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A Quiet Celebration of Whitman's 200Th Birthday: a Collaborative Collaborative Librarianship Volume 12 Issue 3 Issues 3 & 4 Article 4 3-10-2021 A Quiet Celebration of Whitman’s 200th Birthday: A Collaborative Opportunity to Discover, Grow, and Share a Collection Blythe E. Roveland-Brenton Binghamton University, [email protected] Bern Mulligan Binghamton University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Roveland-Brenton, Blythe E. and Mulligan, Bern (2021) "A Quiet Celebration of Whitman’s 200th Birthday: A Collaborative Opportunity to Discover, Grow, and Share a Collection," Collaborative Librarianship: Vol. 12 : Iss. 3 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol12/iss3/4 This From the Field is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Collaborative Librarianship by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Roveland-Brenton & Mulligan.: A Quiet Celebration From the Field A Quiet Celebration of Whitman’s 200th Birthday: A Collaborative Opportunity to Discover, Grow, and Share a Collection Blythe E. Roveland-Brenton ([email protected]) Head of Special Collections, Binghamton University Libraries Bern Mulligan ([email protected]) Associate Librarian & Subject Librarian for English, Philosophy, and Theatre Binghamton University Libraries Abstract Over the past several years, special collections libraries and archives have been more proactive in engag- ing in educational outreach and promoting forward-facing programs. Additionally, subject and special collections librarians have sought ways to expand their collaboration to maximize their reach and impact. The occasion of the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth was the perfect opportunity for two librar- ians at Binghamton University to collaborate, promote a jewel from the Libraries’ holdings, build a stronger collection, and interact with local audiences through an exhibit and events. Keywords: Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, special collections, exhibits, collaboration, collection develop- ment, outreach Introduction that deserves much more cultivation at our insti- tution is the one between special collections and Binghamton University, located in the Southern subject librarians. The “invisible walls”1 be- Tier of Upstate New York, is part of the State tween special collections and other library de- University of New York (SUNY) system. partments have been noted in many academic li- Founded in 1946, it has an enrollment of about braries and increasingly identifying strategies 18,000 graduate and undergraduate students. for removing barriers has become a topic of dis- The Special Collections Department of the Bing- cussion within the profession. hamton University Libraries consists of over 100,000 books, more than 2,000 linear feet of ar- One of the treasures in our Special Collections is chival and manuscript collections, and a variety a first edition of Walt Whitman’s masterpiece, of art and realia. Like many special collections li- Leaves of Grass (hereafter referred to as LoG). braries and archives at academic institutions of Aware that May 31, 2019 would mark Whit- all sizes, the department has sought ways to man’s 200th birthday, in the late fall of 2018 promote its holdings and partner with those in- Blythe Roveland-Brenton, who had recently side and outside the library to expand its reach started as Head of Special Collections, asked and impact. One cross-departmental partnership Collaborative Librarianship 12(3/4): 218-230 (2020) 218 Roveland-Brenton & Mulligan.: A Quiet Celebration Bern Mulligan, Subject Librarian for English, with: identity, love, sexuality, democracy, loss, Philosophy, and Theatre, if he would be inter- and death. Or the fact that he was such a shame- ested in working together on an exhibit to com- less self-promoter and had a larger-than-life per- memorate the milestone. Together we discov- sona, which appeals to the reality-show mental- ered the surprising richness of the collection re- ity of today’s world. Regardless, he remains an lated to Whitman’s work at Binghamton and important icon to be read and studied. found the occasion was a chance for collabora- tion, collection building, and outreach. Leaves of Grass in the Binghamton University Libraries To say that Whitman’s bicentennial was a big The Libraries’ Holdings Before 2019 deal is an understatement, and a multitude of li- braries, organizations, and communities com- Many scholars argue that there were only six memorated it with exhibitions and events on a truly distinct American editions of LoG printed grand scale. These programs were significant, with altogether new typesets during Whitman’s wide-reaching, and inspiring, and were realized lifetime. These include the 1855, 1856, 1860, through extraordinary planning and effort. In 1867, 1871-72, and 1881 editions. But others our own