Boston Public Library Sketchbooks

This morning was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Karen Shafts, Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the Boston Public Library. Karen was kind enough to share with me a nice selection of sketchbooks by such artists as Edmund Whitefield, Robert McClusky (author of the notable children's book Make Way for Ducklings), Peter Scott (Professor in the Print and Paper Area of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts), Hiram Merrill and Toulouse Lautrec. Plus a "mystery" sketchbook acquired from Gallery Naga some years ago. It was great to see how these artists used their sketchbooks as diaries, notebooks, daily routine journals, travel logs and study logs. McClusky's sketchbook (well, more like a sketchpad) was full of ducks ducks ducks! Preening, waddling, sleeping, eating... Whitefield included dates and times of meetings, train schedules, etc. Merrill included pressed and dried leaves and flowers for later use in watercolor paintings.

As this is a public collection, anyone can make an appointment to see these things in the BPL collection.