Department of
Special Collections
Holiday Hours
Closed Dec. 26 (university holiday);
open 12-4 p.m. Dec. 27-30;
closed Jan. 2 (university holiday).
Regular hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) resume on Jan. 3.
Exhibit Extended
Jesuits and the Construction of Knowledge, 1540–1773
Now on display through February 3, 2012
As missionaries, scholars, teachers, authors, and members of learned academies, members of the Society of Jesus exerted great influence on the world of early modern European learning. Though such activities attracted critique both thoughtful and scurrilous, the wide scope of Jesuit contributions to scholarship in fields from astronomy to zoology, from linguistics to music, invites re-examination. This exhibit, drawing on extensive holdings in Special Collections of illustrated works by Jesuit authors, explores their role in the construction of knowledge from the establishment of the Society of Jesus in 1540 through its papal suppression in 1773. The books on display feature intriguing illustrations ranging from scientific diagrams and maps to natural history illustrations, musical notation, and ethnographic representations. More »