THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM
Jesse Erickson, PhD, named Astor Curator and Department Head, Printed Books and Bindings
Dr. Erickson’s research specializations include ethnobibliography, African American print culture, and the transnational publishing history of the Victorian-period author Ouida (the pseudonym of English novelist Maria Louise Ramé). Most recently, at the University of Delaware he held the positions of Coordinator of Special Collections and Digital Humanities, Assistant Professor in the Department of English, and Associate Director of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center. In 2021 Dr. Erickson was named Co-Editor of The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America. In addition to organizing exhibitions at the University of Delaware, Dr. Erickson co-curated “I Am an American! The Authorship and Activism of Alice Dunbar-Nelson,” an online exhibition developed through a partnership between The Rosenbach Library, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press. Dr. Erickson holds a master’s in Library and Information Science and a doctorate in Information Studies from the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.
“Dr. Erickson is a rising star in the world of special collections curators and librarians, whose knowledge about, and enthusiasm for, the history of the printed word will create new opportunities around the Morgan’s distinguished collection,” said Dr. Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum. “The Morgan’s curators are the driving force behind our exhibitions and scholarly and public programs,” said Lawrence R. Ricciardi, President of the Board of Trustees. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Erickson. His expertise and experience will be vital in the role of developing, interpreting, and conserving the Morgan’s printed books collection.”
“Joining the Morgan Library & Museum represents one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Dr. Erickson. “I have long believed in the Morgan’s mission to develop, research, and interpret world-class collections for the advancement of learning and the enjoyment of the widest public. With such a rich variety of exhibitions and programs, in this position I see the opportunity to join a global conversation about the importance of art, history and culture, to expand the cultural narrative, and to enrich the direction of our field.”
