No Mere Curios: Finding Nabokov's Lepidopterist Inspiration in the Rare Books of Entomology

In 1948, Vladimir Nabokov published a lyrical article in The New Yorker recounting the childhood experiences at the root of his lifelong passion for the study of butterflies. Among his most vivid memories: thrilling encounters, in a dusty corner of his family’s home, with old and fantastically beautiful tomes authored and illustrated by naturalists of prior centuries. These were works that helped lay the foundation for the modern study of entomology and introduced humankind—including a young Russian boy who would become one of the most consequential novelists of the 20th century—to the mesmerizing beauty of the order Lepidoptera. A new exhibit in the Mann Library lobby introduces a selection of the volumes that guided Nabokov’s interests as a self-taught lepidopterist and shaped some of the contributions he made towards what’s currently understood about butterfly diversity and evolution.

Mann Library is pleased to offer this exhibit in conjunction with "From Nabokov's Net: Nabokov's Contributions to Butterfly Science and the Cornell University Insect Collection," an installation created in collaboration with the Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC) of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which is on display in the Mann Gallery through October 2024. 

Made possible by the Elizabeth (Betty) E. Rowley Fund and the Bondareff Family Fund for Mann Library, From Nabokov's Net and No Mere Curios are free and open to the public.