Portugal 1910-2010 [exhibit]

This library exhibit commemorates the past one hundred years of Portugal’s most recent history. Drawn primarily from library materials in the Gardner (Main) Stacks’ extraordinary collection of books, journals and official publications, the exhibit also celebrates Portugal’s first centennial as a republic – Europe’s third oldest only to France and Switzerland. As is true of most national histories, much of the scholarship surrounding such an achievement remains accessible only through the vernacular languages of the respective countries, in this case Portuguese, the sixth most spoken language in the world.

The UC Berkeley Library takes pride in having acquired publications from Portugal since the 19th century and today possesses one of the largest research collections of its kind in the United States. This is due in part to fortuitous acquisitions like the Joaquim Menezes gift of 1950 and the Camara da Souza collection acquired in 1966, but also to the efforts of generations of faculty and librarians who built up these rich printed treasures to meet current research and instructional needs.

After showcasing in the Bancroft Library Corridor, most of the exhibit will travel to the Portuguese Historical Museum in San José. By exhibiting in two different locations, it is our hope that the exhibition will reach those of Portuguese heritage living in California and promote the Library’s unique resources to the broader community of scholars and curious independent learners.

An interactive online version, or reflection rather, of the exhibit is also available on the Townsend Humanities Lab web site which includes a bibliography all materials on display and consulted in preparation for the exhibit.

Curated by Deolinda Adão and Claude Potts with invaluable help from Steve Mendoza and Eric Kotila. Special thanks to Charles Faulhaber, Alison Wannamaker, Gordon Chun (and team).

Sponsored by the UC Berkeley Library, Portuguese Studies Program, Institute of European Studies, Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Instituto Camões, Consulate General of Portugal, San Francisco, Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações do Centenário da República