Audubon Letters, Drawings, Folios Shown at Widener

Exhibitions of bird drawings by the great naturalist Audubou, of mementoes of famous Gilbert and Sullivan operatta productions, and of notable Norwegian books and manuscripts are now open to the public at the Widener Library of Harvard University.

Included in the Audubon exhibit are original sketches by the naturalist-artist of the cat-bird, screech, owl the Carolina parrot (now extinct), belted kingfisher, white-throated sparrow, and chuck-will's widow. Also shown are four volumes of the huge "Birds of America" published in the years 1827 to 1838. There are original letters written by Audubon, one of them carrying his personal seal, marked by a wild turkey and the motto "America My Country."

In the Gibert and Sullivan display are handbills, programs, and pictures, tracing the developments of the operettas from their original performances to the present day. Features of the exhibit are photographs of the modern D'Gyly Carte productions and of the recent "swing" versions produced in New York.

Among the Norwegian books shown are some of the great early works of this literature, in manuscript and printed form. One case is devoted to the works of Bjornstjerne Bjornson, modern Norwegian poet, novelist, and dramatist; and another case to the works of Ibsen.