Category: News

Front facade of Houghton Library

Announcing the Winner of the Inaugural American Trust for the British Library Fellowship at Houghton Library

The American Trust for the British Library (ATBL) and Houghton Library are pleased to announce that Lauren Eriks Cline, Assistant Professor of English at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, has been awarded the first American Trust for the British Library Fellowship at Houghton Library. This visiting fellowship, a joint initiative between the two institutions, supports a…

2020 Philip Hofer Prize Winners

On April 8, 2020, three Harvard students were named winners of the Philip Hofer Prize for Collecting Books or Art. The Hofer Prize was established by Melvin R. Seiden, A.B. ‘52, L.L.B. ‘55, to encourage student interest in collecting. It is awarded annually to a student or students whose collections of books or works of art…

Announcing Houghton’s 2020-2021 New England Regional Fellowship Consortium Fellows

The New England Regional Fellowship Consortium consists of 30 major cultural agencies. Annually, NERFC offers about two dozen $5,000 grants so researchers in a broad array of fields can conduct a minimum of eight weeks of research at several participating institutions, which include Houghton Library, Baker Library, the Harvard Law School Library, and the Harvard University…

“The love of a ghost for a ghost”: T.S. Eliot on his letters to Emily Hale

By Leslie A. Morris, Gore Vidal Curator of Modern Books and Manuscripts, Houghton Library On November 25, 1960, four years after Emily Hale told him she was giving his letters to her to Princeton, T.S. Eliot wrote a letter to his Executors with an accompanying document. Revised on September 30, 1963, the document was sealed…

Now in Print: Reconstructing the Personal Library of William James by Ermine Algaier

A hearty congratulations to 2017–2018 Houghton Visiting Fellow Ermine L. Algaier IV, Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Monmouth College in Illinois, who recently published his book, Reconstructing the Personal Library of William James: Markings and Marginalia from the Harvard Library Collection (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Dr. Algaier provides a comprehensive account…

Apply for a 2020–2021 Houghton Library Visiting Fellowship

We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2020–2021 Houghton Library Visiting Fellowship Program, which offers funding to scholars at all stages of their careers so they may pursue projects that require in-depth research on the library’s holdings, draw on staff expertise, and participate in intellectual life at Harvard. Visiting…

August 9, 2019

By Tom Hyry, Florence Fearrington Librarian of Houghton Library At 4:00 this afternoon, August 9, 2019, Houghton Library closed its doors. Over the next 13 months, we will embark on a renovation that will make our spaces more accessible, welcoming, and useful for modern research and teaching. The library will suspend services for two weeks…

2019 Philip Hofer Prize Winners

On April 5, 2019, three Harvard students were named winners of the Philip Hofer Prize for Collecting Books or Art. The Hofer Prize was established by Melvin R. Seiden, A.B. ’52, L.L.B. ’55, to encourage student interest in collecting. It is awarded annually to a student or students whose collections of books or works of…

Houghton Library Renovation

A message from Thomas Hyry, Florence Fearrington Librarian of Houghton Library. I am pleased to announce that we will undertake a major renovation of Houghton Library with the goals of modernizing our research and teaching facilities, expanding our exhibition and display capabilities, and improving physical accessibility and visibility. Enhancements will include a new gallery space…

Announcing Houghton Library Visiting Fellows 2018-2019

Each year, Houghton Library awards visiting fellowships to support scholars whose research requires extensive use of the library’s collections. We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018-2019 awards, including two inaugural fellowships: the Maryette Charlton Fellowship for the Performing Arts, and Donald and Mary Hyde Fellowship for Research in Early Modern Black Lives, including…