Dr. Zirwat Chowdhury held an Ahmanson class at the Clark this winter called At Home in 18th —Century London. This class met weekly, at first providing grounding in the topic – with readings, discussions, and sample collection materials – and in the final weeks doing research to put together a proposal for an exhibit for the Clark exhibit cases.
Students brought out some items that do not always get requested. Examples include: pictorial playing cards with maxims on love (ca. 1700), a fan titled “England since the Conquest” (1793), and a map called A New Plan of the City of London, Westminster and Southwark (1720). These highlighted the students’ strength and persistence in researching the collections, while showcasing the range of material that the Clark has from the period.
The students presented to me, head librarian Derek Quezada Meneses, and Dr. Chowdhury, their proposed exhibit plans, and we were impressed. They had managed to create a very organized and cohesive flow between shelves and cases, incorporated some compelling visual elements, and explained their items considering a wide audience—and in just one quarter! We are looking forward to installing the final exhibit, displaying the students’ hard work, and sharing the students’ knowledge and the Clark’s resources with a wider public.
-Ikumi Crocoll, Instruction and Engagement Librarian, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library