Glass slipper tale is perfect fit for Cotsen
Princeton NJ -- Artists have portrayed Cinderella as
everything from a "skinny, frenetic cinderwench" to a
"fair-haired girl who longed to be included," writes curator
Andrea Immel in the Cotsen Children's Library's newest
publication.
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The 16-panel brochure features images ranging from the first illustration of Cinderella running out of the ball from the Cotsen collection's crown jewel -- one of the eight surviving copies of the 1697 first edition of Charles Perrault's fairy tales -- to Roberto Innocenti's drawing for a 1983 version of the story set in the Jazz Age. The 13 illustrations are arranged sequentially to retell Cinderella's story in pictures.
Immel selected the illustrations and provided the accompanying essay. The piece was designed by Laurel Masten Cantor, director of creative services in the Office of Communications.
The booklet's March publication coincided with the Cotsen Children's Library's third annual conference, which this year focused on the literary fairy tale. Those attending the conference received a copy of the publication.
But Immel intended it as more than a keepsake for the occasion. It was also designed to highlight the Cotsen collection's materials on the fairy tale. The library contains many copies of Perrault's fairy tales, including more than 100 18th-century editions and several hundred illustrated versions published over the last 200 years.
Immel also hopes that the publication will interest visitors to the Cotsen Children's Library gallery. She chose the story as the subject because of its wide appeal. "'Cinderella' has proven to be one of the most enduring and mutable of stories for children, even though its author never intended it exclusively for young readers," she writes in the essay.
She said many visitors are curious about the old books they can see shelved in the gallery. Immel thought this publication would offer them a peek into the research collection, which is non-circulating and available only by appointment.
"We're hoping that these publications will allow us to reach almost anybody who comes to the gallery -- from a faculty member in his or her role as a grandparent to a mother visiting on a rainy day," Immel said.
Publication of the booklet also fulfills a dream of Lloyd Cotsen '50, who gave this collection to the University library. Cotsen always has wanted visitors to be able to take away a book as a souvenir of their visit, Immel said. Last year, in honor of Cotsen's 50th class reunion, library staff members Bonnie Bernstein and Emily Strayer produced an illustrated pamphlet on the tigers whose images came from books in the research collection. The piece was given to everyone attending a class reunion in 2000.
"The tiger book was successful beyond our wildest dreams," Immel said. "It showed off the collection by offering an unusual subject that appealed to a wide range of people. As this year's academic and outreach programs have focused on the fairy tale, it seemed natural to issue a publication that related to the genre."
Through the library's Young Curators Program, students in the Princeton public schools are invited to curate an exhibition each year on a theme. This year's theme is "Fairy Tale Worlds." An exhibit on Cinderella stories around the world curated by second-graders from the Community Park School currently is on exhibit in the Cotsen gallery.
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April 30, 2001 Contents • Princeton
and Oxford build on strengths People Sections
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