Princeton University Library (PUL) welcomed visitors to Special Collections on May 7 for an impromptu exhibition of items themed around the papacy. 

In anticipation of the selection of a new pope, Librarians Mireille Djenno, Molly Dotson, Alan Stahl, and Eric White displayed a range of items related to Catholicism, including papal bulls, uncut indulgences, and lead seals belonging to various popes throughout history. 

“I’ve been taking a casual interest in the election of the new pope since the death of Pope Francis, and it occurred to me early in the week that we, the Special Collections curators, could probably pull together a cohesive set of objects related to the papacy in fairly short order,” said Djenno. “Eric White, the head of the curatorial team, was very supportive, as were my curatorial and public services colleagues, who pitched in with ideas and labor.”

Despite the short notice, visitors from around town and campus filled the Special Collections large classroom to see the selections. 

“Amid all of the indulgences and rare books, I liked the bright pop of color from the Marvel comic book,” said Amy Vo, Processing Archivist. “Seeing that was really refreshing and fun, and makes you think about the continued impact of the papacy into modern times.” 

Among the other visitors to the pop-up were Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections Public Services Sara Logue and her parents. 

“Choosing a new pope is an incredibly important moment for the Catholic Church,” said Logue. “The papacy can be traced back thousands of years, and while we don't have a papal item that is quite that old in Special Collections, for my parents, seeing material dating back as far as the 13th century was a way to make a tangible connection to that long history of something that is so personal to them.”

Djenno highlighted an indulgence from 1313 as her favorite of the bunch. 

“It’s just gorgeous. Twelve of its original 15 pendant wax seals remain intact, and it is a beautifully layered (literally and figuratively) object,” said Djenno. 

But why does PUL have so many papal items? The most straightforward answer might be: by chance. 

Though the Library doesn’t collect comprehensively across subjects and disciplines, its curators have, over time, fleshed out collections of diverse and perhaps unexpected materials.

“It sounds a bit trite, but the research opportunities in Special Collections really are endless,” Djenno said. “They range from bibliographic and book historical research to numismatics and sigillography.”

Logue added, “Now, more than ever, the work of everyone in the department is centered around developing diverse collections and making them available to the world.”

Special Collections is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. during the academic year. Please visit the site for more information on how to visit Special Collections.