This announcement, along with other news at Bridwell Library, can be found in the Fall 2024 editions of The Bridwell Quarterly and The Bridwell Quill.
One need not travel across time or space to learn the stories of those who came before – they need only to visit Bridwell Library, and specifically, Bridwell Library’s Special Collections. The Special Collections, which hold an array of rare books, unique manuscripts, Bibles, archival documents, and book art, has recently seen the acquisition of a traveler’s account from decades ago, and countries away. This French travelogue, written by wayfarer Marcel Solignac in 1937, provides an unpublished first-hand account of the Soviet Union from the perspective of the French petroleum engineer. Solignac, a member of an official delegation invited to the U.S.S.R., writes a “sociological essay” of three parts, offering his impressions (“impressions d’arrivée,” as shown below) of Soviet society, politics, and economy on the eve of the Second World War during a visit which coincided with the beginning of Stalin’s Great Terror. The full text, titled Relation d’un voyage en U.R.S.S. (Account of a trip to the USSR), is valuable not only for the interesting story of a stranger in a strange land, but also for the contextual information it provides on a sheltered space in a time of global tension. 
Bridwell’s holdings include several world-class collections related to theology, biblical studies, and art, including the Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Bible Collections, the World Methodist Museum collections, and collections relating to the history of the book and fine presses. Select items from Bridwell’s Special Collections are available for viewing on the SMU Libraries website. Researchers and other interested individuals can schedule appointments to see for themselves and explore the treasures housed within Bridwell Library.
To learn more about the recent acquisition to Bridwell’s collections, as well as other travels undertaken to support the exciting news at the library, read the Fall 2024 editions of The Bridwell Quarterly and the thought piece The Bridwell Quill. Though Bridwell’s home is Dallas, a whole world awaits those who visit the library and make use of its remarkable collections—and the library’s influence is certain to reach all on the Hilltop and beyond.
The Fall 2024 issue of The Bridwell Quarterly is a special papermaking and printing in Europe issue, dedicated to the memory of Bridwell’s colleague and friend Lara Corazalla who passed away last August. Bridwell’s Director, Anthony Elia writes The Bridwell Quill, a quarterly thought piece, and may be reached at aelia@smu.edu.
