Taken as a whole, these volumes showcase the remarkable breadth and richness of Bowdoin College’s rare book collections, ranging widely from classical texts printed during the Renaissance to 21st-century artists’ books. Such rarities as Audubon’s double elephant folio The Birds of America, E. S. Curtis’s monumental The North American Indian, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s scarce first novel, Fanshawe, are featured along with others that exemplify extraordinary skill in printmaking, literary accomplishment, and publishing. These items have been chosen for their importance either in the history of the printed book, their significance for scholarship or literature, or as elegant examples of fine printing, bookbinding, or artistry.