Literature class explores some of oldest books on Tusculum College campus

Students in an literature class at Tusculum College recently had the opportunity not only to study early American authors, but also to read from books in use during that time period. Students in an American Literature I course traveled recently to the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library on campus to read from books in the Charles Coffin Collection, which includes 16th, 17th, and 18th century imprints from the college's original library of 1794-1827. Donning white gloves to protect the fragile books, the students were instructed on how to handle the publications and given a brief description of the printing process and materials used during that time by George Collins, above, director of the Department of Museum Program and Studies at Tusculum. Books selected related to themes or persons found in the text for the class, taught by Dr. Taimi Olsen, associate professor of English. The books selected were written by such figures of the time as Jonathan Edwards and Cotton Mather, and included histories, anthologies, guidebooks, and theological dissertations. After reading passages, the students related themes, ideas, and phrases from the books to those found in the anthology text for the class. (Tusculum College photo)