The Chapel Hill weekly., 1958-12-31
A photography of North Carolina

ALaA Ia a 4cilH NAiiAt - ASAPAioH "RAtg
of North Carolina by Mary Lindsay
Thornton, recently published by the
University Of North Carolina Press.
Miss Thornton retired last year after
distinguished career in the University
Library as director of the North Caro-
lima Collection. During all her time
there she was not only accommodating
records Of North Carolina history and
literature and the progress Of the State
in agriculture, business, and industry;
she was accumulating remarkably
thorough knowledge Of these records.
No other person could have produced
this book in all its excellence.
a photography can be of any length
1t may cover only page or two, 1t
may run to hundreds. This one, includ-
ing most entertaining introduction
and complete index. covers 597 pages.
There are no doubt many people who
receive with skepticism the statement
that photography makes Interesting
reading No wonder for specifically
it is just list of books, each entry Civ
ing the name Of the author, the title.
the number of pages, the publisher, and
the year of publication. Pretty dull if
YOU flip through the pages hurriedly
and carelessly, but you will find it
very different story if you give real
attention TO what's before your eyes
A most important sentence in the
introduction Of Miss Thornton's book is
this one: Publications listed are from
the catalogue of the North Carolina
Collection which includes material deal
ing With North Carolina and North
Carolinians, writing of North Caro-
linians, and periodicals published in
North Carolina" Notice the words,
material dealing with North Caro-
lima" That lets in, for example, Lord
Cornwalls and General w. T. Sherman
These two warriors qualify for admis-
sion by having marched through the
State and fought battles IN it. Their
stay here was short but they saw
North Carolina under circumstances far
more exciting than those under which
it has been seen by most of its lifelong
residents.
Anybody, examining such a book
as this, looks for the names of his kin
and friends and fellow townsmen. 1t
was by accident, though, not in search,
that turned to page l8l and saw the
names of two persons who used to live
here, one next door to me, the other
hardly more than stones throw away.
These were two Grays but no kin to
each other: Elizabeth Janet Gray, who
wrote several novels while she was on
the Library staff here and later be-
came famous by being chosen as the
tutor of the Japanese crown prince
and writing a book about that expert
ence, and Gordon Gray, President of the
University, 1950-55, whose addresses
are listed.
1t would take pages of this news
paper to name former and present mem
bers Of the University faculty whose
works are entered in this book. Among
those (some Of whom have died) who
have the longest records of authorship
are r. d. W. Connor, Edgar w. knight,
M. c. S. Noble, Joseph Gregoire de
Roulhac Hamilton, Archibald Hender-
son, Paul Green, T. F. Hickerson, Louis
r. Wilson, George Coffin Taylor, Hugh
T. Lefler, and Francis P. Venabe
1t takes only little curiosity and a
little imagination to make this biblio-
graphy of Miss Thornton's give you
lot of pleasure. The only fault that
can possibly be found with it is that
1t will arouse in the person who looks
through it the desire to read SO many
Of the books listed that he will go up to
the North Carolina Room, find the
books he wants, sit down in one of the