critical role in his
- Page 38 and 39: As in The Lion and the Mouse, Black
- Page 40 and 41: notes 1 Maria Nikolajeva, “Animal
- Page 42 and 43: 30
- Page 44 and 45: 1 Ovid (Roman, 43 BCE-17/18 CE, aut
- Page 48 and 49: 5 J. J. Grandville (French, 1803-18
- Page 50 and 51: 7 Unknown author Gustav Sigismund P
- Page 52 and 53: 8 Jean de La Fontaine (French, 1621
- Page 54 and 55: 10 Aesop (Greece, 620-564 BCE, auth
- Page 56 and 57: 12 Alexander Calder (American, 1898
- Page 58 and 59: 14 Rudyard Kipling (British, 1865-1
- Page 60 and 61: 48
- Page 62 and 63: 16 Attributed to Oliver Goldsmith (
- Page 64 and 65: 18 Charles H. Bennett (British, 182
- Page 66 and 67: 20 L. Frank Baum (American, 1856-19
- Page 68 and 69: 22 Beatrix Potter (British, 1866-19
- Page 70 and 71: 24 Charles Addams (American, 1912-1
- Page 72 and 73: 60
- Page 74 and 75: 26 Thomas Bewick (British, 1753-182
- Page 76 and 77: 28 Edward Lear (British, 1812-1888,
- Page 78 and 79: 30 Lulu Delacre (American, born 195
- Page 80 and 81: 32 Innosanto Nagara (Indonesian, bo
- Page 82 and 83: 33 Joel Chandler Harris (American,
- Page 84 and 85: 35 Julius Lester (American, 1939-20
- Page 86 and 87: 37 E. B. White (American, 1899-1985
- Page 88 and 89: 39 Dr. Seuss [Theodor Geisel] (Amer
- Page 90 and 91: 40 Photograph of Beatrix Potter as
- Page 92 and 93: 42 Beatrix Potter (British, 1866-19
- Page 94 and 95: 44 Wanda Gág (American, 1893-1946,
3<br />
Johann Amos Comenius (Czech, 1592–1670, author)<br />
Alexander Anderson (American, 1775–1870, illustrator)<br />
Charles Hoole (English, 1610–1667, translator)<br />
Orbis sensualium pictus . . . or, A Nomenclature, and<br />
Pictures of All <strong>the</strong> Chief Th<strong>in</strong>gs That <strong>Are</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> World . . .<br />
New York: T. & J. Swords, 1810<br />
18 x 11 cm<br />
Houghton Library, Educ 253.1.62.5*<br />
By exchange, 1936<br />
This is a later edition of <strong>the</strong> first illustrated book for<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>g children, published <strong>in</strong> Europe <strong>in</strong> 1658. Comenius’s<br />
child-friendly approach, marry<strong>in</strong>g word and image, was<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative for <strong>the</strong> time. The book enjoyed enormous<br />
success, and numerous translations rapidly followed. The<br />
page on view <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> first US edition shows some of God’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>ventory of <strong>the</strong> animal k<strong>in</strong>gdom and <strong>the</strong> sounds <strong>the</strong>y<br />
make. Humans and animals are <strong>in</strong>tegrated, and <strong>the</strong> latter<br />
demonstrate remarkably human attributes.<br />
34
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