small but earnest way, we participated maintain that several additional printings, in- in the conversation about the significance of cluding the “Deathbed Edition” of 1891-92, Whitman’s work and provided our local audi- should be counted.3 Special Collections holds ences a chance to engage with items in their own the 1855, 1860, 1871-72, 1881, and 1891-92 edi- backyard. We threw an intimate party, not a tions, along with numerous other permutations gala event, but felt it was a successful one none- of the work published during and after his life. theless. Working together with librarians, staff, The core of Special Collections’ holdings of LoG and teaching faculty, we were able to assess and came to us as gifts and were central to the ex- augment our collections related to LoG and im- hibit. plement several strategies to reach different au- diences. The entire project encompassed ten The slender first edition was published in 1855 months from start to finish, including concept at the printing shop of the Rome Brothers in formulation, research, selection, acquisition, la- Brooklyn, New York. Whitman paid for the bel writing, publicity, installation, and hosting a printing job from his own pocket and is thought variety of events. to have set some of the type.4 Whitman’s name does not appear as the author on the title page, Why Whitman? only in the copyright statement as Walter Whit- man. An engraving of the poet, posing relaxed Some people might wonder why the “Good in work clothes, the champion of the common Gray Poet” remains so intriguing to modern man, is on the frontispiece. A ten-page preface readers and still holds such a high place in the and several pages of reviews (some of which American literary canon today. Although there were penned by Whitman, “...preferring always have been many great American poets since to speak for himself rather than have others Whitman, he is often considered our “most speak for him”5) precede six poems titled influential and innovative poet.”2 Perhaps it is “Leaves of Grass” and six untitled poems. the accessibility of his free verse to the modern reader that has made his poetry have such a last- ing impact, or the themes which his poetry deals Collaborative Librarianship 12(3/4): 218-230 (2020) 219 Roveland-Brenton & Mulligan.: A Quiet Celebration Figure 1. Frontispiece with an engraving of Whitman in the first edition of Leaves of Grass held by Binghamton University Libraries’ Special Collections Binghamton University Libraries received its increase for any of the editions. Whitman experi- copy of the first edition (second state) many dec- mented with grouping some poems into what he ades ago. It belonged to C. Mossman McLean, a termed “clusters” which he continued to use prominent local businessman and avid book col- and rearrange throughout subsequent editions.8 lector who ran a family-owned department store. The volume is bound in binding “B” The fifth edition (1871-72) was a work in pro- (green cloth with some gilt stamping), one of an gress. No less than three iterations of the work estimated 262 issued this way.6 Our copy has were published during this two-year span. For some additional clippings glued on the paste- the first time, Drum-Taps, his response to the 9 downs and fly leaves. One is a review published Civil War, was absorbed into LoG. Our copy in- by noted journalist Fanny Fern in the New York cludes the separately paginated annex, Passage to Ledger on May 10, 1856, who called the work India. “unspeakably delicious.”7 The sixth edition (1881) represents the culmina- More recently, four other editions were donated tion of LoG. The text of the poems (including as part of the Byrne Fone Collection of Gay seventeen new ones) as well as their groupings Studies: the third, fifth, sixth, and Deathbed edi- and placement would remain the same for the tions. The third edition (1860) has 178 poems, rest of Whitman’s life. Although he would con- 146 of which were new, representing the largest Collaborative Librarianship 12(3/4): 218-230 (2020) 220 Roveland-Brenton & Mulligan.: A Quiet Celebration tinue to write new poems, they would be in- Blythe expanded her wish list and submitted it cluded only as annexes in subsequent publica- to the Libraries’ Collection Steering Committee, tions.10 which approved several proposed purchases to enhance our LoG holdings. Blythe saw this as an Whitman worked on the Deathbed Edition opportunity to grow an already respectable col- (1891-92) until just a few months before he died lection and the timing was perfect for inclusion on March 26, 1892. There were only minor in the exhibit for Whitman’s 200th birthday. changes from the previous edition. Two annexes Some purchases were targeted specifically to were included but were not integrated into the round out the narrative that we were develop- 11 overall structure of the main work.
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