Love on Paper

Love comes in all shapes and sizes, spanning the centuries and the globe – especially when expressed on paper. That’s precisely why the Newberry’s Love on Paper displays such an eclectic array of collection items, ranging from proclamations and pictures to cynical put-downs and comical send-ups of love. The exhibition features handwritten notes and mass-produced cards; Valentine verses and anti-love tableaux; tender confessions and graphic revelations of platonic, heterosexual, and same-sex adoration. This variety amounts to a statement not only about love, but about paper’s capacity to convey otherwise inexpressible feelings.

Love on Paper is the result of an experiment in organizing exhibitions at the Newberry: crowd-sourced curation. Most exhibitions develop under the direction of one or two curators. The objects and artifacts on view in Love on Paper, however, were selected—lovingly—by staff members throughout the library. The items on display thus reflect the many and varied areas of human interest and expertise, as well as the magnificent collection, gathered under the Newberry’s roof.