King's boosted by Canning House collection
Posted on 24/10/2012
Professor Sir Rick Trainor, Principal of King's College London, speaking at the event last night.
An evening reception at King’s Maughan Library formally marked the transfer of Canning House Library to the College last night.
Described by the historian Hugh Thomas as, ‘one of the jewels of Latin American Studies in England’, Canning House Library possesses 50,000 volumes, which will constitute a major boost to the study of Hispanic and Lusaphone languages, culture and history at King’s.
Robert Hall, Director of Library Services, said: ‘We are delighted that Canning House Library’s vast and historic collection is coming to King’s. The breadth of its Latin American literature is remarkable, covering film, the visual arts, music, archaeology, the cultures of Latin America’s indigenous people, history, politics and geography.’
Around 100 guests were treated to a tour of the Maughan Library and a viewing of the ‘Ploughing the Sea: Latin America observed’ exhibition, for which many of the items have come from Canning House. The exhibition forms part of King’s Arts & Humanities Festival.
Canning House is the home of the Hispanic and Luso Brazilian Council, a non-political, non-profitmaking organisation that was founded in 1943 to stimulate understanding between Britain, Spain, Portugal and Latin America. The collections inherited from Canning House will complement some 80,000 items held in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Historical Collection at King’s.
The collection will also enhance the resources available to students and staff from the Department of Spanish, Portugese & Latin American Studies, which is one of the top 10 Iberian Languages departments in the UK (Complete University Guide 2013).
Professor Catherine Boyle, Head of the Department of Spanish, Portugese & Latin American Studies, said: ‘King’s has historic roots in the academic study of the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds, with Spanish among the first subjects taught here, from 1831.
‘Demonstrating the rich synergies that already exist between Canning House Library and King’s, many of the items in last night’s ‘Ploughing the Sea’ exhibition were provided by Canning House. We also run a number of literature courses, reading groups and cultural events in collaboration with the Library.’
Notes to editors
For further information on King's visit our 'King's in Brief' page.
For more information on Canning House Library visit their website.
Visit our website for further details regarding the 'Ploughing the Sea' exhibition.