The Art of the Book
The William E. Blake Jr. collection of True Life comics from the 1940s is part of the large collection of comic art at VCU’s James Branch Cabell Library.
The James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University has one of the largest collections of book art, comic art and art exhibition catalogs in the nation.
With more than 3,000 items, the VCU book art collection is international in scope. Many publications date from the 1960s to the present, covering every aspect of contemporary book art publications.
“Our book art includes books by Richmond and Virginia artists, pop-up books, and books about making book art that Richmonders would like,” said Ray Bonis, VCU archivist.
Cabell Library’s comic art collection is one of the largest in the nation. There are more than 30,000 comic books, not to mention editorial cartoons and comic strips.
“Anyone can come in and read the first issues of X-Men and Spider Man from the 1960s,”said Bonis.
The comics show how comic art has evolved. Many editorial cartoons mark international events, such as World War II.
Cabell Library also has the largest collection of Richmond vintage postcards. They depict the social and cultural attitudes of the time.
With its wide selection and different mediums, the special collection holds rare treasures for anyone interested in art. For information, call 828-1111 or visit library.vcu.edu
This article originally published in Discover Richmond. Click here to view more Discover articles, or send us an e-mail to request a copy of the magazine.
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