Collections and Critiques

On view in Widener Library this week are two exhibitions of unusual interest. One, historic mementoes of the Hasty Pudding Club, coincides with the opening last night of their latest show; the other, original drawings of American birds by John James Audubon, is current with the recent revival of interest in the famous works of the naturalist-artist.

In the Hasty Pudding display the first club operetta. "Dido and Aeneas," written by Owen Wister and presented in 1882, is represented by the original playbill and a photograph of the cast. The club gave its first stage production in 1845, a burlesque called "Bombastes Furioso," held in a member's room in Hollis Hall. Many Hasty Pudding show books are displayed, including the "Famous Fakirs" of 1908, its first modern musical comedy, and "The Sphinx," the only show staged professionally after its Harvard appearance.