The Why, How, What, and Result of Almost 65 Years of Rare Book Collecting
Channel: Special Collections & Archives, UIowa Libraries
Date: 16/09/2021

Iowa Bibliophiles is a group for book lovers and enthusiasts of all kinds. Join us each month as we bring in a guest speaker to talk about some aspect of book collecting, book history, book making, and more. 

On September 8, 2021, Allan D. Vestal Chair and Associate Dean Emeritus Arthur Bonfield joined us for a talk about his collecting journey over the last 65 years. Bonfield discussed questions like how he chose and found books, what attracted him to particular books, the rational for collecting, along with some details of the process of his collecting and the effects it has on him personally.  

The talk also explores how collecting one subject and one book led to another subject and another book, and how Bonfield has learned to navigate the rare book industry. Finally, the talk will reflect on the educational and intellectual growth Bonfield has experienced as a result of his 65 years of book collecting.

#IowaBibliophiles
#ArthurBonfield
#rare books


The University of Iowa Acknowledgement of Land and Sovereignty:
The University of Iowa is located on the homelands of the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe (Chippewa), Báxoǰe (Iowa), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Omāēqnomenēwak (Menominee), Myaamiaki (Miami), Nutachi (Missouri), Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Wahzhazhe (Osage), Jiwere (Otoe), Odawaa (Ottawa), Póⁿka (Ponca), Bodéwadmi/Neshnabé (Potawatomi), Meskwaki/Nemahahaki/Sakiwaki (Sac and Fox), Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda (Sioux), Sahnish/Nuxbaaga/Nuweta (Three Affiliated Tribes) and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Nations. The following tribal nations, Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa), Póⁿka (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), Meskwaki (Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa), and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) Nations continue to thrive in the State of Iowa and we continue to acknowledge them. As an academic institution, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the sovereignty and the traditional territories of these tribal nations, and the treaties that were used to remove these tribal nations, and the histories of dispossession that have allowed for the growth of this institution since 1847. Consistent with the University's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, understanding the historical and current experiences of Native peoples will help inform the work we do; collectively as a university to engage in building relationships through academic scholarship, collaborative partnerships, community service, enrollment and retention efforts acknowledging our past, our present and future Native Nations.

To learn more about the four tribal nations still thriving in the State of Iowa, please check out these sites: 

Meskwaki (Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa):  
https://iowaculture.gov/history/educa... 
https://www.meskwaki.org/​ 

Umoⁿhoⁿ  (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa): 
https://nebraskaeducationonlocation.o... 

 Póⁿka (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska):
 https://www.poncatribe-ne.org/​ 

Ho-Chunk (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) Nations:
 https://ho-chunknation.com/