Fisher Video Lectures

PJ Carefoote, the head of the University of Toronto's Rare Books and Special Collections department, provides an overview of the history of book censorship, with a particular emphasis on materials held at the UofT's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.

Toronto artist, painter, and printmaker Charles Pachter delivered the 2019 Johanna and Leon Katz Memorial Lecture where he talked about his work in the book arts, including his many collaborations with Margaret Atwood. The lecture was delivered on Thursday May 9, 2019.

Daniel Wakelin, Jeremy Griffiths Professor of Medieval English Palaeography, University of Oxford, delivered the 2019 George Kiddell Lecture on the History of the Book. Titled ‘The ABC of Medieval English Writing,' the lecture was delivered on March 27, 2019.

Daniel Wakelin, Jeremy Griffiths Professor of Medieval English Palaeography, University of Oxford, delivered the 2019 George Kiddell Lecture on the History of the Book. Titled ‘The ABC of Medieval English Writing,' the lecture was delivered on March 27, 2019.

James Spyker speaks about his friend Greta Golick, and her importance to the Toronto bookbinding community. Greta's research and notes form the core of the exhibition Uncovering the Book, which runs at the Fisher Library to August 16, 2019.

Canadian artist and wood engraver Wesley Bates delivered the 2018 Alexander C. Pathy Lecture in the Book Arts, the second lecture of the 2018/19 Friends of Fisher lecture series. Bates spoke about his career as an artist and the art of the wood engraver. The lecture was held at the Fisher Library on Wednesday October 10, 2018.

Nick Wilding, Professor of History at Georgia State University, delivered this year's John Seltzer and Mark Seltzer Memorial Lecture on his work detecting Galileo forgeries. Held on Wednesday September 19, 2018, it was the first Friends of Fisher lecture of the 2018/19 season.

On April 23, 2018, the Fisher Library announced that it had acquired the 1481 publication of Cicero's De Amicitia (treatise on friendship) and De Senectute (treatise on old age), printed by William Caxton. This book is now the oldest English-language book held in Canada. Listen to the Fisher's PJ Carefoote discuss both Caxton and the importance of this book being added to the Fisher's collections.

This year's George Kiddell Lecture on the History of the Book was delivered on March 21, 2018, by Dr. Peter Blayney, University of Toronto Department of English, Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, and authority on the early London Book Trade.

Scott Schofield delivered the 2012 John Seltzer and Mark Seltzer Memorial Lecture on October 1. His talk, "The Forbes Collection: A Library within a Library," focused on the the Fisher Library's Forbes Collection. Schofield is now Assistant Professor, English, at Western's Huron University College in London, Ont.