Hesburgh Libraries

Exhibit Update

As of March 16, the Specialized Collections Reading Room will be closed until further notice, except by appointment for faculty in support of critical, online teaching needs. All tours and in-person classes are currently suspended.

Please email rarebook@nd.edu or archives@nd.edu with inquiries.

Exhibit Overview

Paws, Hooves, Fins, and Feathers presents the animals of early modern European books of natural history. A hippo, sloth, anteater, lion, and more, complement our featured rhinoceros! Classical descriptions, empirical observation, available print technologies, and imagination inform the appearance of these unique creatures. Together they offer a window into the fluid spaces between art and science, legend and observation in the European world between 1500 and 1800.

Also on exhibit are several animal specimens on loan from the University of Notre Dame’s Museum of Biodiversity.

We welcome animal lovers of all ages to join us for this exhibition!

This exhibit was curated by:
Erika R. Hosselkus, PhD, Curator, Rare Books and Special Collections
Julie Tanaka, PhD, Curator and Western European History Librarian

See all exhibits currently on display in Rare Books & Special Collections.