New Harry Potter exhibit explores the historical science and philosophy that influenced the popular book series
A six-panel exhibition of Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine is on display from Feb. 12 – March 24 in the lower level of the Merrill-Cazier Library.
The exhibition was developed and produced by the Exhibition Program at the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and was curated by Elizabeth Bland. Its visit to Logan is hosted by USU Libraries.
The exhibition explores the science and ethical questions that affected the wizards of Harry Potter and the historical thinkers featured in the 7-book series.
Although a fantasy story, the magic in the Harry Potter books is partially based on Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science. This includes alchemy, astrology and natural philosophy, incorporating the work of several 15th and 16th century thinkers.
Bryn Wynder Jennifer Duncan, Head of Special Collections, said she brought the Harry Potter’s World exhibit to USU because they know how popular Harry Potter is among this generation of college students – and how popular Harry Potter is in Utah.
From a scholarly perspective, Duncan said it is interesting to see the connections the NLM has made between Rowling’s imaginative world and materials in their own early modern science collections, like herbals, celestial maps and bestiaries.
“They are quite beautiful and often really exemplify an integration of science and art,” Duncan said.
To prepare for this exhibit Duncan said they identified a few materials from their collection to put on display in the Hatch Room to demonstrate how their own local holdings also support the teaching of Renaissance and early modern science, magic and medicine.
Duncan said they had fun with the Harry Potter theme – hanging flying keys and candles from the ceiling, decorating the fireplace with letters from Hogwarts, and using the 1927 Agricultural College Extension Division Trophy as the “USU House Cup.”
Bryn Wynder Melanie Raney, assistant of Special Collections, said their Facebook page reached an average of 20,000 hits and has attracted young and old from throughout the community.
Raney said this exhibit was meant as a supplement to the NLM traveling display, with an intent to draw people into Special Collections so they could see the extent of their collection.
“We’re kind of hidden away here in the library basement and I think people forget we exist,” Raney said, “We have so many cool things down here, and I think this unexpected excitement will remind people our important role in preserving history.”
Raney said the Special Collections and Archives department’s focus is on the Intermountain West region, Western Americana, Mormonism and Beat poets of the Western U.S., but their main focus is to provide a wide array of items to support the history courses here on campus.
Bryn Wynder Raney said most of the Harry Potter exhibit is drawn from their collection of early modern European works. Their other notable collections include Folklore collections, fairy tale books and ephemera, and one of the largest Jack London collections in the country.
Duncan said she is a huge Harry Potter fan and read the first book when she was in graduate school. She thinks if she were to be sorted into a Hogwarts house, she would be in Ravenclaw.
“I’m one of those people who waited in line for every subsequent book – in Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Ft. Worth and here in Logan,” Duncan said.
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