The Editor Visits Special Collections

(Hi
 

T
 

'^HE ELEVATORS in Butler Library go only to the
sixth floor: to reach the aerie of Roland Baughman,
Head of Special CoUections, your Editor had to keep
climbing—up two flights of grimly fire-proofed iron stairs, then
along a narrow corridor to Room 801. Pushing open the door we
stepped into a room whose stately proportions, after the tortuous
approach, were a surprise; and the book-lined walls, the gallery,
the busts and the oak furniture in the style of the 17th Century
gave an impression of a sanctuary which had drawn a little apart
from the lower reaches of business-like Butler.

Addison, in one of the Spectator papers, describes the books he
found while waiting in the antechamber of a lady of fashion, thus
giving the reader a sly pen-portrait of the lady herself. So, while
we waited for Mr. Baughman, we glanced over the contents of
Room 801 — not, of coturse, with any designs on the personality of
the Librarian, but to see if we could pick up a few clues to the Col¬
lections in his charge.

Two larger than Ufe-size busts of Benjamin Franklin and of the
printer T. L. De Vinne first caught our eye. Typography was
much in evidence, for there was a small hand press, and an exhibi¬
tion in glass cases of antique instruments of the printer's craft.
Next, among a clutter of books in old leather bindings, we came
on a great parchment with an ancient wax seal. We puzzled out
the words: "Edvardus del gra. Rex Angl.," and decided that this
must be one of the English "Edwards one, two and three"; prob¬
ably Edward I from the early appearance of the seal, with tiny
Norman arches in the king's throne. Next to it, by way of con¬
trast, was a first edition (191 o) of Hopalong Cassidy, by Clarence
E. Mulford! The sense of contrast rapidly increased as our eye fell
on a carton labelled "Cooked spaghetti in tomato sauce with
cheese."

28