In 1688, Jean Olry, a Frenchman living in Martinique, savoured pineapple for the first time—a rare luxury for Europeans in the seventeenth century. Two years later, while writing his autobiographical account, he vividly recalled the pineapple’s exquisite appearance, declaring it “the most beautiful fruit in all the Indies…[and] indeed, the whole earth.” He also fondly…

On February 21-22, historians Carla Gardina Pestana (UCLA) and Gabriel de Avilez Rocha (Brown) curated a lively second conference on the Early Global Caribbean. Historians, literary scholars, and archaeologists convened at the Clark Library to discuss the theme of “Convictions.” Both early career and established scholars delivered ingenious papers on the Caribbean before the sugar…

During my time as a Fellow at the Clark Library, I focused on watermarks in early modern cookbooks, exploring how they can provide valuable insights and add new layers of meaning to our interpretation of manuscript culture. While working with the recipe books, I examined the collection of household manuscripts (MS.2016.009), which originated from a…

On Sunday, December 15, 2024, the Center & Clark were delighted to host the Balourdet Quartet for a return engagement during the 30th anniversary season of Chamber Music at the Clark. Among the guests in attendance was composer Nicky Sohn, who introduced her composition “Galaxy Back to You,” which was premiered at this event. It’s…

UCLA Newsroom contacted students and faculty for their reflections on the question, “What is magic?” Director Carla Pestana and Clark Librarians shared a wealth of holdings on the topic of magic at the Clark Library. Their contribution can be found at the end of the UCLA Newsroom article What is Magic?  under the heading “MAGICAL TOME TIME“….

The Clark Library, in collaboration with the American Trust for the British Library (ATBL), will offer the option for applicants for 2025-26 Clark Library Short-Term Research Fellowships also to be considered for ATBL Research Fellowship Program support, designated to fund research at the British Library. The ATBL Research Fellowship is an add-on short-term fellowship that…

A performance by the New York-based Calidore String Quartet kicked off the 30th season of Chamber Music at the Clark. The Nov. 17 recital was dedicated to the memory of Peter Hanns Reill (1938–2019), who founded the concert series and served for nearly two decades as its director. In addition to the Calidore’s performance, the program featured…

On October 18-19, the UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library hosted the first conference in this year’s Core Program on the Early Global Caribbean, bringing together scholars to explore the cultural, political, and economic convergences that defined the early Caribbean world. The conference’s overarching theme, the interactions between Indigenous peoples, Africans, and European colonizers, showcased…

The Caribbean has always been a region of dynamic convergence, where peoples, ideas, and technologies intermingled in complicated ways. In her talk, “Caribbean Kaleidoscope: Convergence and Transformation in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries,” Professor Ida Altman of the University of Florida explored this history on Thursday, October 17 at UCLA’s William Andrews Clark Memorial Library….

Speaking in person to an intimate gathering of scholars, curators, students, and artists, followed by a lively discussion, Johanna Drucker’s spotlight talk on Los Angeles-based wood engraver Paul Landacre (1893-1963) provided important insights into an under-explored area in the Clark Library’s collection. Drucker outlined three main points: Landacre’s constant struggle to earn a living with…

During my month’s residence as a History of Science Fellow at the Clark Library, I was able to conduct archival research to support my doctoral dissertation, “On Vegetables and Vermin: The Politics of Insect-Plant Encounters from the Early Modern to the Anthropocene.” This project foregrounds the ways in which interactions between plants and insects, from…

In 2024-25 the Center for 17th-and-18th-Century Studies and Clark Library celebrate the 30th anniversary of Chamber Music at the Clark, which began in 1994 as a tribute to William Andrews Clark Jr. The Clark Library’s founder, William Andrews Clark, Jr., was also founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and personally covered all of the…

On October 10, 2024, the Clark Library continued our Arts on The Grounds programming with a lecture and demonstration of “Kunqu Opera Performance: Techniques and Characteristics,” sponsored by UCLA Asia Pacific Center and Center for Chinese Studies. Elements of the event included a robust book display, as well as costuming representative of some of the…

On Sunday, September 28, over 180 visitors graced the grounds of the UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library for its annual open house and adopt-a-book fair. Our staff invited scholars, local families, curious community members, and regular supporters of the Clark Library to explore our historic rare book and manuscript library, built in 1926 by…

Congratulations to Clark Head Librarian Anna Chen, who has been appointed Associate University Librarian for Special Collections and Director of Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina, and who will be leaving the Clark Library as of October 2024. In her new role, she will oversee 50 staff in 5 curatorial units: Research and…

The Center and Clark thank the following for their generous support during 2023–2024: Major Supporters The Ahmanson Foundation Catherine G. Benkaim and Barbara A. Timmer Legacy Fund Frances L. Brody* Garden Endowment at The Clark Memorial Library Henry J. Bruman* Endowments for Chamber Music at the Clark and Summer Chamber Music Festival Dr. Paul L….