Eye of the Expert: Backs and Bottoms at the Boston Athenaeum

Eye of the Expert: Backs and Bottoms

Carolle Morini, Mary Warnament, and Hannah Weisman

Have you ever been tempted to peek behind a painting to see what's hiding on the back? Do you ever wish you could open an exhibit case to open a book that's on display to see what's inside? Athenæum colleagues Carolle Morini, Mary Warnement, and Hannah Weisman invite BA members to get up close to materials from the Athenæum's special collections as they explore marks, messages, and irregularities hiding behind, underneath, and inside Athenæum books, documents, and artworks.

Carolle Morini is Caroline D. Bain Archivist and Reference Librarian at the Boston Athenæum. In her role at the Athenæum she manages the institutional archive, including selecting materials to save, making materials available to researchers, and interpreting them in exhibitions and programs. She holds an MA in history with a concentration in early American poetry and an MLS with a concentration in archives management from Simmons College. She earned her BFA in photography at Montserrat College of Art. Prior to joining the staff of the Boston Athenæum in 2007, Morini worked in libraries and archives of other area cultural institutions, including the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Peabody Essex Museum.